Community Engagement Coordinator, Chicago, IL (SIFH)

About GiveDirectly

GiveDirectly (GD) aims to reshape international giving – and millions of lives – by providing cash grants directly to the world’s poorest. The Brookings Institution estimates that $70B of cash transfers would be required to eliminate the poverty gap; the aid sector currently spends $135B each year, much of it on evidence-free interventions. GiveDirectly wants to change that, establishing cash transfers as a benchmark for foreign aid – as the index fund is a benchmark for the financial industry – and in the process accelerating the end of extreme poverty.

GD has raised over $1B since launching in 2011, delivered cash to more than 1.5 million people in 15 different countries. We’ve also supported large-scale, experimental research that indicates strong recipient impact of our programs. As a result, GD has been celebrated as one of the most innovative non-profit companies by Fast Company, while the growing cash transfer movement (and GD’s leading role within it) have been featured in the New York Times Magazine, This American Life, Foreign Affairs, and The Economist.

Our culture is candid, analytical, agile, and non-hierarchical. Our global team of ~150, and country operations teams of ~650, together come from 21 different countries speaking 69 different languages. Team members bring experiences from the private sector, NGOs and government. From software engineers to seasoned humanitarian workers, former management consultants to public servants, researchers to field operations -- it’s an incredible group of people.

Our values are central and deliberately opinionated. We genuinely center the people we serve in our decision making, and strive to build an ambitious, fast moving and high performing environment. We strongly encourage you to read through our values carefully, if they reflect how you like to work and energize you, this could be a great fit.

We work hard to create an environment in which all our team members can thrive, succeed and grow. We actively seek to recruit individuals from the communities we serve, and are constantly working to foster a workplace that supports diversity, and is truly inclusive in reality, not just intent. We support flexibility, take care of each other, have fun, and create professional growth opportunities.

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 third round of the Stability Investment for Family Housing (SIFH) program. This pilot, funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services, will send Illinois families experiencing homelessness/housing instability a one time payment of $500 or $6,500 in 2025.

Community Engagement Coordinator (CECs) will support GiveDirectly’s work with the Stability Investment for Family Housing pilot. As a member of the Chicago, IL-based team, you will support with verification of applicant eligibility for the program, directly support applicants in enrollment (virtually and in person), support community partners with questions about the program, use tools to help applicants make an informed decision about participating in the program, support program staff in engaging applicants throughout the application and enrollment process, and perform other duties as assigned. 

Location Requirement: Must currently reside in Chicago, IL, or should have plans to reside in Chicago starting January of 2025. While most work may be done remotely, you may be asked to support in-person events throughout the city of Chicago, IL, East St. Louis, and/or Harvey, 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, up to 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 4-6 months (subject to project timeline).

Reports to: Program Manager

Travel Requirement: This position requires local travel

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 (e.g., 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/community partners 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.

Interview 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 careers@givedirectly.org. 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!