American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is the nation’s foremost defender of constitutional rights and civil liberties. ACLU of Colorado (ACLU-CO) is an affiliate of the national ACLU, and it is the state’s guardian of freedom, working in the courts, in the legislature, and in communities across the state to protect and advance civil rights and civil liberties for all. Founded in 1952, ACLU of Colorado is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to fulfilling the promise of equal justice under the law for all Coloradans. For more information about the work of the ACLU of Colorado and the civil liberties principles we uphold, please visit our website at www.aclu-co.org.

Commitment To Equity, Diversity, Belonging, and Inclusion

ACLU of Colorado is an equitable opportunity employer. We believe that having a board, staff, and volunteer base with diverse personal and professional backgrounds enhances our ability to meet our mission and creates an environment where all community members can thrive. We strongly encourage applications from all qualified persons, including people of color, immigrants, women, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ community, those who have been formerly incarcerated, and other members of underrepresented and marginalized groups. 

ACLU of Colorado does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, or record of arrest or conviction. We are committed to providing a work environment that practices equitable and inclusive treatment and is quick to act to prevent and address harassment or discrimination of any kind.

Advocacy and Strategic Alliances

ACLU of Colorado’s new Department of Advocacy and Strategic Alliances (“ASA”) focuses on achieving transformational and systemic change for civil rights and civil liberties. ASA accomplishes this goal through multi-year, issue-based integrated campaigns, building powerful coalitions and networks working together to achieve shared goals, and empowering the next generation of civil rights and civil liberties champions. The ASA team includes policy experts, campaigners, organizers, data analysts and researchers who work in integrated teams alongside the ACLU-CO’s litigators and communications experts. These integrated teams weave together policy advocacy, organizing, public education, litigation, electoral and political strategies, corporate campaigns, and communications strategies to achieve audacious goals.

Job Description

ACLU of Colorado’s next Organizer will be helping to form one of the most dynamic and impactful organizing teams in the state. The organizer will be on a team that is dedicated to advancing structural economic and racial justice, equitable data and technology, the right to privacy and personal autonomy, and criminal legal system reform. The Organizer sits in the affiliate’s Department of Advocacy and Strategic Alliances and works on integrated campaigns with colleagues in policy, legal, communications, campaigns, and research and analytics to develop and execute audacious multi-year campaigns with community and coalitions. The Organizer contributes to the ACLU’s statewide organizing strategy through building relationships, trust, and power with communities to ultimately achieve policy and political change. The Organizer reports to the Senior Organizer.

Primary Responsibilities

• Base building and increasing community power to support the ACLU-CO’s overarching goals and mission.
• Expand the ACLU-CO’s current activist base, including developing authentic relationships with new constituencies with a focus on communities of color and communities most impacted by one of the ACLU-CO’s focus areas.
• Move both current and new members to action, and develop the next generation of civil rights and civil liberties champions.
• Escalate coalition and community needs to the full ACLU-CO strategic team to better inform policy and campaign goals.
• Leverage ACLU-CO’s platform to amplify community needs, ensuring new activists and members have the skills to hold decision makers accountable on civil rights.
• Make often complex policy goals understandable and clear to community members.
• Track and report progress-to-goal on organizing strategies and tactics
• Work collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team to integrate and align organizing strategies with strategic communications, policy, litigation, electoral programs, and other strategies and tactics 
• Cultivate key strategic relationships with stakeholders and peers at other organizations
• Represent ACLU-CO in coalitions or tables

Qualifications:

• Dedicated to carrying out the mission and goals of the American Civil Liberties Union in protecting and furthering civil rights and civil liberties.
• Ability to apply the work of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (EDIB) to the work
• Commitment to organizing strategies that seek to achieve concrete policy change and build long-term power.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and relationship-building skills
• 2 years of organizing experience (including paid or volunteer) in community/field organizing and base building for issue-based or political campaigns;
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and move projects forward, including when prioritizing competing projects.
• Lived or professional experience working in one of the communities that are a strategic priority for the ACLU, including communities of color, immigrant communities, rural communities, and indigenous communities
• Lived or professional understanding of one or more of the ACLU’s core issue-area priorities including access to housing, racial justice, criminal justice reform, or digital privacy and technology
• Willingness to work irregular hours, attend evening and weekend meetings, and travel in-state;
• Valid driver's license or reliable transportation

Work Accommodations during the COVID-19 Pandemic

ACLU-CO has a hybrid return-to-work model that began on June 1, 2022. To make it safe to work at the office amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we have a mandated mask policy and a mandatory vaccination policy, unless you request in writing a medical or religious exemption. You will need to send a copy of your updated COVID vaccination card. 

Compensation and Benefits

This position is full-time; the approximate salary range is $49,500 to $67,000 and within the pay scale parameters of ACLU of Colorado. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance, life and long-term disability insurance, 401k contribution, paid vacation, and holidays. A relocation stipend is available for new hires to move to Colorado.

To Apply

Email a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and three references with “ACLU-CO Organizer” in the subject line to jobs@aclu-co.org. No phone calls, please. Resumes will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning September 22, 2022, and the position will remain open until filled.

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