Community Organizer

Job Description

Job Description

COMMUNITY ORGANIZER

Full-Time • South Los Angeles, CA

Salary: $55,000–$62,000 | Reports to: Senior Lead Organizer

About CADRE

Community Asset Development Re-defining Education (CADRE) is an independent, community-based, parent membership organization in South Los Angeles founded in 2001. CADRE is led by African American and Latino parents and caregivers whose children attend local schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). We work for systemic change by supporting grassroots South LA parents as leaders in stopping the pushout crisis in schools serving low-income neighborhoods of color.

Our mission is to solidify and advance parent leadership to ensure that all children are rightfully educated regardless of where they live. Through parent capacity building, political education, advocacy, and organizing, CADRE challenges schools’ beliefs and practices that criminalize children and parents and violate their human rights to a quality education, dignity, and participation in our public education system. We build power to win new policies and challenge existing ones as part of a movement toward educational and racial justice.

The Role

The Community Organizer is a core member of CADRE’s Organizing Team, responsible for building and sustaining a powerful parent base in South LA. This is a relational, field-intensive role that demands deep listening, disciplined follow-through, and a genuine commitment to parent leadership. You will run outreach cycles, facilitate leadership development, and execute campaign strategy—while growing as an organizer and organizational leader yourself.

This position is based at CADRE’s office at 8410 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90003.

Key Responsibilities

Base Building

• Design and execute targeted one-on-one outreach and recruitment strategies to build a membership that reflects the parents most impacted by CADRE’s campaigns
• Conduct door-to-door canvassing, community outreach, and phone banking to reach new parents and deepen relationships with existing members
• Recruit members to CADRE trainings, meetings, and campaign activities
• Develop bilingual (English/Spanish) communication materials and outreach strategies

Leadership Development

• Identify, recruit, and cultivate emerging Core Leaders from the membership base
• Design and facilitate workshops, trainings, and strategy sessions that build parents’ critical thinking, collective ownership, and campaign capacity
• Coach and support Core Leaders through reflection, skill-building, and ongoing mentorship
• Train parents to lead—not just participate in—campaign and coalition activities
• Build parents’ understanding of the educational policies and systems affecting their children

Campaigns & Coalition Building

• Implement issue-oriented campaign strategies that advance CADRE’s long-term goals
• Represent CADRE at collaborative, coalition, and community meetings
• Support and prepare Core Leaders to engage policymakers on CADRE’s campaigns
• Contribute to movement-building work with allied organizations and institutions

Organizational Responsibilities

Operations & Administration

• Track outreach data, manage follow-up systems, and maintain accurate member records in the database
• Align day-to-day activities with program goals, grant obligations, and organizational outcomes
• Contribute to organizational systems and processes that reflect CADRE’s values
• Manage basic program administration including budgeting and expense reporting

Evaluation & Learning

• Plan, implement, and evaluate meetings, trainings, campaigns, and events in partnership with staff and parent leaders
• Input and maintain data on base-building and leadership development progress
• Assess your own work and contribute to team-level learning and improvement

Strategy & Fundraising

• Participate in organizational strategic planning and apply strategic priorities to your work plan
• Support organization-wide fundraising initiatives as needed

What We’re Looking For

Required

• 1–2 years of experience as a community, parent, or adult organizer with demonstrated results (member growth, campaign wins, visible impact)
• Proven ability to collaborate across racial, ethnic, linguistic, and economic differences
• Strong facilitation and training skills
• Reliable transportation, valid driver’s license, and current liability insurance
• Basic computer proficiency (word processing, email, internet research)

Preferred

• Deep commitment to educational equity and racial justice
• Ability to translate complex information for audiences with varied backgrounds and literacy levels
• Oral and written fluency in both English and Spanish
• Familiarity with the history and political landscape of South LA
• Capacity to adapt communication style for a wide range of individuals and settings
• Interest in making a 2–3 year commitment to this work
  

Work Location & Conditions

• Office-based (open floor plan) at 8410 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90003
• Local travel by car within a 5-mile radius of the office
• Core hours: 9:30 am–6:00 pm; evenings with parent meetings typically end around 9:00 pm
• Average of 2 evenings per week required; occasional weekend availability (rare)

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $55,000–$62,000 annually, commensurate with experience
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• Minimum 10 paid holidays per year
• Vacation accrual and sick/personal leaveOptional pre-tax flexible spending account (medical and dependent care)

Sample Outcomes

CADRE positions are tied to measurable organizational goals. Work plans are developed with supervisors and reviewed through weekly check-ins and annual performance evaluations. Representative outcomes for this role include:

• Outreach to 200 parents in South LA annually (tracked via database)
• 20 new parents attending meetings per quarter (evidenced by one-on-ones and call logs)
• 20 new members per year

Disclaimer

The statements in this description represent typical elements, criteria, and general work performed. They are not intended as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the job. CADRE is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive team.