FMT seeks four Affordable Housing Organizing Fellows for our 10 week part-time (paid!) fellowship. Fellows will have the opportunity to learn the basics of community organizing, work as a team to impact real conversations around housing policy, develop their leadership, and be supported in their growth with thoughtful mentorship. The ideal fellow is someone who is passionate about creating positive change in their community, and is eager to learn, and ready to take initiative around affordable housing. 

Specifics:

• We will be running two fellowships in close succession.  Fellowship 1 will run from Jan. 18th, 2025- March 28th, 2025  and Fellowship 2 will run from April 5th, 2025- June 13th, 2025
• This position pays $17/hour
• Fellows are expected to work  10-20 hours/week
• Scheduling is mostly flexible (see logistical requirements)

Who We Are

Forward Montana, founded in 2004, is the state's largest youth-led, youth-focused civic engagement organization. We strive to transform government and communities to be just, sustainable, and equitable while working toward a future where Montana celebrates and reflects the diversity of our generation. We support young people to build power with and for each other to create lasting change.

About the Affordable Housing Campaign

Forward Montana is a part of the Bozeman Welcoming Neighbors Coalition, a group of city-wide stakeholders organizing around the City of Bozeman’s revision and review process of the unified development code and affordable housing ordinance. With the support and mentorship of the Housing Campaign Manager, the Fellows will become active organizers working to strengthen the coalition's efforts.

What You’ll Do

• Weekly Classes: Each week on Wednesdays from 5:30-7:30 pm there will be a required class. These sessions will cover a variety of topics around organizing, leadership, and DEIJ. Fellows will be able to engage with the content and apply their learning to their work in the fellowship.
• Weekly Fellowship Organizing Meeting: Each week, at a time decided by the availability of fellows, the fellowship cohort will convene to plan the week of organizing, debrief previous efforts, make any necessary decisions, and do any other housekeeping work. This meeting is subject to change in frequency or structure.
• Individual Support: Every fellow will have a 30 min. Check in with the Housing Campaign Manager to discuss personal goals, navigate any challenges coming up, celebrate personal wins, and create space for mutual feedback.
• Active Community Organizing: The needs of the campaign will vary, meaning that the organizing work will look different throughout the fellowship. Fellows will have the opportunity to leverage their individual strengths and stretch into their areas of growth. The cohort will be expected to support each other and the campaign at large during “all hands on deck” moments. Our organizing efforts may look like:
  • Engaging with community members about their housing experience while tabling in public;
  • Building relationships with new supporters and key stakeholders;
  • Collaborating to execute key milestones in the campaign and contribute perspective to the strategic plans where applicable;
  • Planning events and community building opportunities;
  • Delivering personal public comment in city commission meetings;
  • Writing persuasive letters to the editor, or supporting others in doing so;
  • Taking on leadership around the campaigns social media presence, meeting facilitation,  or other facets of the larger strategy.

Must-Have Characteristics:

If you recognize any of these must-haves as something you actively need to work on, we commend your self-awareness and are willing to make reasonable accommodations to support your growth!

• Actively Anti-Racist: You are committed to actively contributing to a more equitable and inclusive FMT by engaging in learning and conversations around diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. You’re committed to amplifying community voices to advocate for a more progressive, just community. You recognize how your identities show up in work and welcome, reflect on, and act on feedback with an eye toward continuous learning about race, ability, and other lines of difference.
• Growth Mindset:  You recognize that perfection is not the goal and that sometimes you need to fail a lot to win big. You are willing to give feedback intentionally and receive it openly. You are committed to learning from challenges, and are eager to apply those learnings to achieve campaign wins.
• Creativity & Innovation: You’re excited to brainstorm ideas, problem solve when challenges arise, and ask for/offer alternative perspectives. You’re not afraid to talk to strangers, try new things, or implement catchy ways to get people’s interest.
• Flexibility & Adaptability: You are able to shift quickly to meet the needs of the ever-changing political world and are able to incorporate feedback into your work in a timely manner.
• Reliability & Accountability: When you say you will do something, you follow through. When things don’t go to plan, you take ownership and make a plan to move forward. You are generally timely, and put effort into organizing your tasks and schedule.
• Skillful Communication: You are able to ask for help, advocate for your needs, navigate conflict with openness and curiosity, and give your manager and colleagues updates about work and schedule in an appropriate and timely manner.

Logistical Requirements:

• Have a schedule capacity to consistently work a minimum of 10 hours a week on a mostly-flexible schedule through the entirety of the fellowship.
• Attend the required sessions: There will be  a mandatory in-person orientation retreat for Session 1 on January 18th from 10am- 4pm (timing subject to change), with lunch included. Session 2 orientation is on April 5th from 10am-4pm. 
• Attend Weekly Class on Wednesdays from 5:30-7:30pm
• Access to reliable transportation: be able to attend meetings, events, and other required aspects of the fellowship across the city of Bozeman (Car, navigating bus system, biking, walking) or willingness to coordinate own travel assistance needs (asking for rides).
• Willingness to work unconventional hours-- including nights and weekends.
• Willingness to learn and regularly use software like Slack, Google Classroom, Google calendar, and the City of Bozeman website.

What Else You Should Know

Forward Montana is an equal-opportunity employer and we value having staff who come from communities that are most impacted by our issues and work. We especially encourage people of color, LGBTQ2S+ people, women, and people with disabilities to apply.

This is a part-time, temporary fellowship with an hourly rate of $17/hour. 

How to Apply

Click the Apply for this Position on this page! This application process will have you specify which fellowship you are interested (Session 1 or Session 2), answer a few short questions, and the option to upload a resume. We’ll reach out to schedule via email to schedule a Zoom interview. We are excited to see your applications!

If you have any questions or need support, please email the Housing Campaign Manager, at anja@forwardmontana.org

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis as follows with a January 10th priority deadline for Session 1.