My name is Ashley Rosenberg (she/her) and I am this year’s Advocacy and Organizing Weitz Fellow at the Nebraska Civic Engagement Table. As the Advocacy and Organizing Fellow, I rotate through each of the core teams at the Table, gaining hands-on experience in everything from development to data to communications to policy to power building. The theme of my fellowship thus far has been learning through new experiences, as the rotational nature of my role means that I have gotten to experience all facets of nonprofit work. I created a social media toolkit and wrote blog posts in the Communications department, drafted and researched organizational policies in the Governance department, and learned how to use tools like VAN in the Data department. I have really valued this structure as I launch my career in a brand new city as a recent college graduate, as I know it is rare to be exposed to so many different projects and gain so much varied experience so quickly.
One of the most rewarding parts of my job has been interacting with our nonprofit Members and the programs that Nebraska Table organizes for our Members. Almost directly after starting my position, the Table held our Member Summit. Having just moved to a new state, attending the Member Summit was especially generative for me, as it helped me situate myself in the Nebraska nonprofit landscape. The Summit was a great introduction to so many of our Member organizations and allowed me to tangibly connect what we do to support our Members to the names of so many individuals and organizations doing incredible work in Nebraska. I heard about various organizations' future policy priorities, as well as gained context for the ongoing GOTV strategy work in the state. Engaging in collaborative work and learning with our Member organizations at the Member Summit set the tone for the work ahead of me, as I continue to collaborate with, and learn from, my colleagues.
In the same spirit of learning and collaboration, attending Lobby School has been another highlight of my time at the Table thus far, as every session offers an opportunity to learn from experts about the Nebraska State Legislature and all of the work that goes on behind the scenes to get a bill passed. Prior to moving to Omaha, I was not very familiar with the unicameral legislature, so I jumped at the opportunity to dive into the unique process as well as learn about the strategies necessitated by the unicameral legislative structure. Beyond strategy, I have learned how to read the State budget, communicate about a bill effectively, and craft a strong and compelling story to engage constituents on an issue. Attending Lobby School with so many other talented advocates has also allowed me to learn collaboratively with them, and I can’t wait to dive into more policy work and apply all that I have learned during Lobby School during the upcoming legislative session.
In addition to my work rotating through the departments, as a fellow I was tasked with planning and executing a self-directed project to support the organization. This has been a highlight of my work at the Table, and I value this freedom to generate my own project to contribute to the mission and goals of the organization. I drew on my academic experience as a religion major and my interest in faith-based organizing to craft an organizing project to engage faith-leaders in Lincoln to support GOTV efforts. This has allowed me to be involved in coalition work as I do outreach to community members, cultivate and maintain relationships, work within the broader organizing plan, and learn how to effectively plan and execute voter registration and education events. I am excited to continue to cultivate these lasting relationships and learn and grow as an organizer.
Thank you to the Nebraska Civic Engagement Table and the Weitz Family Foundation for the opportunity to learn and grow as an advocate and professional. I am so grateful to be doing this work and am looking forward to all that is yet to come in my role!