Community Organizer

The NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the country’s first and foremost civil and human rights law organization. Founded in 1940 under the leadership of Thurgood Marshall, who subsequently became the first Black U.S. Supreme Court Justice, LDF was launched at a time when the nation’s aspirations for equality and due process of law were stifled by widespread state-sponsored racial inequality. From that era to the present, LDF’s mission has been transformative — to achieve racial justice, equality, and an inclusive society.

LDF’s litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education programs in the substantive areas of criminal justice, economic justice, education, and political participation seek to ensure the fundamental and basic human rights of all people to quality education, economic opportunity, the right to vote and fully participate in democracy, and the right to a fair and just judicial system. LDF continues to make an impact in the area of public service and was recognized by Fast Company as one of its 2023 Brands That Matter under its public service category.

LDF seeks a creative problem solver, strong advocate, and skilled Community Organizer to join its organizing team to advance its reform work in a full range of legislative and policy campaigns. This position will work across all four (4) core LDF issue areas with preferred experience in educational equity and/or criminal justice. Preference will be given to candidates based in the New York area.

The Community Organizer will report to LDF’s Deputy Director of Community Organizing.

Responsibilities: 

• Valuing, highlighting and building the capacity of impacted communities to effectively organize initiatives that address LDF’s four (4) core issue areas;
• Investigating educational equity and racial justice issues through data, anecdotal, and other factual collection and analyses;
• Assisting Campaign Strategist in preparing campaign workplans;
• Cultivate external relationships with national, regional, and local organizations and allies;
• Working with local communities to assist in building their capacity to challenge discriminatory educational policies and practices including promoting inclusive, culturally responsive curricula on race and equity;
• Organizing communities or coalitions to advance reforms to public systems, including but not limited to educational systems;
• Developing and maintaining relationships, partnerships, and coalitions with parents, educators, organizations, community members/leaders, and public officials;
• Planning, implementing, and coordinating successful community outreach and public education campaigns;
• Devises and implements training for LDF staff, members, and supporters to build an ongoing growth and development process, including specific training on community outreach and engagement, meeting with elected officials, volunteer-led outreach like phone-banking and canvassing, data management, interacting with media, and using technology to take online activism offline;
• Collaborating and coordinating closely with the Policy, Litigation, Thurgood Marshall Institute, and Communications Departments to develop and sustain a multi-disciplinary and community-informed approach to LDF’s various advocacy efforts on racial justice issues;
• Tracking programs’ progress to achieve goals, producing reports, and highlighting and adjusting plans as necessary; and
• Other responsibilities as assigned by the Director of Community Organizing or Senior Management.

Qualifications: 

• Experience working on educational equity or criminal justice campaigns;
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in organizing communities or coalitions to advance reforms to public systems, including but not limited to educational and criminal justice systems;
• Commitment to the racial justice mission of LDF;
• Demonstrated commitment to valuing, highlighting and building the capacity of impacted communities to effectively organize initiatives that address racial bias in educational and criminal justice systems;
• Demonstrated ability to plan, implement and coordinate successful community outreach and public education campaigns;
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain relationships, partn