Northern Minnesota Manufactured Home Resident Organizing Fellow

ISAIAH•Duluth, MN

1d•Onsite

About The Position

This is a full-time, 6-month temporary position with ISAIAH, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, and its 501(c)4 organization, Faith in Minnesota. The role focuses on organizing people in manufactured home communities in Northern Minnesota to develop leadership and shared power across race, class, and geography. The fellow will work towards a just economy and a democracy that honors the dignity and worth of people across race and class, building and leading an organizing program to develop the capacity and leadership of everyday Minnesotans. This includes developing racial, economic, and climate justice campaigns with community and ISAIAH leaders. ISAIAH and Faith in Minnesota are multi-racial, multi-faith coalitions working towards racial and economic equity through leadership development, collective action, and deep partnerships.

Requirements

Interested in the needs of people and communities
Demonstrated “grit” when faced with challenging work or a lack of initial success
Able to act with integrity, has a strong work ethic, “grit”, and willingness to persevere until you succeed
A self-starter who can independently set goals and use them to guide daily actions
A good listener and capable of establishing rapport with people from different backgrounds
A quick learner eager to develop their leadership and help others do the same
Open to evaluation and direction from their supervisor and peers
Unafraid of being pushed and challenged by their peers and supervisor in order to more deeply reflect on and address personal barriers to leadership development
Can navigate different cultural settings to relate to people across race, class, age, and religion
Can articulate how working for social justice and grassroots organizing is connected to their personal motivation or self-interest rather than a desire to “serve” or “save” others
Have demonstrated independent decision-making, management of multiple priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, and sound judgment on when to seek advice and support from team members
Can share examples of achieving success when straightforward solutions aren’t available through problem-solving and applying flexible thinking
Can speak to their ability to effectively work with diverse faith communities, racial groups, and diverse stakeholders
Have a self-interest in the needs of people and communities
Is comfortable using a range of technology, such as Google Workspace or Microsoft Office, WhatsApp, and other common software and apps
Have a valid driver’s license and regular access to a reliable car

Responsibilities

Running a petition drive (doorknocking) to gather support for the Save Our Homes Campaign - the Manufactured Home Residents Bill of Rights and build relationships with residents
Hosting a series of community conversations in manufactured home communities: initial info session for residents, candidate forums, and additional community engagement sessions to invite them into our organizing effort
Conducting regular 1:1 meetings with manufactured home residents to build relationships and identify potential leaders
Developing, leading, and coaching teams of leaders in their manufactured home communities to advance our Save Our Homes campaign
Facilitating candidate forums between residents and the candidates seeking to represent them specifically about issues impacting manufactured home residents
Developing a voter education and engagement campaign with core resident leaders to support champions endorsed by resident teams
Inviting community members to key post-election strategy events in Nov. and December
Facilitating regular strategy meetings and relevant trainings for resident leaders
Attending organizing and narrative building training
Participating in weekly development sessions with supervision from a lead organizer