Opening: Policy Advocate

Nourish California has an opening for a Policy Advocate.

Policy Advocate

Salary: $70,000 - $85,000 Annually

Job Type: Full-time (37.5 hours)

Reports to: Senior Advocate

Job Description: Link

Closing Date: 4/28/2023

Purpose

Join a dynamic team working to make our state an equitable place for all who call it home. We work with communities to guarantee that children, older adults, immigrants, and all Californians with low income can access the food they need and want.

The Location

California. All Nourish California staff must live and work in the Golden State. While remote work may be an option, it is only an option within California. Travel requirements are included in the job description.

What You'll Be Doing

  • Expanding engagement in policy advocacy campaigns with organization partners, community members, and policymakers.
  • Building authentic relationships with people and communities and engaging in genuine dialogue and collaboration.
  • Working with diverse advocates and community members to gather and amplify stories, upholding and implementing our organization's storytelling policy;
  • Creating and distributing campaign materials such as factsheets, talking points, calls to action, and more.
  • Generating compelling social media content;
  • Analyzing data and synthesizing research to build the case for policy change;
  • Advocating alongside people with lived experience with poverty.

We're Looking for Individuals Who Are...

  • Compassionate, collaborative, open-minded, empathetic, and equity-focused;
  • Ethical and values-driven;
  • Compelling communicators;
  • Comfortable working independently and collaboratively;
  • Committed to approaching people and work with humility; and 
  • Dedicated to learning, personal growth, and change.

And we’re looking for someone with these very important skills.

A Few Reasons You May Love Working With Us

  • You will be part of a larger movement to eliminate inequities and seek justice through policy change.
  • You will help drive sustainable change — our policy victories have a lasting impact on the lives of our fellow Californians.
  • You will grow your skills and develop deep expertise to help you advance within our organization or join our impressive alumni working in influential government and nonprofit positions across the country.
  • You will join a team that is focusing on the health and well-being of our staff — and committed to doing more for our employees.

Our Values

We are looking for values-aligned team members who are eager to advance our mission. Our values: 

People. People are the core of our work and the power behind it

Equity. All Californians should share fairly in the resources of our state and nation.

Collaboration. We learn, share, build trust, and take action with others, both within and outside of our team, in order to achieve common goals. 

Integrity. We are beholden solely to our mission, vision, and values. 

Read our values descriptions.

The Process

  • Applicants must complete an online application. This form will provide applicants an opportunity to answer brief questions about advocacy skills, upload a resume and cover letter, and provide optional statements on lived experience related to our mission and/or perspectives on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

 

  • All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be reviewed by staff. Select applicants will be screened in a 30-minute video discussion. Advancing candidates will participate in an all-staff interview. A short exercise may also be required.

 

  • Generally, all applicants will get a response on the status of their application as their application is being processed. For applications arriving closer to the closing date of 4/28/2023 or those requiring additional review, we aim to respond by 5/19/2023. Anyone who spends time with us in a screening or interview receives a personal follow-up by phone.

 

  • No phone calls, please. Questions not answered on the website can be directed to jobs@nourishca.org.

 

Food with Care: Honoring Our Roots, Embracing What’s Next

Over the past several years, Food with Care has centered on lifting up the needs and voices of California’s childcare providers-especially those participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Alongside our co-leads at [...]
Advocates and legislators hold signs that say "Food4All."

On May 6, take action on our statewide Food4All Call-In Day

CALL-IN for Food4All!  Lea este blog post en español aquí As we get closer to Governor Newsom’s May Revision of the California State Budget, we need to call on our state’s leaders to honor and protect [...]

CALL-IN DAY: CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Program

As we get closer to Governor Newsom’s May Revision of the California State Budget, we need legislators to take a stand in protecting this program that makes it easier to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. On [...]
Advocates gathered for a rally at a food bank with Food4All signs

3 Actions to Support AB 1049 (C. Rodriguez) in Assembly Appropriations!

We are thrilled that AB 1049 (C. Rodriguez) has successfully passed out of the Assembly Human Services Committee! This marks a significant step forward in our ongoing efforts to drive meaningful change and create a food [...]

Support AB 1049 (Rodriguez) as it heads to Assembly Human Services!

In February 2025, the Food4All campaign introduced AB 1049 (Rodriguez) to remove a discriminatory rule called sponsor deeming from the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP) so that immigrant Californians seeking food benefits face fewer barriers in [...]

SB 1254 Waiver Approved : A Victory for Reentry & Food Access—What’s Next?

Last year, SB 1254 was signed into law, marking a historic step toward ensuring that individuals leaving incarceration can access the food assistance they need to rebuild their lives. Thanks to the tireless advocacy of directly [...]

Community-Centered Campaigns: 2025 Policy Priorities and More

Protecting our Progress, Advancing Equity in California The year began with immense hardship – the devastating LA fires uprooted entire communities and federal actions and rhetoric took direct aim at the very people centered in our [...]

Press Release: New Bill to Improve Food Access for Immigrants in California

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Courtney Shojinaga, 213-204-3614, courtney@nourishca.org Edward Sifuentes, 760-936-2632, esifuentes@caimmigrant.org Sacramento (Feb. 20, 2025) – Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez introduced Assembly Bill 1049 today to improve food access and reduce food insecurity across California. [...]

Thank you, Jared!

Nourish California’s Director of Policy, Jared Call, concluded his tenure with Nourish California on December 31, 2024. The Nourish California team wants to acknowledge and celebrate his nearly 10 years of service to our mission. Jared [...]

TAKE ACTION: Tell California’s Budget Leaders to Keep CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable Benefits

For the second time in a year, CalFresh participants have lost benefits that help make healthy food more affordable. As of January 2025, 67,000 CalFresh households were earning a total of $3.3 million in rebates each [...]