Advocacy Coordinator - St. Louis Area Foodbank

St. Louis Area Foodbank (SLAFB)

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Advocacy Coordinator

Immediate Supervisor: Director of Community Engagement

Employees Supervised: None

FLSA: Exempt

General Description/Position Summary:

The role of Advocacy Coordinator for the St. Louis Area Foodbank is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic advocate for community outreach and relationship building to increase food security and engagement across the bi-state region. You will serve as a champion for the SLAFB locally and regionally by educating and supporting policies that support building healthy families and lifestyles for children, seniors, and adults. Through partnerships with legislators, policy makers, groups, and organizations focused on specific issues around health care, food access and budgeting issues affecting families, you will work to promote opportunities that support individuals' abilities to provide food for themselves and/or their family. Responsibilities include growing a vibrant and effective grassroots advocacy network, coordinating grassroots advocacy communications, and establishing relationships with partners and advocacy organizations to elevate the Foodbank as the lead hunger relief organization throughout our region. The Advocacy Coordinator will support efforts by Feeding America, Feeding Illinois and Feeding Missouri including compiling, analyzing, and reporting data while also serving as a spokesperson for media and legislative events as required.

Duties and Responsibilities:

•Champion key advocacy priorities such as The Farm Bill, Strengthening Federal Commodities Programs, Strengthen and Modernize the Supplemental nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Increase Food Recovery and Food Access.

•Provide outreach, awareness, and education to broaden general knowledge and activate grassroots support of anti-hunger policies.

•Foster and cultivate a strong grassroots advocacy network of St. Louis Area Foodbank community supporters, agencies, and program partners.

•Develop and implement a grassroots advocacy strategy integrating online and offline engagement tactics, including social media messaging, web-based advocacy tools, and community forums.

•Create and deliver compelling advocacy and public policy presentations and grassroots communication pieces and conduct agency site visits to raise awareness and recruit new advocates.

•Seek out, grow, and maintain a list of opportunities for local grassroots advocates to engage and interact with government officials.

•Partner with organizations and agencies around educating and advocating for public benefits, health care access, and general access to healthy and nutritious foods for all Americans.

•Support relationship with Feeding America, Feeding Illinois, Feeding Missouri on all advocacy related workstreams, including analyzing and reporting data.

•Serve as a media spokesperson for advocacy related events.

•Monitor the legislative process at the local, state, and federal levels and collaborate with the Direct Supervisor on the timing and focus of advocate mobilization.

•Responsible for crafting talking points on key issues and pieces of legislation, articulating the Foodbank's stance if appropriate in conjunction with Feeding America guidance.

•Provide area legislators with updated information related to the work of St. Louis Area Foodbank.

•Manage the St. Louis Area Foodbank advocacy database.

•Regularly engage SLAFB's network of partners and stakeholders on critical advocacy issues and campaigns

•Ensure that the Foodbank remains in compliance with 501(c)(3) regulations for direct and grassroot lobbying limits, electoral politics, and other related advocacy efforts.

•Seeking out opportunities to involve key stakeholders in community initiatives to end hunger.

•Oversee various ad hoc projects relevant to SLAFB advocacy initiatives.

•Support the implementation of organizational priorities to progress an advocacy agenda that is reflective of the issues impacting neighbors and partners.

•Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

•Bachelor's degree from an accredited university in communications, public relations, political science, non-profit management, or a related field required.

•2-5 years of Community Engagement experience is preferred, with a focus on legislative outreach.

•Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal skills

•Strong project and time management skills.

•Ability to multi-task and adjust to changing priorities.

•Expertise in building relationships, particularly with government officials and community partners.

•Strong understanding of and familiarity with issues of poverty and hunger.

•Proficient with various forms of online and offline engagement tactics, including social media messaging, web-based advocacy tools, and community forums.

•Excellent presentation skills.

•Ability to interpret legislation.

•Able to work independently and in a team environment.

•Able to present a professional demeanor under a variety of conditions.

•Passion for the Foodbank mission and the ability to demonstrate SLAFB's Core Values: Stewardship, Teamwork, Agility and Respect

•Proficient with Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other web-based applications.

•Ability to work a flexible schedule (evenings and weekends), as needed.

•Must be able to pass drug screening and criminal background check.

•A valid driver's license with a history of a safe driving record.

Work Schedule:

•Monday - Friday onsite at the Foodbank facility and in the community as needed.

•However, flexibility will be granted as appropriate in accordance with the Foodbank's Remote Work Policy.

•Occasional weekend (Saturday/Sunday) or evening hours may be required.

•Meeting attendance may require overnight travel.

The impact you will make:

At the St. Louis Area Foodbank, we are working to build a stronger bi-state region by nourishing people, empowering communities, and transforming systems. With the dedicated partnership of nearly 600 hunger-relief programs and local agencies - including soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, and residential programs - we are responding to hunger in communities across 26 counties in Missouri and Illinois by distributing food to more than 400,000 people every year.

Since opening in 1975, and with the tremendous support and generosity of this community, the St. Louis Area Foodbank has grown to become our region's largest food distribution charity dedicated to feeding those in need. Together, we are feeding people and working to address the root causes of hunger for a lasting impact every day.

About the St. Louis Area Foodbank:

•The St. Louis Area Foodbank (SLAFB) is a member of Feeding America, which is a national network of 200 food banks all working together for the common goal of ensuring equitable access to nutritious food.

•This nationwide network offers us a variety of resources, like food, funds, best practices, and gives our work a much bigger, louder voice than we could hope to have on our own.

•The St. Louis Area Foodbank supports 26 counties - 14 in Missouri and 12 in Illinois - thus serves, supports, and stewards a diverse group of stakeholders across our region, as well as serves as a member of Feeding Missouri (the 6 Feeding America Food Banks in Missouri) and Feeding Illinois (the 7 Feeding America Food Banks in Illinois).

•As a food bank, we collect food from a variety of sources, such as manufacturers, retail stores, farmers, and individual donors.

•We then store, sort, and repackage that food at the highest safety standards and finally distribute that food to our network of agencies and programs, which collaborate directly with people in the community.

•We facilitate the movement of food safely and efficiently and offer the kinds of resources and support to our partner agencies that a single food pantry or shelter could not hope to access on its own.

•VISION: A nutritionally secure Missouri and Illinois.

•MISSION: Building a stronger bi-state region by nourishing people, empowering communities, and transforming systems.

What we can offer you:

Beyond a great mission, dedicated team members, and an incredible opportunity to truly make a difference in our community, you will be generously rewarded for your contributions including:

•Competitive pay commensurate with experience.

•Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) plan

•403b plan with robust company match

•Comprehensive benefits (medical, dental, vision, group company-paid life insurance, short-term disability, and more!)

We work hard, play hard and change lives - so apply to join our Foodbank Family!

SLAFB Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Statement:

You are welcome at the St. Louis Area Foodbank (SLAFB) for who you are. At the SLAFB, we strive to empower our team to embrace and celebrate who they are by cultivating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment. Doing so strengthens our organization, cultivates a culture where everyone feels valued and can bring their best selves to the SLAFB and enables us to nourish people, empower communities, and transform systems. At the SLAFB, we champion diversity, equity, and inclusivity to create a respectful and fulfilling workplace representing a broad range of lived experiences and viewpoints. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team that reflects the neighbors and communities we serve in the bi-state region to enhance engagement and connectivity with all key stakeholders.

This job description does not list all the duties of the job. Performance of other duties may be requested. Evaluations will be in part based upon the performance of the tasks listed in this job description. St. Louis Area Foodbank has the right to revise this job description at any time. The job description is not a contract for employment.

Revised 12/3/2024