SUMMARY
The vision that sparked the creation of the nonprofit Greenville Housing Fund (GHF) in 2018 is of a future in which every neighborhood in Greenville County is thriving, sustainable, and affordable for all. GHF’s mission is to increase quality affordable rental and homeownership opportunities across Greenville County. We engage and encourage the broader community to advocate for affordable places to live; we make investments in affordable housing through funding programs and financing; and we acquire land for future development. More information about GHF can be found at www.greenvillehousingfund.com.
The Director of Advocacy & Community Engagement (ACE Director) serves as GHF’s point person on affordable housing policy initiatives: shaping and advancing GHF’s policy priorities, building relationships across the affordable housing ecosystem, and leading community outreach for awareness and advocacy. The ACE Director will lead the development of a policy agenda for both GHF and the Greenville Affordable Housing Coalition (GAHC), through engagement with GHF board and staff, with GAHC leaders who are empowered to commit their organizations to collective action, and with the community at large. In conjunction with GHF leadership, the ACE Director also develops and leads campaigns to decrease the barriers preventing access to affordable housing and to increase the resources available for affordable housing development and preservation.
To achieve the necessary public investment at the local, state and federal levels, this critical leadership work includes data collection, analysis, and reporting; development and implementation of policy, advocacy, and education plans and programs; coalition-building and partner engagement; and broad community outreach. The ACE Director reports to the GHF CEO and works with a collaborative team of GHF staff, board members and advocacy partners.
DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES
Policy Development and Advocacy
- Develops an actionable advocacy agenda, in coordination with GAHC, its steering committee, and its working groups, subject to CEO oversight and GHF Board approval.
- Initiates outreach and engagement with elected officials, community and economic development municipal staff, and policymakers.
- Initiates and maintains outreach and engagement with neighborhood-based community leaders, with special emphasis in target neighborhoods experiencing development pressures and demographic transitions, as well as civic advocacy organizations.
- Cultivates and manages relationships with key partners, stakeholders, and policymakers.
- Engages externally for GHF on relevant local, regional, and state policy matters, and coordinates GHF’s public policy development and advocacy activity.
- Analyzes new and existing housing policies and proposed legislation and regulation and works with the CEO, GHF Board, and partners to identify the most critical issues for action.
- Prepares and disseminates policy briefs, action alerts, and talking points.
- Recruits and supports other local affordable housing advocates, including coalition partners from related fields (g., transportation, land use, environmental protection, public health). Provides GHF staff support as needed to alliance and coalition projects, outreach efforts, and ventures.
- Coordinates GHF’s participation in local, regional, state, and national advocacy networks.
- Conducts other required duties to ensure strong stakeholder support and effective advocacy.
Strategic Plans Implementation
- Facilitates research and dissemination of information on promising and innovative policies aimed at improving the affordable housing landscape in Greenville County.
- Leads or supports specific initiatives that advance GHF’s systems-change work, including initiatives that seek to create change in local and state governments.
- Builds policy and advocacy knowledge and skills among GHF staff and Board and keeps these groups informed on public policy outcomes, opportunities, and potential barriers.
- Works with Greenville Housing Fund staff and partner organizations to develop our policy and advocacy platform and annual policy priorities.
- Creates content to help GHF partner organizations, members, supporters, funders, staff, and Board understand GHF policy goals, processes, and outcomes, including policy updates for newsletters.
- Works with the Executive team and other Directors to facilitate collaboration across the organization.
Grants Management and Fundraising
- Collaborates on potential GHF funding sources, particularly those related to affordable housing advocacy and policy engagement.
- Supports cultivation of relationships with relevant funders, donors and partners.
- Supports and collaborates on grant applications and applicable reporting, in coordination with GHF CEO and staff.
Administration/Other
- Manages the planning and logistics for community forums and other stakeholders’ meetings.
- Provides content for GHF website, social media, and other media as requested.
