Government

Start Date:  Immediately

Hours:  Full Time

Location: Hybrid; must be able to work in-person in NYC and occasionally travel to Albany

Organizational Background Founded in 1986, the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) is the nation’s only pan-Asian children and families’ advocacy organization that brings together community-based organizations as well as youth and parents to fight for equity for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) children and families. In addition to its work to improve the health and well-being of AAPI children in New York City, CACF works to transform the AAPI community by fostering collaboration, promoting community leadership, and building a collective voice.

CACF is seeking a full-time Budget Policy Coordinator to lead our 18% and Growing campaign and co-lead our state budget campaign that fights for a fair, inclusive, and equitable City and State budgets that address the needs of AAPI New Yorkers.

About this Role:

The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) is seeking a Budget Policy Coordinator on a project to lead our 18% and Growing campaign and support our work on the AAPI Equity Budget Coalition. Both initiatives are centered around budget equity, where we believe that budget policy is social policy.

• Lead: A CACF campaign centered around budget equity, specifically in increasing investment in and equitable funding for the AAPI community to counter issues related to poverty, social service access, education, and more. The 18% and Growing initiative comes from the percentage of AAPI people within the population of New York City. The initiative’s aims are done within a broader goal of racial justice and solidarity with other minority communities, aiming not to achieve its goals through taking funding from other groups, but raising funding for all.
• Co-Lead: The Equity Budget Coalition, formed in coalition of over 130 AAPI organizations from across the State, is led in large part by the Coalition for AAPI Children and Families and the Asian American Federation (AAF). Across New York State, Asian American Pacific Islander community needs have been historically ignored and disproportionately underfunded. AAPI communities continue to grapple with growing anti-Asian violence, gender-based violence, displacement from their homes, exclusion from government programs, and the ongoing, disproportionate impacts on health and mental health of the COVID-19 pandemic. Community-based organizations (CBOs) are uniquely equipped to address these disparities and support the diverse needs of AAPI communities through culturally responsive and linguistically competent approaches. In this way, AAPI CBOs are filling an urgent service gap, allowing community members to access social and healthcare services, public benefits, legal assistance, and other crucial services.

Primary Responsibilities
The Budget Policy Coordinator will lead in coalition building and budget analysis for the city and co-lead at the state budget level. The Coordinator will develop budget policy agendas by working closely with policymakers, CACF member agencies and partners, community leaders, elected and appointed officials, and our partners in the budget advocacy space.

Lead:

• Lead our city budget advocacy of 18% and Growing as well as any relevant city budgetary issues.
• Coordinate and maintain organizational relationships for advocacy-driven coalition-building work for the 18% and Growing campaign and AAPI Equity Budget Campaign.
• Lead technical budget analysis and coordinate collaborative development of budget priorities for city and state advocacy.
• Collaborate with the Director of Policy and Government Relations on building relationships with city level agencies and legislators to ensure allocation of funds.
• Develop and maintain government relations efforts at the city level.
• Serve as a thought leader with CACF team members on campaign strategy, community engagement, mobilization, education, and relationship building initiatives.
• Work with community partners and legislators to provide leadership in setting city and state budget priorities, campaign-wide goals and strategies, advancing new ideas that align planning.

Co-Lead:

• Act as co-lead with the Director of Policy and Government Relations for our state budget advocacy through the AAPI Equity Budget Campaign.
• Collaborate on advocacy strategy for state budget timeline.
• Communicate, when necessary, with the steering committee and larger coalition.
• Occasionally travel to Albany for budget advocacy purposes.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with advocates and community leaders aligned in our budget priorities.

Other Responsibilities:

• Prepare policy memos and position papers, write and give public testimony at hearings, speak at press conferences, and implement advocacy actions.
• Represent CACF in budget-related events. Participate in local advisory boards.

Qualifications and Experience

Required

• 3-5 years experience in non-profit and/or government
• Commitment to CACF’s mission, educational equity, children’s rights, and social justice.
• Experience in city budget advocacy and/or budgetary analysis.
• Ability or interest in relationship-building across organizations, advocates, and stakeholders impacted by education policies.
• Ability to set priorities among multiple responsibilities.
• Technical Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets experience.
• Understanding of Asian American Pacific Islander communities and/or non-profit organizations.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; persuasive communicator with a keen eye for detail.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize tasks.
• Capacities to lead, innovate, break new ground, take risks, and take public stances on issues.
• Ability to work with diverse staff and flexibility to work on multiple tasks under pressure
• Interest in legislative, budget, and administrative advocacy and policy making.
• Excellent skills in researching and identifying new policy/advocacy opportunities.

Preferred

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with varied constituencies, including staff, social service organizations, elected and appointed officials, and government agencies.

Salary and Benefits

Excellent medical, dental, and vision benefits. Four weeks vacation plus paid holidays. 403(b) plan pre-tax deduction for retirement and pre-tax commuter benefits plan available.

Salary:

This is a full-time position.  The starting salary is $65,000.

To Apply:

Apply by March 29, 2024

To apply for this position, please send the following to [email protected]:

• your resume,
• a cover letter detailing why you are a strong fit for this position, and
• two writing samples.

Equal Opportunity Employer: CACF is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, genetic information, age, veteran status, military status, mental or physical disability status, or citizenship status.