UNITED WAY OF NEW YORK CITY

United Way of New York City (UWNYC) is a nonprofit mobilizing communities to break down barriers and build opportunities that improve the lives of low-income New Yorkers for the benefit of all. Part of the United Way Worldwide system, one of the world's most recognized charitable brands, we envision caring communities in which all individuals and families have access to quality education and the opportunity to lead healthy and financially secure lives. We strive to model our values in all our relationships, both internal and external: Collaboration, Compassion, Integrity, Accountability, and Superior Performance.

Advocacy Associate

NEW YORK, NY
Hybrid or Remote: Hybrid*
Supervisor: Senior Director, Government Relations



JOB DESCRIPTION

The advocacy & government relations team at UWNYC works to advance the organization’s mission through policy and systems change efforts, building on insights from UWNYC programmatic activities in education, food, small business, health, and criminal justice by advancing a public policy agenda aimed at closing opportunity gaps and enabling economic mobility. This is done through a focus on structural change conditions, including influencing policies, practices, and resources flows. The Weil Legal Innovator will work closely with the Senior Director of Government Relations and the rest of the advocacy and government relations team, as well as collaborate with UWNYC’s program leaders to integrate and elevate advocacy opportunities across UWNYC’s programmatic areas. The Weil Legal Innovator will also support in the development of advocacy agendas, department action plans, research reports, policy briefs, and draft testimony. The position will also support planning policy convenings and participate in coalitions to provide opportunities for the UWNYC network to engage with policy issues.

  • Public Policy:
    • Conduct analysis of key policy issues and legislation, objectively weighing the substantive policy impact on the communities UWNYC serves, with a particular focus on UWNYC’s issue areas of education and food, and may include small business, health, and criminal justice.
    • Monitor local, state and federal legislation and policy issues, and its impact on UWNYC priorities.
    • Read and analyze legislative and policy proposals to determine their impact on communities we serve.
    • Support the advocacy team in implementing UWNYC’s public policy agenda.
    • Research government elected and non-elected officials.
  • Communication and Reporting:
    • Work closely with the advocacy team to support communication strategies, internally and externally.
    • Support drafting policy reports, blog posts, presentations and outreach materials related to UWNYC’s policy and systems changes efforts.
    • Support with the team’s data collection and analysis to track and report on advocacy activities.
    • Support reporting and grant writing for advocacy grants.
    • Organize conference calls and meetings relevant to advocacy activities.
  • Cross-Functional Coordination:
    • Work cross-functionally across UWNYC to engage the programmatic content experts in advocacy efforts and work with staff to design and implement events.
    • Assist UWNYC staff with questions regarding current public policy issues and how they impact UWNYC’s stakeholders e.g., share short policy reports to help staff understand policy issues.

DESIRED SKILLS

  • Writing, research and applied subject matter expertise in one or more of the following: birth – 12 improved education outcomes, economic stability and mobility, education, health, hunger, and criminal justice, and similar expertise in US-based public policy.
  • Understanding of public policy framework at the New York City level, as well as legislative and community decision-making processes.
  • Excellent coalition building and interpersonal communication, networking, and social skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to work within a community setting with diverse stakeholders, including community groups, elected and non-elected policy makers, and volunteers is preferred.
  • Experience organizing or working with cross-sector partners (government, nonprofit, and business) to engage networks in advocacy and community impact is preferred.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Excellent project management and Microsoft Office Suite skills.

REMOTE WORK DETAILS

Expected to join as part of the advocacy team’s arrangements for in-office work, which is currently 6 days a month in the office (Tues-Thurs every other week). Otherwise will be remote with the expectation of joining some additional in-person activities or events as needed.

Nonprofit Partners