Elisa M. Ortiz is a dedicated activist and organizer for social change with more than 10 years of proven experience developing and leading advocacy and outreach campaigns, working with diverse constituencies and training, educating and empowering thousands of people.
Elisa brings a unique combination of big-picture strategic thinking and intense detail-orientation to everything she does. With her experience in implementing nationwide advocacy campaigns, maintaining excellent constituent relationship, leadership skills and management savvy she can help take your organization to the next level of public influence and impact.
View My VisualCV Online: http://www.visualcv.com/elisamortiz
Contact Information
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Elisa M. Ortiz
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Profile
Professional Experience
Washington , DC, United States
Jul 2011 - Present
Deputy Director of Government Affairs and Outreach
- Work with the Director and other senior leadership to implement strategic direction of government affairs and outreach work, particularly as it concerns SGA's various constituencies and advocacy partners.
- Hire, supervise, train, coach and evaluate Government Affairs and Outreach Associates and Outreach Fellows.
- Lead a team in planning and executing nationwide campaigns to preserve grant and technical assistance programs at US HUD and EPA in the FY11, FY12, FY13 and FY14 (current) federal budget cycles.
- Manage all work related to a major federal capacity building grant including contract execution, work plan development, financial and project management and reporting.
- As part of that program, lead trainings and workshops on campaign planning, messaging, communications and stakeholder development for hundreds of people around the country and provide direct support on outreach and engagement tactics.
- Serve as primary contact for 50+ member organizations and other external partners; recruit new members to the coalition; manage all member benefits; manage members-only website, listserv and database.
- Co-managed the organizational strategic planning and project management standardization process.
- Managed all work related to major organizational grant (more than $350,000) including: workplan development, budgeting, project management, task execution and reporting.
Washington, DC, United States
Apr 2009 - Jun 2011
Outreach Manager
- Led major, multi-state policy change efforts; developed strategic vision, national campaign plan and budget for each effort; supervised the work of campaign consultants, fellows and interns and coordinated the work of other staff; drafted template documents and grant reports, facilitated campaign meetings and managed budgets.
- Participated in Smart Growth America's leadership team, contributed to organizational decision-making on state-focused advocacy work, grant applications and hiring, developed and presented board reports on state work.
- Supervised, as part of the transit campaign, an intensive internal and external assessment and campaign planning process in 9 different states including identifying a lead organization in each state, providing sub-grants to that group, developing agendas for and participating in kickoff campaign meetings and at least 2 planning retreats in each state and providing extensive, on-going technical assistance and support in planning efforts.
- Served as primary contact person for all member organizations; led regular coalition phone calls, planned coalition meetings, supervised yearly membership invoicing process, maintained up-to-date membership records and members-only website.
- Standardized membership dues process and generated over $30,000 in dues in 4 months, equivalent of a 500% increase in revenue from the previous year.
- Managed state stimulus campaign in 13 states plus the District of Columbia: developed action plans to influence state spending of transportation stimulus money in cooperation with state lead organizations, supervised communications and strategic consultants in developing materials and releasing key reports, wrote several grant reports, maintained and updated campaign website and drafted key materials.
- Planned and facilitated 5 in-person meetings involving campaign lead organizations from key states, consultants and national partners; led 2 presentations at conferences covering successful campaign planning and state-based advocacy work.
- Hired, supervised and evaluated one State Coalition intern and one Transit Campaign fellow.
Washington, DC, United States
Apr 2007 - Mar 2009
Coordinator, Outreach and Special Initiatives
- Co-authored, edited and supervised production of Work With Me: Intergenerational Conversations for Nonprofit Leadership, a workbook designed to help nonprofits identify and leverage the expertise of all generations in the workplace. Developed and facilitated full-day train-the-trainers session for Louisiana member.
- Developed and facilitated more than 10 trainings, workshops, roundtable discussions and webinars on various topics. Represented the National Council at an additional 3 panel discussions and sessions.
- Led all event planning efforts for 2009 Nonprofit Congress event (450 projected attendees) including content, logistics, marketing, communications, outreach, sponsorship and related tasks.
- Provided editing and advisory support on recommendations requested by then President-elect Obama's transition team in December 2008.
- Designed and implemented successful coalition advocacy campaign for the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 [PDF].
Washington, DC, United States
Jun 2006 - Apr 2007
Outreach Associate
- Mobilized members and state partners on legislative campaigns through phone, mail and email contact. Created sample letters to Congress, letters to the editor, call scripts, website content, talking points and email alerts for each campaign. Increased activist participation in advocacy campaigns by 50%.
- Coordinated major national and local efforts on voter registration, education and mobilization (Voterization) focused on homeless and low-income citizens. Worked with national coalition partners, distributed materials to participants, tracked outcomes and reported on results. Organized and facilitated two daylong trainings for state partners (MI and VT) covering national, local and legal issues.
Washington, DC, United States
Aug 2003 - Aug 2005
Campus Coordinator
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Developed strategic plan, goals, timelines and grassroots action campaigns for Campus Organizing Program, ensured that timelines and goals were met and reported on results.
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Coordinated, managed, issued grants and offered support to 20 state affiliate campus organizing programs and over 100 campuses. Remotely supervised several paid student organizers in non-affiliate states.
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Planned and facilitated large national student conference, weekend trainings, student track at national conference and several individual workshops and training sessions involving more than 400 students and 50 staffers.
- Created concept and content for new campus website. Updated and added content on a regular basis. Coordinated several online advocacy campaigns.
