Category Archives: Opportunities

Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation Seeks Director of Tenant Organizing and Counseling (NYC)

Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation (CHLDC) is a not-for-profit community development organization serving 8,000 residents a year through a comprehensive array of housing preservation, economic development, community organizing and youth and family support services programs and projects. With community residents leading the way, the mission of Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation is to build a strong, sustainable Cypress Hills/East New York, where youth and adults achieve educational and economic success, secure healthy and affordable housing and develop leadership skills to transform their lives and community.

Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation has an opening for one full-time Director of Tenant Organizing and Counseling to work in the Community Organizing and Advocacy division. This position is a full time, 40 hour per week, exempt position. We are looking for an experienced, hard-working, Spanish-speaking person who is committed to supporting tenants both individually and collectively, building tenant power, and organizing for housing justice.

Principal Duties:

  • Hire, train, supervise and evaluate tenant organizers, counselor, and interns.
  • Create and facilitate workshops about housing rights, responsibilities, laws and processes.
  • Complete surveys of distressed buildings and work with tenant organizers to organize tenants.
  • Hold regular meetings with tenants to identify and prioritize issues for building improvement campaigns (e.g. repairs, unresponsive management or landlords, shoddy maintenance, breach of rent-stabilization regulations).
  • Develop and coordinate the neighborhood Tenant Leadership Council.
  • Connect Cypress Hills residents to city-wide affordable housing campaigns as part of a city-wide coalition of low-income immigrant communities fighting for housing justice. These issues include: permanent affordability of low income housing, preservation of publicly-subsidized housing, reform of the rent regulation laws, and tackling the injustices related to predatory lending, subprime foreclosure crisis, unfair water billing policies, foreclosure rescue scams, one-stop shops, etc.
  • Counsel tenants individually as needed, and provide on-going assistance to tenants to resolve their housing problems, through case management, advocacy and tenant organizing.
  • Manage and maintain databases for contract reporting.
  • Complete quarterly reports for funders.
  • Provide monthly narratives and statistical reports on work accomplished.
  • Demonstrate commitment to leadership development, community building, and community organizing as strategies for social change.
  • Report to the Director of Community Organizing and Advocacy.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Position Requirements:

  • Must have three-five years experience in tenant organizing.
  • Must have a Bachelors degree.
  • Must be fluent in Spanish.
  • Be able to work in a fast-paced environment.
  • Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Be skilled and comfortable facilitating meetings and leading workshops.
  • Be detail-oriented.
  • Be willing to work flexible hours, including some evenings for tenant meetings.

Salary:

$50,000. We also offer a very competitive benefits package.

CYPRESS HILLS LOCAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER AND IS COMMITTED TO WORKPLACE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION.

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. We promote recognition and respect for individual and cultural differences, and we work to make our employees feel valued and appreciated, whatever their race, gender, background, or sexual orientation.

We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a pleasant working environment. Salary is based on a nonprofit scale and commensurate with experience.

How to apply

Please forward cover letter, resume, and three (3) references to Director of Community Organizing and Advocacy at: JuliaW@cypresshills.org. Three (3) written and signed reference letters will be required if chosen for the position.

Democracy Collaborative Seeks Community Development Assistant (Washington, DC)

The Democracy Collaborative (http://democracycollaborative.org/ and http://community-wealth.org/), a national research institute dedicated to the development of innovative strategies for the democratization of wealth, seeks a skilled development assistant to support our community development programs.

Application Deadline: February 12th, 2016.

Salary: $38,000 to $45,000, depending on work experience and academic qualifications. Job includes a generous benefits package including health care, three weeks of paid vacation per year, and an employer contribution to a 403(b) retirement plan.

Location: Currently Adams Morgan area of Washington, D.C. As of June 2016, the position will be based in the Dupont Circle area of Washington, D.C.

Start date: March 1, 2016. Earlier or later start date will be considered.

