The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Florida (ACLU of Florida or ACLU-FL) seeks a RAISE fellow that works within the Field Department to achieve the organization’s goal of protecting the liberties that define our democracy. This position will be hybrid (remote and in-community), the position must be based in Florida.

The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Florida is an affiliate of the national ACLU, a national public interest organization devoted to the defense of the Bill of Rights.  For over 100 years, the ACLU has served as the nation’s primary protector of the liberties that define our democracy.  The organization implements its vital civil liberties mission in all 50 states in large part through affiliate entities such as the ACLU of Florida.

The ACLU of Florida, the state’s largest civil rights and civil liberties organization, employs litigation, public policy advocacy & organizing, and public education to protect and promote a broad range of constitutional values and individual rights, such as freedom of speech, racial justice, right to privacy, religious liberty, criminal justice reform, voting rights, reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, disability rights, and immigrants’ rights. The ACLU of Florida litigates a broad range of constitutional cases in federal and state courts through direct representation, amicus briefs, and by submitting administrative complaints to state and federal agencies.

ORGANIZING APPROACH

The ACLU of Florida has adopted a “campaign” approach for its work.  Work is focused on pursuing specific integrated advocacy campaigns to achieve measurable objectives that will expand civil liberties and civil rights, while building the long-term power of the ACLU and the civil liberties movement.

At the moment, the ACLU of Florida is focused on four campaigns: voting rights, reproductive justice, free speech, and immigrants’ rights. The campaigns in which the organization engages are about integrated advocacy, and include lobbying, communications, and litigation in addition to grassroots organizing.

As a result of this campaign approach, the ACLU of Florida’s organizing model focuses on developing volunteer leaders for the civil liberties movement, mobilizing grassroots support for campaign objectives, and educating Florida residents about campaign objectives through person-to-person field contact. The ACLU of Florida organizing is intended to engage both existing ACLU members/supporters/volunteers in the movement, as well as to reach new constituencies. Organizing at the ACLU of Florida centers the experiences and leadership of directly impacted people and engages directly impacted people in the work, while also ensuring that non-impacted allies engage in effective and substantive action.

The Field team works with Florida residents to influence decision-makers, through direct contact of decision-makers by residents and by holding events/actions. The Field Department focuses on identifying and supporting volunteer leaders willing to work to mobilize contacts with their own networks, in order to expand the size, reach, and power of the movement.

Organizing at the ACLU of Florida is intended to complement the approaches used by other groups—especially those that connect individuals to resources, build community/social capital, primarily react to unanticipated or emerging community concerns, or educate the public about important issues—but not to replicate those approaches.  Organizing at the ACLU of Florida is instead oriented towards systemic change and policy action—moving people to take strategic actions that lead to decision-makers making different decisions, ones that result in the advancement of specific campaign objectives.  These strategic actions can take place in the electoral, legislative, legal, and community education contexts.  Organizing at the ACLU of Florida is also designed to build long-term political and community power for the civil liberties movement, so that civil liberties and civil rights are better protected and strengthened.

RAISE OVERVIEW

RAISE stands for Rapid Response Alliance for Immigrant Safety and Empowerment. RAISE is a network of advocates, volunteers, community partners, civil rights attorneys, and immigration law experts who have compiled crucial resources to support our immigrant communities throughout Florida.

Due to the onslaught of attacks on immigrants’ civil rights and civil liberties, this coalition was formed to respond to the ongoing needs of the communities we serve. The RAISE hotline is a Florida statewide immigrant support hotline where community members can report immigration raids and stops. By calling the hotline, anyone in the community can report any sightings of ICE, CBP, Florida Highway Patrol, or other any other agencies involved and trained legal observer volunteers will dispatch to verify and document the encounter. Other services that can be requested include free legal assistance for an individual who has been detained, a volunteer support and accompaniment to immigration court hearings, and/or support for upcoming check-ins with ICE.

You can learn more about RAISE by visiting www.raise.is or reading our press release here.

FELLOWSHIP OVERVIEW

Under the direction and supervision of the Field Director and in collaboration with the ACLU-FL Field team, the RAISE fellow will work with the Immigrant Justice Organizer to support the RAISE observer volunteer network and recruitment by hosting up to 4 trainings a month, inputting data, leading partner/volunteer lead meetings as needed, hosting new partner/volunteer on-boarding sessions, and providing constant communication and real-time support for field developments. While this position entails work in a range of tools/software, we do not expect the RAISE fellow to have previous training on these and will train them accordingly.

Time Commitment: The fellowship requires a part-time commitment of 25 hours per week between the hours of 9am and 7pm M-F, and occasionally on weekends.

Fellowship Dates: May 18th - November 13th

Compensation: $20 per hour

Additional Information: Fellows will be reimbursed for any mileage incurred for pre-approved travel.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Host up to 4 RAISE training sessions a month for new statewide legal observer volunteers.
• Update and maintain volunteer data on a weekly basis.
• Host partner/lead volunteer meetings as needed for coordination and decision-making.
• Recruit new volunteer leaders or partner organizations to expand the RAISE network across Florida.
• Host on-boarding training sessions with new volunteer leaders or partner organizations joining the RAISE network.
• Develop and maintain relationships with partner organizations and volunteer leaders.
• Provide real-time support for field developments and volunteer coordination.
• Scale outreach efforts for RAISE hotline by working with partner organizations and volunteer leaders.
• Record Tik Toks for social media education on RAISE hotline.
• Support community research projects like power mapping business, faith, and nonprofit outreach within different communities.
• Center the voices and leadership of directly impacted people in all organizing programs.
• Communicate with the Immigrant Justice Field Organizer and Field Team regarding RAISE-related needs and updates.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

While no one person will have all the qualities enumerated below, the successful candidate will bring many of the following qualifications and attributes:

• Willingness to learn and think creatively.
• Strong communication skills, and confidence to interact with community members of all backgrounds. A willingness and ability to speak in public and to facilitate meetings and trainings.
• Displays a high level of empathy.
• Experience managing multiple projects and ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
• A history of working collaboratively and successfully with people from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds and a broad range of ideological positions and religious views.
• A flexible team player who works collaboratively and shares responsibility and credit.
• Unwavering commitment to the mission and goals of the ACLU of FL, including a demonstrated commitment to racial justice and civil rights, and a familiarity with civil rights issues that are currently confronting Floridians.
• Willingness to work a flexible schedule, including some evenings and weekends.
• Fluency in Spanish is a plus but not required.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

To apply for the Field Intern Orlando position, please follow this link: https://airtable.com/appKBEEfsHFLucDN9/pagoT9IG8Y1vQ2XWT/form

All attachments should be in Microsoft Word or PDF format.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. No phone calls, please.

This job description provides a general but not comprehensive list of the essential responsibilities and qualifications required. It does not represent a contract of employment. The ACLU of Florida reserves the right to change the job description and/or posting at any time without advance notice.

The ACLU of Florida is an equal-opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU of Florida encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, record of arrest or conviction and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. If selected for an interview, please inquire if financial assistance is needed to attend.

The ACLU of Florida makes every effort to ensure that its recruitment and employment efforts provide persons with disabilities with full opportunities for employment in all positions. The ACLU of Florida is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please e-mail [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request accommodation for the interview process.