The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) is looking for young adults 19 – 30 to join a network of people who will be paid to mobilize their communities to influence members of Congress. Approximately 20 applicants will be selected to take part in the year-long program, which will kick off with a 10-day Summer Intensive Training in August in Washington, DC. Participants will receive a stipend of $3,500 contingent upon their work.
- We welcome young adults ages 19-30, including both Quakers and non-Quakers.
- Includes Washington Summer Intensive Training
- Time commitment: 25-35 hours/month August – May
From August to May Advocacy Corps Members will:
- Organize creative community events for a campaign
- Coordinate local constituent lobby visits with congressional district offices
- Write articles and letters to the editor
- Participate in monthly conference calls with network
- Attend November Annual Meeting and March Spring Lobby Weekend in Washington, DC. (Travel and housing will be provided, exceptions only on a case-by-case basis.)
Members of the Advocacy Corps will be encouraged and supported to act as mentors to the next year’s Advocacy Corps members at the next Summer Intensive Training, at least remotely.
We want you to be bold and have fun. Your work as an Advocacy Corps member will be unique to you. We’ll help you design your own work plan with specific, measurable goals for outreach and events.
What is the Summer Intensive Training?
The Washington Summer Intensive Training, held every summer in Washington, D.C, marks the beginning of the Advocacy Corps’ time together. Travel, food and housing will be paid for. This training will kick off the program before everyone goes back to organize in their own communities. Participants will be trained in:
- Effective advocacy across party divisions
- In-depth policy analysis and education
- Using the media to influence Congress
- Captivating story-telling to connect heart to policy
- How to develop a career in advocacy
- Community solidarity and mobilization
Who is eligible to apply for the Advocacy Corps?
Most people between ages 19-30 who can commit to 25 to 35 hours per month are eligible to apply for the Advocacy Corps. If you’re not sure, you can contact us!
Your background and experience:
Education: You don’t have to be a student to join the Advocacy Corps. We are actively looking for people who are working (whether or not they attended college) as well as undergraduate or graduate students.
Diversity and Religion: We are actively seeking people from diverse backgrounds, including in terms of race or ethnicity, economic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion and political affiliation. FCNL is a Quaker organization, and participants will be working with a moral framework and collaborating with people from a faith perspective. However, you do not need to be religious to join the Advocacy Corps. We encourage both Quakers and those of other (or no) faiths to apply.
Expertise: You do not have to be an expert on the issues we’re focusing on. We’ll provide resources on the issues in the Summer Intensive Training and throughout the year to ground your work. We expect that the organizing skills you hone in the Advocacy Corps will apply to any issue you work on in the future.
Your location (and where you vote):
We expect you to organize in the community where you live. In most cases, that will mean being registered to vote in that community. If you can make a compelling case for why you’d like to remain an absentee voter (like many college students especially), contact FCNL to make a plan to organize in the community where you spend the majority of your time. Get in touch with us if you are not registered to vote and are interested in applying. You must live in the U.S. between August 2018 and May 2019, excluding vacation and brief travel.
Your schedule:
We know that schedules can vary, so we expect your hours to vary week-to-week; however, you should be able to commit to 25 to 35 hours per month. Most Advocacy Corps members will be busy with work or school, so we will help develop your workplan around other commitments.
FCNL seeks to create a diverse workplace. We are actively soliciting applicants from different ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds.