Basic Function

The Democracy Collaborative is a nonprofit think-and-do tank that focuses on researching and promoting innovative ways of building wealth in low-income communities and developing models for transformative systemic change. Assistants work as members of project teams, providing research and logistical support to projects focused on community wealth building. Under direction of project leaders, assistants contribute to data collection and management, prepare reports/presentations/materials that summarize findings, and draft content for our publications program or client engagements, and can include policy memos, briefs, reports, summaries, blogs and other publications. In addition, they assist project teams with coordination of logistics, communications, or event planning for conferences, webinars, and meetings of various sizes.

The Community Development Assistant will support the work of the Democracy Collaborative’s Manager of Community Development Programs in guiding the community development field to adopt a community wealth building framework which promotes diverse models to democratize wealth and ownership. Currently, the main project of the Democracy Collaborative’s Community Development Programs, that the Assistant will support, is the Learning/Action Lab for Community Wealth Building, a multi-year collaboration working with Native American communities to develop effective strategies that build and retain wealth (http://lab.community-wealth.org/). He/she will assist with meeting scheduling and preparation, logistics and planning, material generation, research, writing, communication and contact management, and will provide general administrative support to the Manager as needed in support of any/all community development programs.

Applicants must have a high attention to detail, be adept in logistic management and meeting planning, and be comfortable and confident working in a support role. Additionally, ideal candidates must have strong writing abilities and be comfortable conducting research and interviews and synthesizing ideas. Must be pleasant and personable on a daily basis and comfortable working with a variety of personality types, flexible schedules, multiple different office environments, and diverse audiences/clients/communities.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

The Community Development Assistant will have the following duties and responsibilities:

  • Assists with all logistics for Learning/Action Lab meetings, including event space coordination, catering and supply ordering and management, hotel and bus negotiations, travel planning, etc.;
  • Prepares materials and assemble binders for meetings including generating bios of meeting participants, preparing agendas, and researching and creating needed background materials;
  • Assists with communications among and between key partners and organizations;
  • Makes travel arrangements, including booking flights, hotels, rental cars, etc.;
  • Prepares expense reports, including managing receipts, bills, and credit card payments;
  • Assists with scheduling and follow-up for meetings, retreats, and other activities;
  • Takes notes and minutes for all meetings;
  • Supports Manager on project needs and research which may include background research, conducting interviews, writing and editorial projects including blogs, articles, newsletters, and other publications and communications; and
  • Provides general administrative support as needed.
  • Will have the opportunity to participate in cross-office workgroups and optional seminars on topics relevant to the Democracy Collaborative’s work.

Education/Experience Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and 2 years of relevant work experience is required (e.g., community development, event planning, logistical coordination, research/writing support, and/or administrative work). Evidence of previous work demonstrating reliability, a very high degree of accuracy, and attention to detail is critical.

Other Requirements

Must be proficient in working in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as comfort with online platforms. Must be highly organized with an attention to detail, especially with regards to dates, times, and schedules. Must have experience with event and logistic coordination. Must be interested in, familiar with, and enthusiastic for transformative community economic development and the work of the Democracy Collaborative.

To Apply

To apply, send detailed cover letter regarding your interest in The Democracy Collaborative, your experience with community development, and your skills to meet the job criteria; a CV/résumé with references; and relevant writing sample/work product to jobs@democracycollaborative.org including “Community Development Assistant” in the subject line. Please note that due to the volume of applications we receive, we cannot respond to every applicant. No phone calls please. We will contact all candidates who qualify for first-round interviews.

The Democracy Collaborative is an Equal Opportunity Employer—people of color, people with disabilities, women, and LGBT candidates are strongly encouraged to apply; we are committed to a diverse workplace, and to supporting our staff with ongoing career development opportunities.

Calling All Applicants: 2016 Diversity Scholarship

To be eligible for the scholarship, you must apply and be accepted into the MA in Labor Studies program.

MA in Labor Studies Deadline:  March 15

Please contact Laurie.Kellogg@cuny.edu  212-642-2055 for more information

Open House dates: Feb. 25, March 1, March 9

Are You Ready to Make a Difference?

The Murphy Institute for Worker Education and Labor Studies at the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) is pleased to announce the third year of their national scholarship competition, which is dedicated to supporting diversity in leadership in the labor movement and in labor studies.

Apply Today!

Application Deadline is: April 15, 2016.

