Got faith? Want social change?
Interested in a career in community organizing but wondering how to move forward?
Here’s your opportunity. The Community Organizing Residency (COR) is a six-month, paid residency. COR is for people from different faith backgrounds who want to make community organizing their profession. They will gain social justice experience working with leading organizing groups in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Organizers bring people together to act on behalf of their shared values and interests, to create more meaning in their lives, and to build a better world. Interweaving relationships, motivation, strategy, and action, they build powerful communities to influence the decision and policies that affect their lives.
Acting on their values, Residents will support organizing groups working to create affordable housing, improve public education, and increase access to healthcare. They will receive top tier mentorship and organizing training from their organization.
The residencies will begin July 29, 2010 and end Feb 2, 2011. Residents will receive a salary and healthcare benefits. To apply, complete an application by April 2, 2010.
This is the moment to explore a career in social justice, rooted in faith. Use your passion and talent to create a stronger country.
Frequently asked questions
What is the structure of the program?
COR is a full-time position, lasting six months. Residents begin their training with a four-day retreat July 29 to August 1, 2010, and are then in residence through January 2011. The six months conclude with a two-day gathering beginning January 31, 2011. The Community Organizing Residency will cover costs of travel (within the continental US), food, and lodging for the opening retreat and final gathering.
What is the timeframe of the program?
COR is a six-month long program beginning July 29, 2010, and ending February 2, 2011. Intended as a starting point for a career in community organizing, we will make every effort to match Residents who succeed in the first six-months with permanent positions.
What kinds of organizations will Residents work with?
Residents will be placed with a top community organizing group in one of four regions: New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, or the San Francisco Bay Area. Placement organizations are community, labor, and congregation-based organizations that organize in diverse communities.
How are placements determined?
We consider several factors when determining where a resident will be placed, including the needs of the host organizations (e.g. language, drivers license and car, etc.) and the preferences of the Residents. Since mentorship and guidance is an essential component of the program, we try to match Residents and mentors based on their backgrounds, mutual interests and skills. While the host organizations will participate in the selection process, COR will make all final decisions about placements.
What will I learn?
Residents will learn core community organizing skills, broaden their personal leadership skills, and deepen the connection between faith and social change. Host groups will provide training on community organizing skills including one-to-one meetings, power mapping, cultivating leaders, and identifying solutions to intractable community issues.
These trainings will deepen Residents' capacity to create a sustainable and effective career in a challenging and deeply meaningful field. Residents will connect faith with social change through text and study, as well as experience and reflection on the roots of justice in the texts and traditions of Islam, Christianity and Judaism - as well as on-the-ground in contemporary communities.
How is the training structured?
The program begins with a four-day training in a retreat setting and will include subsequent gatherings once a month in each city. The opening retreat and monthly gatherings will be facilitated by experienced faith leaders and organizers. Residents will also participate in regular online reflection and dialogue with their peers from around the country.
What is the salary?
Residents will receive a $17,000 stipend and health care through their placement organization.
Do I need a car?
It is preferred. Many host organizations require that Residents own a reliable car, other host organizations do not. Please indicate on your application whether you have a reliable car.
Do you provide housing and accommodations?
No, the resident must provide their own housing. In many cases, host groups will be able to assist Residents in securing housing.
Can I specify the city I want to work in?
We will try to accommodate specific requests for placement locations. You should indicate your city preference on your application, and whether you are willing to move to another city for the duration of the Residency.
Will I be guaranteed a permanent organizing position once the program is over?
No. We will make every attempt to offer guidance and support to successful Residents in finding a full-time, permanent position. Many of the organizations where Residents will be placed are also looking to hire a full-time organizer at the end of the six-months, but we cannot make guarantees.
Do I need to be religious/religiously observant?
While applicants should be actively engaged with their own faith tradition or have an interest in more deeply exploring their own tradition, there is no minimum level of observance, belief or knowledge required. Residents will be working alongside members of other faith communities and must have an interest in learning about other traditions. We also ask that all Residents agree not to proselytize or promote one religion over another.
How do I apply?
To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume along with the application and reference form via email to residency@jewishjustice.org. Please submit all application materials by April 2, 2010. Applications will be accepted and evaluated as they arrive. It is to your advantage to submit your application as soon as possible. Late or incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
What happens after I submit my application?
Applicants who are selected for the first round will receive phone interviews. Applicants who are selected as finalists will be invited to attend one of four day-and-a-half-long program of interviews, organizing exercises, and discussions held in each the four program cities. Those accepted into the program will be notified and given the name of their placement organization via email by May 31, 2010.
How many Residents will be accepted?
In 2010 we will accept a cohort of 12 Residents.
