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We Are Hiring Now!

About SAFE RETURN PROJECT

The Safe Return Project is dedicated to creating an equitable and healthy environment for Contra Costa County
resident’s young and old returning home to their communities from incarceration. Safe Return Project members
engage the community through research and community organizing. Our goal is to educate our communities on
the needs of those returning home from incarceration, to transform systems that impact those returning
home from incarceration, and to shift the dominate narratives in communities that receive and serve men,
women, and youth coming home from incarceration, from one of fear to one of acceptance and hope. The Safe
Return Project believes that breaking down barriers to employment, housing, and family reunification etc. for people
coming home to our communities will give them a fighting chance at a successful reintegration. Our commitment is
to true public safety in the form of multifaceted community based best practices at the grassroots level.

Organizational Culture

At Safe Return we are building an intentional culture that centers healing, self-sufficiency,
accountability and liberation. When we envision a “safe return” for those coming out of
incarceration we see true public safety achieved in the form of multifaceted community-based
best practices at the grassroots level. We are committed to creating spaces where all voices are
heard and all people are embraced for their wholeness.

Organizing and Training Director

Safe Return Project is seeking an Organizing and Training Director to manage, lead, and support the growth
and development of Safe Return’s work in Contra Costa County. The ideal candidate will have at least 2 to 5
years of experience in organizing around racial, social, and economic justice. The ideal candidate will have
experience building community leaders and moving issue campaigns, familiarity with Contra Costa Communities,
and a deep desire to work across lines of race, religion, socio-economic class, and culture. The candidate will be a
person who has personal experience with the criminal justice system and a demonstrated awareness of the impact of
systemic racism in the criminal justice system and a desire to change it.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

  • Lead staff development including training and supervision of organizing staff.

  • Provide leadership – working with staff, leaders, allies – for the development and implementation of powerful, strategic campaigns that achieve tangible results for our communities.

  • Provide leadership – working with staff on programs and trainings for leaders.

  • Work with the executive director plus board members, staff, and other leaders to develop a strong analysis of our region and ability to act powerfully in the Bay Area and CA.

  • Work with the executive director and development director on fundraising, grant management, and reporting.

  • Lead efforts to build organizational capacity for political power building.

  • Work with the communications manager and others to powerfully integrate communications strategies to amplify and grow our power for big wins.

  • Assist community leaders in defining vision and goals, and train leaders to act in the public arena with measurable impact.

  • Provide regular organizing training for Safe Return Project leaders, and community members in the principles and strategies of institution-based community organizing.

  • Support volunteer Local Organizing Committees in outreach, research, and strategic planning leading to large community action meetings at the local and county-wide levels.

  • Create and deepen relationships with staff from strategic partners in the criminal justice system, community organizations, academia, labor, and public policy organizations.

  • Provide oversight and project management of on-going Richard Boyd Empowerment Pathways fellowship and Mass Liberation Collective Impact programs.

  • Meet on a regular basis with Executive Director to shadow, plan and evaluate work progress.

  • Attend and represent Safe Return Project on public committees formed to improve community relations for those returning home from incarceration specifically.

  • 7 to 10 one to one conversations a week with staff, community leaders and partners.

  • Use PAR (Participatory action research) strategies to launch comprehensive campaigns for mass liberation.

  • Work with coalitions to build powerful County wide campaigns and change systems.

  • Participate in the SRP’s local, County, statewide, and national policy campaigns.

  • Facilitate small and large group meetings as well as trainings.

  • Develop and execute annual organizing plan.

  • Represent the organizing work and campaign with a broad group of stakeholders, including elected officials and other policymakers, decision makers, media, and others.

  • Create materials necessary for organizing and campaign, including flyers, postcards, petitions, and social media.

  • Manage administrative systems, databases, and files for campaigns.

  • Participate in weekly staff meetings, internal trainings, strategic and annual planning, implementation, and evaluation.

  • Support “all hands-on deck” requests from Safe Return Project’s campaign teams, including mobilization support, phone banking, civic engagement, and other activities.

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REQUIREMENTS:

  • Ability and experience working within a multicultural setting.

  • Strong relational skills and ability to connect, engage, and inspire community members across multiple cultures including religion, race, gender, age, language, and class.

  • Capacity to think strategically and analytically about social, economic, cultural, and political issues affecting a community.

  • Strong public speaking and writing skills.

  • Strong interpersonal and relational skills.

  • Passion for learning and taking on challenges.

  • Strong and effective communication skills

  • Ability to analyze policies and institutions.

  • Strong interpersonal, relational, and management skills

  • Commitment to disrupting the structural forces causing disparities and organizing for racial and economic justice.

  • Ability to train and develop others.

  • Desire to learn and openness to challenge.

  • Ability to work as part of a strong staff team as well as independently; thrive in a fast-paced environment with minimal supervision.

  • Ability to identify and partner with local groups such as CBOs, social service providers, grassroots groups, and city agencies.

  • Commitment to bottom-up organizing, grassroots leadership, and collective decision-making.

  • Must be flexible and willing to work nontraditional hours in a demanding and rapidly changing work environment.

  • 3-5 years’ relevant experience (Community, Labor, Voter) engagement. Personal experience taken into consideration.

  • Must have a driver’s license and reliable transportation.

  • Must be able to adjust to evening and occasional weekend work.

  • Utilize web 2.0/social media tools to engage individuals, inform the broader community and amplify our analysis and message.

  • Formal education required.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

An average of 30-40 hours/week at $20-40/hour commensurate with the candidate’s experience and skills.

 

Benefits include comprehensive health (medical, dental, and vision), and paid holiday, vacation, sick and family leave.
 

Safe Return Project/Social Good Fund provides an excellent working environment that encourages teamwork and
recognizes high-quality self-development.

