Community Engagement Coordinator

Department:
Strategic Partnerships

Reports to:

Dir, Strategic Partnerships

Promote the mission of The Night Ministry by building relationships with and educating stakeholders in neighborhoods where TNM programs provide services.

Build relationships with neighbors, congregations, community groups, municipal bodies (like schools and law enforcement) and other nonprofits to create a hospitable environment for and increase collaboration with The Night Ministry's programs and services.

• Must be able to build and maintain strong collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Must demonstrate awareness of and competence in interacting with youth and adults from diverse cultural, ethnic, religious, gender, sexual orientation, and socio-economic backgrounds, including people experiencing homelessness, poverty, mental health conditions, and/or substance use disorder.
• Must demonstrate experience with service coordination and engagement with diverse community groups, including congregations, community groups, law enforcement, and nonprofit organizations.
• Must be able to work flexible hours, including frequent weekends.

• Develop and maintain relationships with neighbors, community leaders, government officials, congregations, and other nonprofits aimed at building support for TNM programs and services by listening, educating, and responding to questions and concerns.
• Develop service partnerships between TNM and other nonprofits to address programmatic needs identified by program staff.
• Create and/or renew partnership agreements between TNM and our nonprofit partners. Maintain a current list of partnerships for external use and a map of all service partners for Case Managers.
• In collaboration with Case Management and Learning and Impact, develop a system to track programmatic referrals to partners and evaluate client satisfaction with partners.
• Work closely with the Director of Strategic Partnerships to conduct community engagement activities for the agency focused in and around neighborhoods where The Night Ministry provides services or from where The Night Ministry receives support.
• Represent TNM through networking, speaking engagements, community events (like meetings with neighborhood groups, Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS), Chambers of Commerce, and community partners), and congregational events (including weekend services). In person attendance during evenings or on weekends will be required for many of these events.
• Consult with TNM staff to address feedback, as appropriate.
• Support the development of new programming or collaborations at TNM as directed by the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Vice President of Programs and Services. This could include conducting community needs assessments to identify neighborhoods/sites that may benefit from TNM services or to better inform TNM services or building community support for zoning efforts.
• Identify opportunities for clients to engage with the community for community service opportunities or in advisory or community groups.

• Attend all relevant departmental and organizational meetings and trainings. Update relevant databases such as NXT.
• Other duties as assigned by the Director of Strategic Partnerships.
• According to TNM policies, this position is expected to carry a cell phone and is eligible for partial reimbursement of monthly cell phone bills.

• Minimum 1-2 years of experience with community engagement, community organizing, advocacy, project development, or a related position at another nonprofit organization.
• Flexibility to attend meetings that may be held during the evening or on a weekend. Meetings are often held in-person.
• Effective communication skills and comfort with public speaking.
• Ability to travel throughout the Chicagoland area.

• Strong connection to community stakeholders in neighborhoods where The Night Ministry provides services and a strong understanding of homeless services in Chicago.
• Comfort working with diverse constituencies and populations (including, but not limited to, government agencies, elected officials and their staff, law enforcement - including Chicago Police Department [TP2] personnel, other nonprofit organizations, congregations, neighborhood groups, and TNM staff/clients).

No direct reports.

The…