Illinois Organic Growers Association (IOGA) has an opening for a par-time, 20 hours per month association coordinator position.The IOGA Coordinator is the lead staff person of the Illinois Organic Growers Association and will report to the IOGA Governing Board, Administrative Committee and the association’s fiscal sponsor Illinois Stewardship Alliance. The Coordinator oversees the activities of the organization, leveraging the help of the Governing Board, composed of IOGA members, and the Administrative Committee, composed of representatives from universities and University of Illinois Extension who are in the position to collaborate with IOGA in their work.
Essential duties include:
- Coordinate IOGA activities, leveraging the participation of the Governing Board and Administrative Committee (see http://illinoisorganicgrowers.org for information on recent activities)
- Develop annual budget and monitor financial status
- Lead marketing and promotional efforts for IOGA and its activities
- Coordinate IOGA communications via email, web site, newsletter, and Facebook (currently with the assistance of a contractor Outreach Associate for 5-10 hours per month)
- Facilitate membership development, sponsorship efforts, and grant writing activities, leveraging the assistance of the Governing Board and Administrative Committee
The current budget supports an average of 20 hours per month per year. The ideal candidate will have the desire and capacity to obtain additional funding and grow to at least 20 hours per week. Hours are flexible, and monthly workload may vary. The Coordinator is expected to attend the Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism, and Organic Conference, held Wednesday–Fridayof the second week of January.
IOGA is a statewide organization with a virtual infrastructure, so the Coordinator must be self-motivated, able to work effectively from a remote office, and of impeccable integrity.
The ideal candidate will:
- Have experience managing a group or organization
- Will be able to successfully operate independently with little oversight
- Possess strong communication skills, both written and interpersonal
- Have financial management skills, including the ability to develop and adhere to a budget
- Provide his/her own computer and office infrastructure (office spaaaaaace, phone, Internet connection) for IOGA work
- Be able to travel to occasional meetings within the state of Illinois
- Have a passion for and some knowledge of organic and sustainable agriculture
Start Date:
- August 1st 2014 or as soon as possible
To Apply:
- Please email or mail a cover letter and resume to Illinois Stewardship Alliance (IOGA’s Fiscal Sponsor) by June 16th. Mail cover letter and resume to 230 Broadway, Suite 200, Springfield, Illinois 62701 or email to wes@ilstewards.org.
- Illinois Stewardship Alliance prohibits discrimination in its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status.
Organization & Mission
The Illinois Organic Growers Association (IOGA) is a member-driven organization led by a Governing Board elected by members each year at the Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism, and Organic Conference. Members share an interest in organic principles and sustainable agricultural practices and do not need to be certified as organic growers by the National Organic Program or other certifying bodies.
The mission of the Illinois Organic Growers Association is to:
- Support networking and farmer-to-farmer exchange among farmers interested in organic and sustainable production methods
- Promote and develop new and improved production methods that are state- and region-specific
- Help growers educate consumers and expand markets for organic agricultural products
History
Discussions about the need for and feasibility of creating an association to support organic agriculture in Illinois took place at the 2010 and 2011 Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism, and Organic Conferences. Participating in discussions were organic growers and staff who support organic agriculture through their work at Illinois universities, Extension, and nonprofits. The University of Illinois partnered with UI Extension and the Illinois Stewardship Alliance to obtain a grant from the Illinois Department of Agriculture to support development of the association. In 2011, an agreement was made for the Illinois Organic Growers Association to exist under the fiscal sponsorship of the Illinois Stewardship Alliance.