Job Title: Rural Organizing Fellow
Supervisor: Organizing Director
Type: Non-exempt
Schedule: 15 hours / week, with occasional weeknight and weekend availability
Salary: $22 / hour
Location: Walla Walla or surrounding area. This position will include remote work as well as in-person work including events.
About Us
Pro-Choice Washington Foundation, a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization, is the leading grassroots advocacy organization for reproductive freedom in Washington state. We believe every person deserves equitable access to affordable, unbiased, quality abortion and reproductive healthcare within their community.
Pro-Choice Washington’s advocacy work is complemented by the Pro-Choice Washington Foundation. The Pro-Choice Washington Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization and the research and education arm of our movement, focusing on grassroots capacity building, community and lawmaker issue education, policy change, and leadership development.
Our organization is powered by the voices of over 35,000 members across the state speaking up for reproductive rights through advocacy, community engagement, and education. You can learn more about our organization at prochoicewashington.org.
About the Program:
This is a critical moment for abortion rights and access in the United States. Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Washington state has become a sanctuary state for abortion access.
Despite legal protections for abortion in our state, patients in Washington continue to face high barriers to abortion access, particularly for Black, Indigenous, people of color, immigrants, rural, and low-income patients. Abortion bans in neighboring states have negatively impacted abortion access in Washington communities by adding increased burden to under-funded providers, increasing appointment waiting times and travel distances to access care.
The Rural Organizing Fellowship will support Pro-Choice Washington’s mission to protect, restore, and expand every person’s right and ability to access the full range of affordable, quality, and unbiased abortion, sexual, and reproductive healthcare information and services through movement-building, community education, and grassroots advocacy.
Position Summary
Pro-Choice Washington seeks one fellow to join our organizing team to support organizing for racial justice and reproductive health equity in the Blue Mountains region. The fellowship program is designed for fellows to gain exposure to political and legislative organizing, volunteer management, and issue-based advocacy.
The rural organizing fellow will support Pro-Choice Washington’s political and organizing team to build a base of activist leaders in Southeast Washington through outreach to rural and farmworker communities, campus organizing, get out the vote activities such as door knocking and phone banking, and constituent mobilization to contact lawmakers in support of Pro-Choice Washington’s legislative agenda of intersectional reproductive freedom and racial justice priorities.
The fellow will support the organizing team in organizing our annual Lobby Day in Olympia where activists meet with their lawmakers to discuss our 2025 reproductive freedom agenda. They will also conduct grassroots organizing activities including helping organize a legislative kick-off event, gathering testimony, and training grassroots activists to contact their legislators.
Finally, the legislative fellow will conduct a community engagement project to support our 2025 legislative priorities and work on a collaborative project that aligns with the fellow’s interests and Pro-Choice Washington’s priorities.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Outreach and community organizing in immigrant and farmworker communities with fluency in English and Spanish.
- Conducting and participating in grassroots organizing activities that center and uplift the leadership of Black, Indigenous, people of color, immigrants, and LGBTQIA+ activists in the Walla Walla area expand access to abortion and reproductive healthcare.
- Supporting the creation of in-person and online civic engagement events.
- Supporting the creation of Pro-Choice Washington’s annual legislative advocacy week.
- Engagement of local activists in getting out the vote legislative advocacy activities. through calls, emails, and virtual & in-person meetings.
- Recruiting and facilitating activists to share their personal stories as testimony with lawmakers to advance reproductive freedom policies.
- Disseminate Pro-Choice Washington’s resources and toolkits to counter abortion misinformation and destigmatize abortion care.
- Organizing and supporting Pro-Choice Washington activists’ meetings with lawmakers.
- Issue research to support Pro-Choice Washington’s local and state level policies to expand abortion access and counter abortion misinformation in rural communities.
- Participation in Pro-Choice Washington’s community events.
- Data entry and EveryAction (CMR) support
Desired
- A strong personal commitment to intersectional reproductive freedom.
- A passion for organizing and a desire to learn about the movement for abortion and reproductive rights.
- An interest in state and local political & legislative processes.
- A willingness to talk to strangers in-person and on the phone.
- The ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Strong communication, writing, organization, and computer skills.
- Flexibility, reliability, and a willingness to learn.
Work Environment
Must be able to stand, walk, sit, climb stairs, and occasionally lift up to 25 pounds from floor to waist high. Work is primarily performed in a small office environment while operating standard office equipment. Occasional evenings and weekend work are likely. Some travel within Washington state.
To Apply
Please email a cover letter, addressed to Sarah Dixit, Organizing Director, and resume to sarahd@prochoicewashington.org with the subject line “Rural Organizing Fellowship” as soon as possible and no later than October 11, 2024, as the position may be filled sooner. All applications will be reviewed, but only those demonstrating a strong alignment with the position description will be contacted for additional information. We encourage you to apply even if you do not meet all the requirements – commitment to the mission and a willingness to problem-solve is highly valued. Referrals to potential candidates are welcome. No phone calls please.
Pro-Choice Washington is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, or any other protected factor. We also engage in anti-discriminatory hiring practices, folks who are women, queer, trans, non-binary, Black, Indigenous, people of color, parents, have different abilities, are immigrants are encouraged to apply. with a desired start date by October 21st.
* Occasional in-person events and activities required but day-to-day remote working options.
** Health, vision, dental, and retirement programs are available to Pro-Choice Washington employees who work 25 hours or more per week.