Arlington, VA, United States
Aug 2002 - Aug 2003
Campus Organizer
- Organized and supervised 48 feminist activist student groups nationwide through phone calls, emails and visits to 46 campuses in 11 states and the District of Columbia. Increased number of groups by 25% in just nine months.
- Facilitated 5 daylong training sessions and approximately 40 separate workshops on topics including leadership skills, recruitment, retention, budgeting, fundraising and event planning.
- Developed content, coordinated logistics and mobilized students and community members to attend major national student conference (350 attendees) and three large coalition events (100 to 200 attendees each).
Education
Utica, NY, United States
Sep 1998 - May 2002
Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and Public Administration
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Graduated Summa Cum Laude; on Dean's List for all 8 semesters.
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Served as Administrative Intern at the campus Womyn's Resource Center for two years. Coordinated events and programs including a full-day conference on feminism, supervised other interns and program assistants, created staffing schedules and acted as lead spokesperson and liaison to the campus community.
Leadership and Community Service Experience
Skills
Outreach and relationship building
(Rockstar)10+ Years Experience, (Currently in use)
I am a champion networker with an unparalleled ability to reach out to all kinds of people, build relationships, develop trust and grow your organization's capacity to effect progressive change. I love working in teams and within coalitions to achieve maximum results and can identify big picture collaboration opportunities within the most scattered network of affiliations.
Developing and executing advocacy campaigns
(Rockstar)10+ Years Experience, (Last Used <1 year ago)
Whether the campaign in question involves enacting legislation, advocating for a policy change or passing a ballot initiative, I can develop and execute a strategy to get it done. I have led almost every kind of advocacy campaign you can imagine and I am flexible enough to tackle anything you can throw at me.
Even more importantly, I know to engage and activate people on your issue. Citizens want to participate in their democracy and I can show them how to do just that.
Translating policy and campaign needs into field realities
(Rockstar)7-9 Years Experience, (Currently in use)
Every position I have held has involved serving as a liaison between a national office and the field, translating their priorities back and forth, and ensuring resources are shared. I can broker relationships, resolve conflict and advocate for constituent groups fairly.
Training and capacity building
(Rockstar)7-9 Years Experience, (Currently in use)
I have developed and/or facilitated hundreds of trainings including hour-long webinars, full-day train-the-trainer courses, sessions for individuals or for hundreds and everything in between. I also researched, co-authored and edited a unique workbook on intergenerational relationships in nonprofits. Thus, my skills encompass the full range of training and capacity building requirements: assessing needs, developing curriculum, leading training and evaluating the results.
A brief list of the professional sessions I've developed and/or facilitated recently:
- Webinar on engaging elected officials for the National Association of Counties (November 2012)
- Two day training on stakeholder/champion development, communications as a campaign and values-based messaging for Plan East Tennessee (October 2012)
- Two day training session on stakeholder development and values-based messaging for Sustain Southern Maine (October 2012)
- Session on values-based messaging and stakeholder/champion development at conference organized by the National Association of Development Organizations (September 2012)
- Led conference session on transit campaign planning at Transit in Communities conference and Center for Planning Excellence's Annual Summit (June and August 2011, respectively)
Supervision and leadership
(Advanced)7-9 Years Experience, (Currently in use)
I have supervised full-time staff as well as full- and part-time paid and unpaid interns and fellows. I have also served in numerous project management roles, leading the work of both my colleagues and supervisors. As one of my colleagues has noted "Elisa is an ideal team player who is able not only to work within a group, but to lead it and to motivate colleagues to excel."
Event planning
(Advanced)10+ Years Experience, (Last Used <1 year ago)
I have planned dozens of events from small strategic planning sessions to conferences with over 400 attendees with both an eye to logistical detail and a big picture view of the purpose and goal(s) of each event.
Technology and social media savvy
(Advanced)7-9 Years Experience, (Currently in use)
I have worked extensively with blogs, wikis, instant messaging, social networks, collaborative online work spaces, content management systems, email service providers, office equipment, database systems and other technologies. I'm eager to learn new technologies and continue to expand my knowledge of existing systems.
Thought Leadership
Cultivating Leadership
Elisa's Blog
Recommendations
Read more on LinkedIn
"Elisa is a natural leader and an incredibly caring supervisor. She made it a top priority to provide guidance and career development advice to entry-level employees such as myself."
"Elisa is an energetic and articulate professional who is dedicated to the best interests of nonprofits and to the organization she works for."
"I was impressed and delighted with [Elisa's] ability to get things done, her professionalism, her sense of responsibility, her thoughtfulness, and her desire to bring out the best in others -- all combined with a sense of humor and humanity."
"Elisa is a dynamic nonprofit professional who is very passionate about doing the work of social change."
"Elisa is an incredibly energetic, enthusiastic leader who has demonstrated a strong vision and outstanding organizational skills in my dealings with her. She would be an asset to any organization lucky enough to work with her.”
References
Neha Bhatt
(Peer)
Deputy Director of Policy and Research
Smart Growth America
Have worked with Neha for 2 years, including intensive collaboration on several projects.
Audrey Alvarado
(Superior)
Experienced nonprofit executive
Supervisor for over a year as Executive Director of the National Council of Nonprofit Associations.
Ann Beltran
(Peer)
Policy Analyst
National Council of Nonprofits
425.260.1495
Worked together for over a year at the National Council of Nonprofit Associations.
Elizabeth Clawson
(Subordinate)
Prospect Researcher
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
206.794.0741
Elizabeth was both a direct report and a peer (after she got promoted) at the National Council of Nonprofit Associations.
This VisualCV is available as a printable .pdf file