Get Involved with ACORN®
Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now

Work for ACORN® as an Organizer

What Do ACORN® Organizers Do?

ACORN® Organizers build organizations in low-income communities. How? House by house, family by family, organizers hear from community residents what they want changed in their neighborhood, city, state, and country. Organizers work with community residents to hold meetings, do research on key issues, and develop campaign strategies to get these issues addressed. The ACORN® organizer's job is to work for the membership of ACORN®, helping them build the power they need to win the things their communities and families need.

How do we get our members' issues addressed?

Through direct actions, negotiations, working with the media, and, sometimes, by getting involved in electoral politics.

ACORN® organizers do many things; there's never a dull moment. All ACORN® organizers:

  • recruit members
  • identify hot issues
  • develop leaders
  • organize meetings, rallies, protests, press conferences, marches, etc.
  • run campaigns

ACORN® organizers throughout the country are working on many hot campaigns and organizing drives, such as:

  • organizing Haitian and Latin American immigrants in Miami, Florida,
  • helping public school parents organize to improve schools in the South Bronx,
  • working on a campaign to fix abandoned houses for low-income families in the Twin Cities,
  • building political block clubs in St. Louis,
  • unionizing workfare (welfare) workers in Los Angeles, New York City and New Jersey,
  • fighting for home improvement funds for low-income communities in Dallas and Houston.
  • organizing trailer parks in New Mexico
  • building powerful neighborhood organizations in California and Baltimore, Maryland,
  • fighting to raise the minimum wage and win tax breaks for poor families in Massachusetts,
  • fighting environmental racism in New Orleans and Baton Rouge,
  • working to institute corporate accountability legislation and a living wage in Denver, Colorado and Little Rock, Arkansas,
  • creating parent- and community-run charter schools in New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Minnesota, and New Orleans.

Training

ACORN® understands that community organizing experience is rare, so we train alot. New organizers learn how to conduct an organizing drive and a local campaign. We train organizers to recruit members, build an organizing committee, turn people out to meetings and events, develop campaign strategy, work with leaders, do grassroots fundraising, write press releases, and much more.

What you need to be a good ACORN® organizer:

  • a real commitment to democratic, participatory, grassroots movements and the indigenous people who lead them.
  • the ability to juggle lots of things at once.
  • a sense of adventure and a sense of humor!

Applying

If you prefer to contact us by phone or mail, write or call:

Jessica Filion acornrecruit@acorn.org
ACORN®
3655 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90007
Ph:(213) 747-1075

You can apply here through the following form, or e-mail the information to acornrecruit@acorn.org.

Full Name
Address
City
State
Zip Code
Home phone
Work phone
Fax
e-mail
How did you learn about ACORN®?
What are your references? Faculty, clergy, former employers.
Have you had previous experience in community or student organizing, or in business? Give us some specifics to the right.
Why would you like to work for ACORN®?
What questions do you have about ACORN®?
 
©2002 ACORN®