Community Engagement Coordinator, ChicagoChicago, Illinois

About GiveDirectly

GiveDirectly (GD) provides cash grants directly to people living in extreme poverty. Since launching in 2011, GD has raised over $1B, delivered cash to more than 1.5 million recipients, launched operations in 15 countries, and continues to expand its reach across the Global South. GD has also grown the research base supporting unconditional cash with 20 randomized control trials from its programs, generating rigorous evidence across countries and contexts. As a result, GD has been celebrated as one of the most innovative non-profit companies byFast Company, while the growing cash transfer movement (and GD’s leading role within it) has been featured in theNew York Times Magazine,This American Life,Foreign Affairs, andThe Economist.

Across our global offices, our culture is candid, analytical, non-hierarchical, and agile. We work alongside 750+ individuals who come from 21 different countries and speak 69 different languages. Team members at GiveDirectly attest that diversity, equity, and inclusion are not just buzzwords, but a fundamental part of our culture and values. We actively seek to recruit individuals from the communities we serve, and use DEI as a lens in our hiring practices, programs, and initiatives. Our goal is to maintain a workplace where everyone can bring their authentic selves to work, and feel valued and respected for who they are. We strive to be inclusive of all cultures and experiences while upholding our values globally. In the spirit of our “Know Yourself and Grow” value, we recognize there is always room to improve our team’s working experience. But day to day, we aim to “Create Positive Energy” – we take care of one another, have fun, aim to maximize flexibility and accessibility in roles, and pursue professional development opportunities to stay challenged & engaged in our work. 

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by law.

About this role

Since 2017, GiveDirectly has provided cash relief to low-income Americans affected by disasters. Between 2020 and 2021, we distributed $200M to 200,000 households in response to the COVID-19 crisis – 100% remotely. In 2021, GiveDirectly launched a permanent U.S. team to implement cash programs in disaster response and guaranteed income. As part of this effort, we launched the largest guaranteed income program focused on Black women in the U.S., and administered two of the largest government-funded GI programs in the country in Chicago, IL and Cook County, IL.

GiveDirectly has been selected as the program administrator for the Chicago Guaranteed Income Pilot. The Chicago Guaranteed Income Pilot will send monthly payments of $500 to around 5,000 residents for 12 months.

Community Engagement Coordinator (CECs) will support GiveDirectly’s work with Chicago Empowerment Fund Guaranteed Income Pilot. As a member of the Chicago, IL-based team, you will verify applicant eligibility for the program, directly support applicants in enrollment (virtually and in person), use tools to help applicants make an informed decision about participating in the program, and support program staff in engaging applicants throughout the application and enrollment process. 

Location Requirement: Must currently reside in Chicago, IL. While some work may be done remotely, January – March you will be required to support in-person enrollment events throughout the city of Chicago, IL. 

You must be authorized to work in the United States at the time of application; we are unable to sponsor international candidates for this position.

Job Type: Part-time. The number of hours will vary, ranging from 20-29 hours per week. This is a project-based position, which means it is contingent upon funding. This position will have a fixed term of 4 months.

Reports to: Program Manager

Travel Requirement: This position requires local travel

Salary: $25/per hour

What you’ll do:

• Clearly communicate complex information
• Maintain confidentiality
• Conduct phone/email outreach to applicants
• Provide high-quality customer service to all applicants you interact with
• Answer questions and provide information to assist applicants in submitting required documentation, making an informed decision about participating in the program, and enrolling in the program
• Review documentation from applicants to confirm their eligibility for the program 
• Assist with scheduled in-person enrollment events throughout Chicago, IL
• Use a benefits counseling tool to help recipients understand any potential effect on their benefits
• Conduct other programmatic/logistical tasks, where required
• Collaborate with the team on ways to improve processes for applicants 
• Enroll sensitive populations in our program virtually as well as in person 

What you’ll bring:

• Exceptional alignment with GiveDirectly Values and active demonstration of our core competencies: emotional intelligence, problem-solving, project management, follow-through, and fostering inclusivity. We welcome and strongly encourage applications from candidates who have personal or professional experience in the low-income and/or historically marginalized communities that we serve.
• Language Requirement: English
• Language Preferences: We encourage candidates who are bilingual in any of Chicago, IL’s commonly used languages (including Spanish) to apply
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to show respect and openness toward someone whose social and cultural background is different from one’s own – CECs will be the face of our program for recipients and will need to approach all communications and interactions with an eye toward delivering the best possible experience for recipients.
• Great communication skills – CECs will explain the program and process to recipients and collect and discuss potentially sensitive information about income and government benefits. Discretion and good judgment are paramount.
• Technological literacy – CECs will need fluency and comfort using computers and tablets.
• Fast learner – CECs must learn the complexities of our operations, and communicate those to applicants.
• Experience with customer service or in a client-facing role is a plus.
• Proficiency in Excel
• Ability to travel locally 

Why work at GiveDirectly?

At GiveDirectly, we work to ensure that you have everything you need to excel in your role and on your team, including:

• A positive and supportive team
• A demonstrated commitment to helping all staff develop and grow
• Competitive pay

Read more about our ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts here and about our decision to move our central support teams to remote first here.

GiveDirectly is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values the strength diversity brings to the workplace. All qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to the person’s race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

US applicants only:  We invite you to “Know Your Rights” as an applicant.

Commitment to Safeguarding

As a global organization serving some of the world’s most vulnerable communities, GiveDirectly takes the safeguarding of its recipients, staff, and partners seriously. To that end, GiveDirectly is a member of the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, and will systematically check with previous employers about any sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment issues relating to potential new hires. We may also employ other robust pre-hire screens, including in-depth reference checks, criminal background checks, and sanctions screens.

GD is committed to observing all local, national and international laws that protect children, vulnerable adults, and basic human rights of all. GD is committed to a policy of “zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH)” and expects anyone who works for GD to uphold the protection and safeguarding of our recipients as a priority.

These efforts help us continue to build and maintain trust with the communities we serve, and prevent harm to our recipients.

Venue and Accessibility

We conduct interviews over Google Meet with camera on (unless communicated otherwise).

Closed captioning is available during all Google Meet interviews, and interviewers will also post interview questions in the chat box throughout the call. If you need assistance accessing either of these features, please let your interviewer know at the start of your interview! 

We’re committed to running an inclusive and accessible application process for all of our open roles. If there are questions or concerns you have about the accessibility of our hiring process, we warmly invite you to reach out to [email protected]. Please include the word “Accessibility” in the email title.

Want to put your best foot forward on your GiveDirectly application? Take a look at our Candidate Application Prep Guide!