I see that this program is an initiative of the Jewish Funds for Justice. Is COR only for Jews?
No. The Community Organizing Residency is for individuals of any faith who are interested in pursuing an organizing career with a faith perspective. Jewish Funds for Justice has long supported the work of communities across the religious spectrum.
I see that COR receives project support from Muslim, Christian and Jewish organizations. Is the program only for Muslims, Christians and Jews?
No. Individuals of all faiths and religious traditions are encouraged to apply.
Who sponsors and funds the Community Organizing Residency?
The Community Organizing Residency is an initiative of the Jewish Funds for Justice, with program support from the American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute, the Poverty Initiative at the Union Theological Seminary, and the Jewish Organizing Initiative. This initiative is generously funded by Manuel D. and Rhoda Mayerson Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and the Jewish Funds for Justice.
About the Community Organizing Residency
Community organizing has the power to transform individuals, organizations, and our nation. Working across lines of race and faith, organizers build power and relationships to make lasting change
on critical community issues. Seeking to develop organizers and strengthen organizing groups, Islamic, Christian, and Jewish organizations created the COR residency training. Inspired by their beliefs and curious about others’, Residents will gain leadership skills, organize for social change, and deepen their understanding of their own and other faith traditions. They will learn about and reflect on social change approaches through the lenses of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Their organization will couple training on the skills of organizing with ongoing mentorship. COR’s comprehensive training will include an integrated curriculum of retreats, one-to-one mentoring, and regular reflection sessions.
Fill out an application now!
Residents will learn:
- Core community organizing skills including conducting one-to-one meetings, mapping power relationships, cultivating leaders, and identifying possible solutions to intractable issues.
- Leadership skills that develop the capacity to create a sustainable and effective career in a challenging and meaningful field. Trainings will help Residents develop personal practices to enable their whole self and their organizations to succeed.
- How best to connect personal faith to social change efforts. Residents will study and reflect on the roots of struggle and justice in the texts and traditions of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.
Program details
- Full-time residencies begin on July 29, 2010 and end on February 1, 2011.
- Placements are in one of four regions: New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, or the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Compensation for the six-month commitment is a $17,000 stipend and health insurance.
Fill out an application now!
Application criteria
- Interest in pursuing or advancing a career in community organizing. COR is designed to move people into a full-time career in organizing. It is not structured as an internship, fellowship, or transitional experience.
- Commitment to work as a community organizer for at least two years following the residency.
- Active engagement with one’s own faith tradition and an interest in learning more about the faith traditions of others. All religions are welcome.
- Ideally, a minimum of three years work experience outside of an educational setting.
- Fluency in English is required. Fluency in an additional language is a plus.
- Strong writing skills and an ability to think analytically. There will be a significant amount of reflection, writing, and personal investment required of all participants.
- Strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills.
Application process
Complete and submit an application by Friday, April 2, 2010. The application and instructions are available at www.rootedinfaith.org. For more information, contact Rachel Feldman at rfeldman@jewishjustice.org or (212) 213-2113 x29.
About the COR's supporting organizations
The Community Organizing Residency is an initiative of the Jewish Funds for Justice, with program support from the American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute, the Poverty Initiative at the Union Theological Seminary, and the Jewish Organizing Initiative.
Jewish Funds for Justice is a national public foundation guided by Jewish history and tradition. Since 1984, JFSJ has worked across race and faith lines to ensure that economic opportunity and security are broadly shared across the United States. JFSJ does this by investing in low-income communities and grassroots organizations, and by engaging Jews as partners in social change work. Their strategic approaches are rooted in Jewish values, and include grantmaking and community investing, leadership development and service learning, organizing and advocacy.
The American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute is housed at the University of Southern California's Center for Religion and Civic Culture and works in partnership with the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim Christian Understanding (ACMCU) at Georgetown University. AMCLI aims to empower emerging American Muslim civic leaders between the ages of 25 and 40 to engage their communities and organizations in effective civic participation and to bring their community organizations into broader coalitions.
The Poverty Initiative at Union Theological Seminary's mission is to raise up generations of religious and community leaders dedicated to building a social movement to end poverty, led by the poor. The Poverty Initiative was founded in May 2004 with the goal of bridging poor people’s organizations, religious leaders and the academy as an essential part of supporting the growth of a national movement to end poverty.
The Jewish Organizing Initiative develops the next generation of Jewish leaders, and helps them gain the organizing skills and experience to build powerful Jewish and community organizations in order to create a just world. JOI recruits young Jewish adults for a year of leadership training that includes working for social and economic justice, Jewish learning, training in grassroots organizing skills, and Jewish community building.
This initiative is generously funded by Manuel D. and Rhoda Mayerson Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and Jewish Funds for Justice.
