Riverside Community Organizer- Modesto, CA

Organization: Tuolumne River Preservation Trust

Position Title: Riverside Community Organizer

Location: 829 Thirteenth Street, Modesto, CA, 95354, US

Hours and Compensation: not listed

Application Deadline: not listed

Organization Overview

The Tuolumne River Trust seeks a Riverside Community Organizer to help build a strong grassroots base of support for reviving the Tuolumne River and the underserved communities it flows through in the Modesto area. This is an excellent opportunity to join a dynamic team doing cutting-edge organizing to straddle environmental and socioeconomic issues.

The Tuolumne River Trust (TRT) has been the voice for the River since 1981. For more than a decade, we have been working to revive the lower Tuolumne River. TRT led a community effort to create a plan for a series of parks along the 52 miles of the lower Tuolumne River. We want people to flock to the Tuolumne River to enjoy its refreshing waters and relaxing riverside parks. At the same time, we want a healthy, vibrant and flowing river that is teeming with fish and wildlife. With ten staff working in Sonora, Modesto, and San Francisco we have put our roots down in the urban and rural communities that depend on the river and remain the only organization working throughout the watershed. For more information, visit www.tuolumne.org.

Description

TRT is organizing in underserved riverside communities in the Modesto area to involve and empower residents to revive these communities and the river that flows through them. To do this we are building community capacity, support for a shared vision, and engaging decision-makers who can help us advance the communities’ agenda and improve stewardship of the river.

Responsibilities

• Organize people living in underserved riverside communities, including but not limited to the Airport Neighborhood and West Modesto, to participate in grassroots actions in support of the Tuolumne River and the riverside neighborhoods through town hall meetings, meetings with decision makers and elected officials, community collaborative discussions, events, etc.
• Support the Tuolumne River Trust’s multi-year agenda for advancing the Tuolumne River Regional Park through grassroots organizing and coalition building.
• Organize events to engage and inform members of the community such as river and park cleanups, canoe trips, and celebrations.
• Work with existing collaborative efforts in riverside neighborhoods to amplify and advance existing community priorities.
• Strengthen and expand the Trust’s member and activist base in these neighborhoods.
• Strengthen and expand relationships with existing partners in these neighborhoods.
• Use social media and other online tools to engage people in online activism.
• Manage and grow the Tuolumne River Trust’s base of volunteers.
• Assist in organizing the Tuolumne River Trust’s annual Paddle to the Sea event.
• Work with Advancement staff to support fundraising efforts, including grant writing (and associated reporting), meeting with donors and foundations, and the Trust’s annual year-end-appeal and associated phonebanking.

Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree.

• Experience in grassroots organizing, political advocacy, and/or communications.
• Understanding of the connection between the health of a community and the health of the environment.
• Experience and knowledge with California water and conservation issues is a plus.
• An ability to build relationships and work with people from different backgrounds and perspectives.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, as well as basic computer skills and some website experience.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, the ability to see projects from conception to completion, and the ability to work independently and as a team player with other individuals and organizations.

Commitment to the Tuolumne River Trust’s mission, values and issues, and a dedication to, and passion for, the diversity and health of rivers and the communities they flow through.

How to Apply

Please email a cover letter and resume to Jose Gonzalez at [email protected]. The position will be open until filled and the first round of interviews is expected to occur in late November.