Jobs

Minnesota Youth Collective is a 501(c)(4) organization powered by young people to build a more representative and progressive state for all Minnesotans. We empower the next generation of leaders to take our rightful seat at the decision-making table, elect people who reflect our values, and shape legislation to better the lives of Minnesotans.

We do this by:

Supporting and investing in the leadership of young people from underrepresented communities—communities of color, native communities, LGBTQIA2S+ folks, women, and working-class people.
Centering young voices and stories around issues that matter to us, and driving real change around these issues.
Giving young people opportunities to exercise their political power at every level of government, from working to make local schools more equitable all the way up to holding our representatives in Congress accountable.
Making voting more accessible for young people—from registering them to vote to giving them the tools to get their friends out to vote.
Weaving art, music, and culture into democracy to make it more approachable and more awesome!

Board Member, 501(c)3 and 501(c)4

Position Overview

The Board of Directors is the policy making body of the organization. To effectively meet the organization’s challenges, the Board and the Executive Director must function together as a leadership team. We are looking for board members who care about their communities, and want to ensure young people have access to political power in all its forms.

Responsibilities

Actively support and promote our mission
Commit to an initial two-year term
Attend at least 75% of all regularly scheduled monthly Board meetings annually.
Read and review Board materials and actively participate in discussions.
Understand, accept, and promise to discharge Board member fiduciary responsibilities; study financial reports, and be knowledgeable about the organization’s financial status and Board policies surrounding financial matters.
In partnership with fellow Board members and management, help advance the organization’s Development Plan.
Recruit at least 1-2 new monthly donors per quarter, with a minimum monthly donation per donor of $10.
Make annual financial contribution(s) to the organization commensurate with personal ability to contribute.
Participate in 75% of large-scale organizational events per year– examples include fundraisers, forums, and significant programmatic events.
Abstain from any action that might lead to or be perceived as a conflict of interest, and annually sign a No Conflict of Interest Statement.
Support and mentor organizational staff.Logistics

Qualifications

A commitment to social justice, anti-oppression, and undoing institutional racism, as well as prioritizing the leadership of young people at all times
Previous board experience is not required, but a familiarity with community or political organizing is helpful
Knowledge of and influence in the community, whatever that means to you
Creative and flexible
Willing and able to engage in discussion while prioritizing the mission and vision of the organization
Comfortable engaging with people from diverse backgrounds and those you don’t know

Details

Send a one page (or less) letter of Interest via PDF to Rahhel Haile, Executive Director, at jobs@mnyouthcollective.org. Please include “MNYC Board” in your subject line. This position is open when filled, but qualified applicants should expect a brief 30-minute phone call with our ED to discuss the position. of color, women, LGBTQ individuals, and those who are unemployed or underemployed to apply.

2024 Campus Fellowship

Organization Overview:

The Minnesota Youth Collective is an organization powered by young people to build a more representative and progressive state for all Minnesotans. We empower the next generation of leaders to take our rightful seat at the decision-making table, elect people who reflect our values, and shape legislation to better the lives of Minnesotans.

We do this by:

Supporting and investing in the leadership of young people from underrepresented communities—communities of color, native communities, LGBTQ* folks, women, and working-class people.
Centering young voices and stories around issues that matter to us and driving real change around these issues.
Giving young people opportunities to exercise their political power at every level of government, from working to make local schools more equitable all the way up to holding our representatives in Congress accountable.
Making voting more accessible for young people—from registering them to vote to giving them the tools to get their friends out to vote.
Weaving art, music, and culture into democracy to make it more approachable and more awesome!

Position Overview:

As an Campus Fellow, you will work with young people in a cohort to receive training on all things community organizing! Our 13 week curriculum will cover different topics like organizing theory, civic engagement, mutual aid, direct action, power mapping, and more. During the fellowship, you will have the opportunity to bond with your cohort through creative projects and activities that develop your leadership skills. As a Campus Fellow, you will work with young people on your campus to organize around important on-campus issues, developing your leadership skills in the process. You will also work on base building on your campus to expand MNYC’s reach. You will work together with other MNYC organizers on your campus to put on events around on-campus issues and voter registration events during election cycles. This position will have a training focus to it as well, and you will be given significant training throughout your time at MNYC.

Fellowship Pay is $21/hr, and Fellows will work 15 hours/week
The fellowship will run for 13 weeks from August 26th, 2023 to December 3rd, 2024 – with a in person training program in St. Paul during the weekend of August 17th

The ideal candidate for this position does not need to have previous organizing experience but does need to be a student at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, U of M Duluth, Winona State, St. Cloud State Carleton or St. Olaf. This is a great opportunity to learn the power of voter registration drives, youth civic engagement and the building of issue campaigns. This is a great opportunity to receive mentorship and build community with other young people who are interested in movement work.

Tasks & Responsibilities (including but not limited to):

Leadership Development (55%)

Participate in trainings by MNYC staff and others on all things organizing
Collaborate with the other 2 MNYC student group leaders on your campus and meet with other campus leaders
Work 15 hours a week, with varying evening weekend requirements

Program Execution (45%)

If applicable, help run student group meetings on your campus
Canvass campuses and surrounding neighborhoods to engage and turn out young Minnesotans for upcoming elections
Use tracking and reporting systems, report to the organizing team on a regular basis.
Develop relationships with other community organizers through 1:1 conversations
Plan and host an town hall on your campus
Host voter registration drives on campus during election season

Skills & Experience:

If you don’t have every one of these, please still apply!

A commitment to social justice, anti-oppression, and undoing institutional racism
A self-starter, comfortable with taking initiative and ownership over projects
Creative and flexible, able to think outside the box and react to situations quickly
Willing to work irregular hours when necessary
Comfortable engaging with people from diverse backgrounds & those you don’t know
Strong time management skills, or the willingness to learn those skills
Ability to ask for help, and drive to find solutions to challenges
Ability to work in a group setting and to manage their own workload
Willingness to learn more about a topic even if already familiar
Willingness to talk to people they don’t know; this position will require relationship building on campus
Understanding of the importance of electoral politics and the role of voting as part of a long-term strategy for policy change

Details:

Send a resume and three references in an email explaining your interest in the position to Natalie Somerson (hey@mnyouthcollective.org) by July 21st. This is a temporary, part-time position with varied evening and weekend requirements. This position reports directly to the Campus Manager, with mentorship from the Community Engagement Organizer and Political Director

Minnesota Youth Collective is deeply committed to social, racial, gender, and economic justice. We strongly encourage persons of color, women, LGBTQ individuals, and those who are unemployed or underemployed to apply.

MINNESOTA YOUTH COLLECTIVE IS DEEPLY COMMITTED TO SOCIAL, RACIAL, GENDER, AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE.

WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE PERSONS OF COLOR, INDIGENOUS FOLKS, WOMEN, LGBTQIA2S+ INDIVIDUALS, AND THOSE WHO ARE UNEMPLOYED OR UNDEREMPLOYED TO APPLY.