Civic Engagement Fellow

Research Foundation of The City University of New York•New York, NY

7d•$54,000

About The Position

The Campaign Finance Board (CFB) is a nonpartisan, independent city agency that empowers New Yorkers to make a greater impact on their elections. CFB’s mission is to make New York City’s democracy more open, transparent, and equitable by eliminating barriers to participation. Through voter engagement and the matching funds program, the CFB provides access to the information and resources New Yorkers need to vote or run for office and reduces the corrupting influence of money in politics by enhancing the impact of New Yorkers’ small-dollar contributions. To amplify its work, CFB wishes to identify, engage, and empower the next generation of civic engagement leaders and build the capacity of CBOs to inform, educate and empower voters in their communities. For this Initiative, CBOs will be based or working in Bronx Community Districts 1 through 7. CFB wishes for these leaders and CBOs to specifically build expertise around voter engagement and education. CFB’s matching fund program is specifically designed to support greater voter engagement at all points in the election cycle and empowering the next generation of civic leaders can help build that goal. To achieve this goal, CFB is partnering with CUNY ISLG on this Initiative. The Civic Engagement Fellowship program, which began in August 2025, is designed to offer Fellows the opportunity to participate in a yearlong professional development Fellowship offered by CFB and CUNY ISLG and be placed at a host CBO for a 1-year work experience. where they do a variety of work supporting voter and community engagement. This opportunity is seeking a CUNY senior who will be graduating in Spring 2026 to participate in a 1-year Civic Engagement Fellowship and work placement opportunity. Specifically, it presents the opportunity to participate in Year 2 of a two-year Fellowship, and join a cohort of existing Fellows who began this Fellowship in August 2025. If circumstances allow, there may be an opportunity for the new Fellow to join the program before June part-time, but this is not guaranteed – we hope to have the new Fellow join the program in a full-time placement at their host sites beginning in June or July 2026. Additionally, please note that at present, CUNY ISLG is seeking to fill one vacancy in the program; however, strong candidates not selected for this vacancy may be added to a wait list and may be considered for future Fellowship opportunities in the program should additional vacancies open. Fellows are Research Foundation of CUNY (RFCUNY) employees and will be eligible for RFCUNY benefits. Details regarding those benefits will be explained to candidates during the interview process as they differ depending on part time/full time schedules, All employees, regardless of placement, will receive ongoing support from CUNY ISLG staff for the duration of their Fellowship. The Fellowship will include the following components: Bi-monthly Fellowship Sessions – CUNY ISLG will host two-hour Fellowship sessions bi-monthly covering 4 key content areas: i) Leadership Development, ii) Civic Engagement, iii) Community Development and, iv) Public Policy – all critical elements that will aid Fellows in successfully engaging communities and supporting civic engagement activities at their host CBO. Full-time CBO Employment: This Fellow will work full-time at their host CBO for approximately one year (June 2026-June 2027) as an employee of the CUNY RF. They will work on civic engagement projects determined by their CBO, in consultation with CUNY ISLG and CFB. The core of this Fellowship is creating community among the Fellows and building a corps of civically engaged CUNY students to support CBOs in conducting civic engagement activities in New York City. Additionally, this Fellowship provides a year of paid employment at a community-based organization working to engage and support civic connections. The host CBOs will be responsible for day-to-day mentorship, supervision and task management of the Fellows.

Requirements

A CUNY student in your senior year in good standing and with an expected graduation date by Summer 2027
Able to commit to a full-time schedule from June 2026 - June 2027
Interest and/or experience in civic engagement and community-building
Interest in working in a nonprofit Community-Based Organization
Excellent time management skills and experience working in deadline-driven environments
Ability to write and present in an articulate, structured, and compelling manner
Ability to prioritize and work on a number of tasks simultaneously
Flexibility about projects and workflow
Passion about equitable state and local policy solutions to pressing social issues

Nice To Haves

Experience in participatory action research and/or other community engagement approaches a plus
Fluency in a language other than English is a plus, including but not limited to Spanish, Kru, Ibo, Yoruba, Bengali, and/or French.
Given that the CBO work will be located in the Bronx, students at a Bronx CUNY campus and/or living in or near Community Districts 1-7 are particularly encouraged to apply
CUNY ISLG is open to flexibility on the requirements above, but we would expect candidates to fit most of the items described.

Responsibilities

Researching levels of civic engagement in the community and developing strategies to increase civic engagement
Learning about the policy priorities of the local communities where they are embedded
Identifying barriers to civic engagement that currently exist in the community
Organizing community meetings
Planning and hosting community education events
Facilitating community conversations and engaging with neighborhood residents
Taking notes at meetings
Providing coordination support for scheduling meetings with partners
Engaging with elected officials and other community stakeholders
Assisting in the preparation of materials for meetings, policy briefs, blogs and other communications