How to Apply:

Send your cover letter, resume, and writing sample to admin@safereturnprj.org with the subject line “Safe Return Organizing and Training Director”. In your cover letter, please address the following questions:

 

1. What is your experience with the criminal justice system?

2. What does social justice mean to you?

3. When was the last time you stud up against injustice in your community?

4. Describe a training you developed for new community organizers.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. 

Communications Manager

Safe Return Project is seeking a Communications Manager, who will provide direct support to the Director of
Development and organizing staff in shaping and implementing the organization’s mission to strengthen the
infrastructure and capacity for fundraising and communications. We are seeking a development and
communications professional with a passion for criminal/social justice who can help us expand our work in support
of a growing network of grassroots organizations and movement leaders. Previous justice-involvement and/or those
who have been impacted by the incarceration of a family member or loved one is a plus.
 

The Communications Manager will need to be an experienced and skilled writer, a strong project manager, excellent
communicator, detail-oriented, and able to meet deadlines and adapt to changing needs and opportunities. As a
member of a small team that requires extensive collaboration across the organization, and with external allies who
support our work, this position will play a key role increasing and diversifying SRP’s funding streams and refining
our messaging to the broader community, external partners, and donors. A passion for social/racial/economic justice
and an understanding of criminal justice and its intersecting issues is required.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

​Development

  • Co-lead individual donor cultivation and solicitation efforts alongside the Director of
    Development.

  • Prepare and send donor acknowledgment and thank you letters.

  • Assist Development Director with planning and execution of special events including donor
    cultivation and solicitation events.

  • Assist and lead other projects and activities as assigned by the Director of Development.

​

Communications

Develop and Oversee the execution of SRP’s comprehensive communications plan.
• Develop a quarterly donor-facing newsletter.
• Maintain up-to-date postings and oversee SRP’s social media accounts and presence; and

Identify external opportunities, including partnerships, affinity groups, conferences, etc., for
promoting SRP’s work to raise visibility and profile.
• Lead staff development and capacity building including training and supervision of organizing
staff campaign communications strategies.
• Work with coalitions to build powerful County wide campaigns communications strategies.
• Facilitate small and large group meetings as well as trainings on effective communications with
community leaders.
• Create materials necessary for organizing and campaign, including flyers, postcards, petitions,
and social media post.
• Manage administrative systems, databases, and files for campaigns.
• Participate in weekly staff meetings, internal trainings, strategic and annual planning,
implementation, and evaluation.
• Support “all hands-on deck” requests from Safe Return Project’s campaign teams, including
mobilization support, phone banking, civic engagement, and other activities.
• Write content for media and prepare other staff for interviews with reporters and other
communications activities", and "Manage the social media communications for the
organizations across various platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.

​

REQUIREMENTS:

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
    • Must be able to prioritize and multi-task, while remaining unflappable.
    • Professional, maintaining grace under fire, with a well-developed and appropriate sense of
    humor.
    • Strong interpersonal skills, able to deal effectively with a wide range of persons; in particular
    people with different levels of access to wealth and class, people of different ages, races,
    cultures, religions, sexual orientations and identities; people with a history of incarceration,
    and people directly impacted by the criminal justice system.
    • Excellent administrative skills.
    • Comfortable and proficient with professional correspondence and editing, on OneDrive,
    Word, Excel, PowerPoint, mail merge functions, document formatting, etc.
    • Experience with donor database and/or electronic admissions programs a plus.
    • Experience with Zoom or other webinar and conferencing tools a plus.
    • Experience with social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
    • Excellent research skills.
    • Able to take direction, work in a team, and work independently.
    • Able to maintain discretion with confidential information.
    • Demonstrated alignment with the movement for SRP’s mission of ending mass targeted
    incarceration and mass criminalization is a plus.
    • Capacity to think strategically and analytically about social, economic, cultural, and political
    issues affecting a community.
    • Passion for learning and taking on challenges.
    • Commitment to disrupting the structural forces causing disparities and organizing for racial
    and economic justice.
    • Ability to train and develop others.
    • Desire to learn and openness to challenge.

  • Ability to work as part of a strong staff team as well as independently; thrive in a fast-paced
    environment with minimal supervision.
    • Must be flexible and willing to work nontraditional hours in a demanding and rapidly
    changing work environment.
    • 3-5 years’ relevant experience
    • Must have a driver’s license and reliable transportation.
    • Must be able to adjust to evening and occasional weekend work.
    • Utilize web 2.0/social media tools to engage individuals, inform the broader community and
    amplify our analysis and message.
    • Formal education required.

  • Ability to work on multiple projects and maintain effective communication and quality
    control.
    • At least 3 years of experience of grant writing for a mission-driven nonprofit or social
    justice organization.
    • Experience in developing and executing fundraising and/or communications strategies
    and measuring results.

  • • Experience in researching, cultivation, and stewardship of individual donors

  • • Experience in researching and prioritizing funding opportunities.
    • Knowledge and lived experience of criminalization and impacts of incarceration

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

An average of 25-30 hours/week at $20-35/hour commensurate with the candidate’s experience and skills. Benefits
include comprehensive health (medical, dental, and vision), and paid holiday, vacation, sick and family leave.

​

Safe Return Project/Social Good Fund provides an excellent working environment that encourages teamwork and
recognizes high-quality self-development.

How to Apply:

Send your cover letter, resume, and writing sample to admin@safereturnprj.org with the subject line “Safe Return
Communications Manager”. In your cover letter, please address the following questions:

​

1. What is your experience with the criminal justice system?
2. What does social justice mean to you?
3. When was the last time you stud up against injustice in your community?
4. Send a press release writing sample and a social media blitz writing sample.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. 

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