We’re Hiring Organizers

As 2024 comes to a close, we’ve been reflecting on what ordinary rural people can accomplish when we join together and organize. We shared some of the key victories made possible by human dignity groups organizing for democracy and justice across rural Oregon in our annual report.

Keep an eye on your mailbox for your annual report this week. Not sure if we have your correct mailing address? Let us know and we’ll send an annual report right away!

Dear ROPnet,

If you’re a Human Dignity Group leader, rural justice seeker, or ROP supporter, we’ve got good news for you–the ROP organizing staff is growing!  

Did you click wistfully through the announcement about our incredible staff team and wish you could join us? Do you dream about a life on the road, meeting with rural organizers at kitchen tables in every corner of the state? Could your next move be a long-term commitment to organizing for justice in rural Oregon?

We’ve got good news for you…we’re hiring!

ROP is looking to round out our team with one to two new community organizers. We have more Human Dignity Groups (92!) than we’ve ever had before and they are spread across ALL 35 rural counties in our state. After Trump’s election, new folks are coming out of the woodwork wanting to be involved in pro-democracy, pro-dignity organizing in rural Oregon. We are supporting leaders across the state who are preparing to protect and defend our neighbors in the months ahead while also planning how to build a thriving rural Oregon in the decades to come. In order to accomplish our big goals, we need more statewide organizers. We’re at an exciting moment of growth and looking for the right people to jump on board, as well as securing the funding to grow sustainably.

How can you help ROP grow? 

1. If this is the right moment for you to step into a new role at ROP, check out the job posting below or on our website, and please apply! 
2. Forward this message far and wide. Future ROP organizers are out there somewhere. Can you help us find them? 
3. Support us in raising funds to keep our team and our network thriving into the future! Please consider making a monthly contribution. ROP wouldn’t exist without thousands of people pitching in whatever amount they can to resource the work.

Warmly,

Hannah and the ROP Team

Rural Organizing Project JOB ANNOUNCEMENT Community Organizer

Rural Organizing Project (ROP) is a nonpartisan statewide organization dedicated to building the capacity of autonomous, all-volunteer small-town and rural groups committed to creating communities that uphold a standard of human dignity: the belief in the equal worth of all people and the need for equal access to justice. Founded in 1992, ROP has more than 90 active member groups (Human Dignity Groups) in all 35 rural counties across Oregon and two tribal communities. ROP, made up of our ever-evolving network of Human Dignity Groups and thousands of leaders across the state, have hope and an unbreakable resolve that together we can build beloved community. We do this through the rural traditions of community organizing, political education, critical thinking, finding common ground, breaking bread, and celebrating our victories.

For more than 30 years, ROP has been advancing experimental and innovative organizing as we support our network of self-directed Human Dignity Groups to act as moral compasses to lead their communities: rooted in the values of democracy, and economic, racial, and social justice. Human Dignity Groups are working to lower temperatures while courageously countering the politics of fear, isolation, and rejection with another vision of vibrant, healthy communities where everyone can live their lives fully with dignity and safety.

We are seeking one to two full-time organizers to build and strengthen the movement for justice across rural and frontier counties in Oregon. We are looking for organizers who have a demonstrated ability to build and hold meaningful relationships, develop group leaders over time, use grassroots organizing to create community power, and understand the intersecting issues impacting small-town and rural communities.

How to Apply

To apply, please email a resume, three references, and a 1-3 page written response to the following questions to office@rop.org:

1. Why are you interested in working with ROP? 
2. How do you feel you meet the skills and qualifications criteria?
3. Please give two concrete examples from your organizing experience that demonstrate your approach, philosophy, or beliefs about organizing with communities facing inequity and injustice.

Have questions about the role? Reply to this email and we’ll get back to you.

The position includes the following areas of responsibility:

• Relationship Building and Capacity Building: Develop strong working relationships with rural leaders and offer support that builds the capacity of each ROP member group. We define capacity as the ability of a human dignity group to build power and create change through base-building and grassroots organizing. Key support from ROP includes assistance in building and troubleshooting the core structures needed for a strong group, including a named leadership team, a growing base of supporters, communications systems to communicate with supporters, and an action plan.
• Organizing: Work closely with the entire staff team to develop, communicate, and support local groups to identify local campaigns. This includes campaign opportunities, objectives, and targets that will build people power. Facilitate member groups in developing local strategy, tactics, outreach, and mobilization. Help coordinate the program, outreach, and logistics for strategic meetings, actions, and events–including our annual member gathering.
• Communications: Part of an ROP organizer’s role is breaking isolation by sharing stories from our work with the broader network, and with the movement at large. This can look like tool development, written storytelling, video creation, and statewide Zoom call facilitation. 
• Operations & Fundraising: Every staff member at ROP participates in finding creative opportunities to bring resources into the organization- with guidance and support! We also have a shared commitment to careful stewarding of those resources and internal operating systems, such as offices, vehicles, and financial and digital systems.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Grassroots organizing: At least two years of community organizing experience. We recognize that rural organizing is desperately under-resourced and that the majority of rural work is done on a volunteer basis and can look a lot of different ways. ROP organizers need a strong ability to build community, develop leadership, and contest for power with leaders who are most impacted by inequity. We’re also looking for people who can quickly build relationships with volunteer leaders across the state and maintain them over multiple years.
• Group facilitation: Staff often present to groups, lead strategy sessions, facilitate workshops and trainings, and start challenging conversations with our member groups.
• Personal Organization: Stellar organization skills and attention to detail are important to do this role well. There’s a lot to keep track of! If your calendar is always up-to-date and your notes are color-coded, we want to talk to you. You’ll also need to be able to proactively set priorities and goals, self-manage accomplishing tasks, and work independently to achieve shared goals.
• Emotional maturity and humility: Our work centers on supporting a vast network of groups led by people most impacted by the issues we work on as an organization. We rely on local leaders to be experts in their communities and ROP organizers need to be able to “read the room” and adapt, recognize unspoken boundaries, intently listen and learn, and understand when it is time to apologize and take accountability.
• Constructive optimism: While we are creating possible solutions to remedy deep structural issues, rural Oregonians are winning incremental victories, sometimes big and sometimes small. We believe that anyone can make meaningful changes in their communities and that everyone has something to give to the movement.
• Resourcefulness: Rural Oregonians pride ourselves on being able to patch together solutions from what we find around us, even if that’s baling wire and bubblegum. Successful organizers at ROP can identify opportunities and resources to best support our members, aren’t afraid to ask for help, and enjoy building relationships with unsuspecting allies.

Other Requirements

1. Confidence using word processing, spreadsheets, and email.
2. Must be able to drive.
3. We are looking for people who are either based in small-town or rural Oregon or are willing to relocate to rural Oregon if hired.
4. We know life sometimes throws a curveball, but we’re looking for people who plan to stay at ROP for at least two years.

Desired (but not required) Skills and Qualifications

1. Spoken and written fluency in Spanish.
2. Strong public speaking and written communication skills.
3. Graphic design and layout skills.
4. Experience working with community radio or newspapers.

Time Commitment

This position is full-time and exempt, with an average commitment of 40 hours per week required. As exempt, this position is not entitled to overtime pay, and ROP has practices in place to ensure staff are working sustainable hours. This position includes significant and frequent travel to work with human dignity groups across the state, to participate in regular staff retreats, and to work occasionally out of ROP’s offices around the state. Flexibility in hours is needed to support rural leaders, including nights and weekends as needed. Organizers spend approximately the equivalent of one week per month traveling to meet with groups in person.

Salary, Benefits, and Staff Resources

Salary is $60,000-70,000 annually based on experience and length of time in the organization: $60,000-65,000 for 2-5 years of organizing experience; $65,000-$70,000 for 6+ years of organizing experience.

Excellent staff benefits include:

• Healthcare: 100% coverage of health and dental care premiums for employees and 90% of premiums for partners and dependents, employer-funded health reimbursement account to cover the costs of the healthcare deductible and out-of-pocket medical expenses, annual wellness stipend, and short-term and long-term disability insurance.
• Paid time off: 20 days of vacation, 12 days of paid sick time, 5 personal days, and 11 paid holidays per year. 3-month paid sabbatical after each five years of service, 12-week paid parental leave.
• Simple Employee Retirement (SEP)-IRA retirement program: employer contribution regardless of employee contribution.
• Student or medical loan repayment: Employer will pay up to $200 per month toward the employee’s student or medical debt.
• Travel support: per diem, caregiver travel support to cover care when an employee travels or to cover the additional costs of care provider to travel with the employee, access to a pool of well-maintained ROP vehicles.
• Staff development budget for initial and ongoing training and support.
• Technology needed to perform duties, including phone and computer, and a budget to set up an ergonomic home office and/or to rent and establish a field office in the employee’s rural community.

Rural Organizing Project (ROP) is an equal employment opportunity employer. ROP prohibits unlawful discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender identity, age, national origin, genetic characteristics, disability, status as a special disabled veteran or veteran, marital status, sexual orientation, sexual identity, or any other basis prohibited by law.