Organizing and Campaign Associate

Organization Overview The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) envisions a nation where marginalized children flourish, leaders prioritize their well-being and communities wield the power to ensure they thrive. CDF’s Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities We serve and advocate for the largest, most diverse generation in America: the 74 million children and youth under the age of 18 and 30 million young adults under the age of 25, with particular attention to those living in poverty and communities of color. CDF partners with policymakers, aligned organizations and funders in this service. The Children’s Defense Fund is the only national, multi-issue advocacy organization working at the intersection of child well-being and racial justice by wielding the moral authority of programmatic proximity and community organizing to inform public policy. For more information visit www.childrensdefense.org. Position Summary

The Organizing & Campaign Associate will support the development, coordination, and implementation of organizing strategies and campaigns across the Leadership Development & Organizing (LDO) division. This role bridges programmatic and campaign functions, supporting Student & Youth, Faith Community, and State Policy Organizing teams to help build a mobilized base, develop campaign infrastructure, strengthen coalition engagement, translate programmatic work into organizing outcomes and advance CDF’s child-centered, racial equity-informed policy agenda.

The Associate will also contribute to national initiatives and will play a key role in coordinating deliverables, supporting grant-funded projects, and facilitating cross-team collaboration.

Qualifications

Key Responsibilities

Organizing & Campaign Development

• Design and implement organizing campaigns aligned with CDF’s policy priorities.
• Support outreach and mobilization efforts across constituencies and geographies.
• Track campaign performance, analyze data, and provide insights for optimization.
• Serve as a connector across Student & Youth, Faith Communities, and State Policy Organizing teams.
• Serve as a liaison with state and national partners to advance organizing goals.
• Develop organizing toolkits, trainings’, and convenings for community partners.
  
  

Program Coordination & Implementation

• Support organizing managers in developing and executing program plans and curricula.
• Assist with coordinating timelines, budgets, and deliverables for grant-funded projects.
• Monitor progress and lead evaluation efforts using surveys and assessment tools.
• Maintain databases of program participants and partners.
• Provide administrative support to organizing managers, including scheduling meetings, coordinating travel arrangements, tracking data, and maintaining accurate records to ensure smooth execution of program and organizing initiatives.
  
  

Constituent Engagement & Coalition Building

• Engage stakeholders and potential partners to assess needs and build relationships.
• Support communications and outreach with CDF’s core constituencies.
• Help build and sustain coalitions aligned with CDF’s movement-building strategy.
• Represent LDO in meetings with coalition partners and aligned organizations.
  
  

Cross-Team Collaboration & Strategic Support

• Support cross-team collaboration and alignment with CDF’s power-building vision.
• Assist the Organizing Managers in developing organizing strategies.
• Support coordination of national and state initiative efforts.
  
  

Education And Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in public policy, social work, public administration, or related field preferred.
• Minimum two years of experience in community organizing, campaign development and engagement, or program coordination.
• Experience working with marginalized communities and base-building.
• Strong writing, public speaking, and policy analysis skills.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Lived experience with public policy issues impacting CDF’s constituencies.
• Formal training or demonstrated experience in community organizing, power building, and/or non-violent direct-action strategies, with an ability to apply these approaches in constituency engagement and campaign development.
• Experience in base building, power building, organizing, leadership development, organizing, or state policy advocacy.
• Familiarity with legislative processes and public policy institutions.