If you’re seeking to make a difference, advocating for equity within the community, workplace, or the world, then the Joseph S. Murphy Scholarship for Diversity in Labor will help you achieve those goals. As a scholarship recipient, you will:

  • Earn an MA in Labor Studies or BA in Urban and Community Studies
  • Advance professionally and personally in a supportive environment
  • Explore the dynamics of urban life, community empowering, and labor organizing
  • Strengthen your ability to advocate for labor rights, stronger communities, and social justice
  • Receive up to $30,000 for graduate study or up to $20,000 for undergraduate study

Eligibility Requirements

  • For graduate scholarship: First-time entering students in the MA in Labor Studies degree program with a minimum 3.0 GPA
  • For undergraduate scholarship: First-time entering students or continuing students in the BA in Urban and Community Studies degree program, with a concentration in Labor Studies and a minimum 2.5 GPA

For eligibility information and to apply, please click here or call /email Janet Leslie at 212-642-2083.

Application deadline is April 15, 2016.

DAWI’s Worker Cooperative Development Fundamentals Training

The need for skilled worker cooperative developers is increasing throughout the United States. The Democracy at Work Institute’s Development Fundamentals training lays a foundation for you to meet that need. Alongside a small group from around the country trainees will do independent learning, join facilitated group conversations, and get practice in real technical assistance placements with cooperative organizations. Attendees will gain nuts and bolts skills and deepen their strategic analysis, and gain preparation for future development work.

This training is the continuation of the five-year old Democracy at Work Network (DAWN) training, but is now welcoming a mixed cohort of:

  • Members of worker cooperatives who want to support their movement through DAWN
  • Community organizers and economic development staff who want to make worker cooperatives part of their toolkit.

Learn more

The full description and the application form are available at www.institute.coop/fundamentals.

For a list of previous trainees in the Democracy at Work Network training see http://dawn.coop/all_dawn.

Applications are due by the end of day, January 31st, 2016 to jmarraffino@institute.coop. Please contact Joe Marraffino at jmarraffino@institute.coop for more information.

Greater Jamaica Development Corporation Seeks Community Arts Manager

Community Arts Manager for the Jamaica BCC Project

SUPERVISOR: Jamaica Building Community Capacity (BCC) Steering Committee

FLSA STATUS: Exempt

POSITION: Full-Time

LOCATION: Downtown Jamaica, Queens, NY

CONTRACT TERM: This is a grant funded position by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs,until June 2017 (Approx. 17 months)

Position Summary:

The Jamaica BCC Steering Committee is seeking a qualified individual familiar with Southeast Queens to work as the Project Manager for the Jamaica BCC Project and work with stakeholders and community leaders in the arts and cultural community to develop community infrastructure.

The Key Role of the Community Arts Project Manager:

  • Integrate and build mutually beneficial relationships with artists, arts and cultural organizations, the faith community, business, advocates, and key stakeholders (i.e. local BID/development corporations, service providers, local government, educational, and other institutions) to execute the goals of the project;
  • Identify strengths, challenges, and resources needed to be leveraged, gaps in service to the community and collaborative opportunities;
  • Execute strategies to increase cultural programming and assist in the coordination of all project programs and activities;
  • Manage and implement new methods for attracting tourists, patrons and funding for the arts and cultural activities;
  • Oversee project budget(s).
  • Develop and maintain robust engagement with the Steering Committee and stakeholders to facilitate needed involvement in all project activities, and attend monthly workshops on topics related to the completion of this program.
  • Report to the Steering Committee and the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) to advise on the project’s progress.

Qualifications:

  • Minimum of 5+ years of experience in arts and culture, community development, communications, public affairs/relations or in a related field.
  • Strong interpersonal skills, adaptability, leadership, and professionalism.
  • Experience working with government agencies or closely related field.
  • Demonstrated ability to implement complex, creative strategic plans and arts projects.
  • Experience in executing digital communication strategies.
  • Fundraising history a plus.

To learn more about the Building Community Capacity grant, go to: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcla/html/funding/cadp.shtml

How to apply

Qualified individual must submit a cover letter and resume to msternbach@gjdc.org. Please attach at least three relevant references.