Ottawa ACORN Community Organizer

Is social justice a passion of yours? Do you want to work in a grassroots environment that develops groups of low-to-moderate income people to fight for change?

Then we want YOU to join the ACORN organizing team!

What is ACORN?

ACORN Canada, the nationwide community union of low-to-moderate income people, is expanding our organizing in Ottawa & Gatineau. Our purpose is to give low-to-moderate income people the power needed to have their voices effectively heard at the highest levels in the country.

How?

Organizers do direct outreach, listen to community residents’ concerns, and connect what they want to see changed to effective mass-based action. Organizing protests, developing campaigns, coordinating communications and research, and, most important, building powerful local groups all across the National Capital Region!

ACORN is a multi-issue, mass based union of low-to-moderate income people. ACORN is able to be both a local-based union winning local campaigns, as well as a large-scale organization combining forces to fight national corporations and governments that are at the root of most of our problems.

We are a tenants’ union. We are a disability action union. We are a worker’s union. We are a consumer’s union. We are whatever our members are. Our members pay dues so that the organization can be sustainable and not dependent on outside funding from government and corporations. Each dues member has a vote, and only members speak for the organization. Our members get elected to our board of directors and set our policy and help determine the tactics.

Our members’ current campaign priorities include:

Affordable & Livable Housing: https://acorncanada.org/resource/ottawa-acorns-healthy-homes-platform
Internet for All: https://acorncanada.org/take-action/ottawa-needs-community-owned-internet-all
Fair Banking: https://acorncanada.org/resource/acorn-member-testimonials-end-predatory-lending

*APPLY WITH COVER LETTER*

Community Organizer

• Building/expanding neighbourhood groups by being directly in the communities we’re organizing.
• Develop building, neighbourhood, and municipal campaigns with the current ACORN leadership and new leaders from the community that you help develop.
• Are responsible for their own projects such as organizing neighbourhood meetings, press conferences, townhalls, protests, sit-in’s and other direct actions. This includes all of the strategic planning, logistics, leadership development, media relations, communications and outreach.
• Represent the organization in the neighbourhoods, as well as with our leadership at external meetings or events (allies or targets).
• Work with our Lead Organizer on a day to day basis to learn the basics of ACORN’s organizing methods and techniques.
• Fundraising and asking for money is a fundamental part of ACORN staffs’ jobs. We are structured like a union: ACORN members pay membership dues. While this is not the entire job, it’s fundamental that outreach workers sign up members and can ask for dues and donations.
• 42 hours per week – working in afternoons and evenings between 12-9pm. Salary with benefits, transit/phone reimbursements, sick days and paid vacation.
• Willing and able to travel to training, and staff meetings (some outside of Canada). Usually 3 times a year.
• Dealing with multiple tasks in the same day – flexibility and resilience are keys to success.
• Lot’s of opportunity for growth. Organizers are advanced quickly who do a good job.

Qualifications and Skills

• No paid experience required.
• Have strong social and people skills.
• Multilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.
• Be self driven and the ability to work both independently but also follow direction.
• Ability to listen in order to identify issues that are affecting our people

Salary: $41,000 – $43,000

Send your resume and a brief cover letter outlining your interest in social justice to otacorncentre@acorncanada.org