---
title: 'State Director, Wisconsin at Common Cause'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/state-director-wisconsin-common-cause-wisconsin-tgfj5yfpjcah'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-07'
---

# State Director, Wisconsin at Common Cause

- **Company:** Common Cause
- **Location:** Wisconsin
- **Compensation:** $117k–$138k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-10-23
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-07
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/commoncause/50fb1b97-a29f-413b-b9e8-25f524125801

## Job description

We are looking for a collaborative and visionary leader for our team in Wisconsin, promoting the Common Cause agenda at the state and national level; fostering a strong, sustainable team; leading winning public policy campaigns through policy analysis, research, lobbying, litigation, grassroots organizing, sophisticated communications and building strong and diverse coalitions.

The State Director will have the opportunity to envision a strategic approach for Common Cause in Wisconsin and develop programs to achieve that vision. This is a unique opportunity to be a leading voice at the center of advancing democracy reforms in the state, while also expanding our membership base and managing a high-performing team.

This is a full-time role reporting to the Vice President of States; this role is based in Wisconsin, and an expectation to travel around the state at least 4 times per month (and more often during legislative session). We hope our new State Director will start in February.

## Responsibilities

Set and lead our strategy for our policy advocacy and organizing that centers racial equity Develop effective proactive and defensive policy campaigns that center racial equity

You will thrive in this role if you have:

- A strong commitment to Common Cause’s nonpartisan mission and to advancing civil rights through our pro-democracy agenda

- A commitment to equity in the goals of your work and in how you work with others

- Ability to navigate organizational and power dynamics, respectfully navigate conflict while maintaining your values, and influence others to adopt changes to meet common goals

- A track record of working collaboratively with others, with the ability to build rapport, trust, and credibility with multiple stakeholders with diverse interests

- Innovative and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to navigate through ambiguity to achieve goals, and a resourceful approach to solve problems

- Ability to manage and meet deadlines for multiple short- and long-term priorities in a fast-paced environment, with high attention to detail; strong organization skills, and the ability to manage your time independently

- Ability to compel action through both written and verbal communication, including distilling complex concepts for a broad audience, and to differentiate communications as needed for various audiences; ideally you have experience working with the media and/or as a spokesperson for an organization

- Openness to feedback and awareness of your own strengths and areas for growth

- Familiarity with office productivity tools (Microsoft Office, Slack, Zoom)

The following is required:

- Experience leading successful local- or state-level public advocacy campaigns related to democracy, elections, voting rights and civil rights, including creating and managing campaign or annual plans, from conception through implementation

- Experience drafting, analyzing and advocating for legislation in Wisconsin

- Demonstrated knowledge of the unique aspects of Wisconsin’s political dynamic, as well as of funders and decision-makers in the state; ideally you have existing relationships with these people and organizations

- Experience building, participating in, and leading coalitions or groups that represent stakeholders with diverse interests to achieve a goal

- A track record of leading organization-wide change initiatives

- Have managed and developed a team; set strategic direction for a team, and built a unified approach to achieve goals

- Ability to travel within state at least 4 days per month and up to multiple times per week during legislative session, and nationally 1-2 times per year for team and/or all staff retreats

- Flexibility to work evenings and weekends as needed, especially during legislative sessions

- Per our non-partisan policy, Common Cause staff members may not currently be in elected office (or running for office); on the Steering Committee or Finance Committee for any political candidate; or affiliated with the leadership of a political party

Additional information about this role:

- This position is classified as supervisory and therefore not included in the union-represented collective bargaining unit.

- Common Cause is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time; please note that if hired, you will be asked to produce documentation for authorization to work in the US.

Common Cause is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants of any race, creed, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, income class, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status, or marital status, as well as applicants who have been previously incarcerated.

Common Cause (501(c)(4)) and Common Cause Education Fund (501(c)(3)) are nonpartisan, nonprofit grassroots affiliate organizations dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create an open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.

Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Washington, DC, Common Cause has members and supporters living in every congressional district in the United States, and offices in 23 states around the country.

## About Common Cause

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Common Cause is a nonpartisan, grassroots nonprofit organization that advocates for democracy reforms, including voting rights, campaign finance limits, and government accountability, through public education, litigation, and legislative action.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Nonprofit 501(c)(3)/(c)(4))
- **Headquarters**: Washington, District of Columbia, United States
- **Founded**: 1970
- **Founders**: John Gardner

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Non-profit organizations / Democracy & Government Reform
- **Target customers**: General public, activists, policymakers, and communities across the United States (B2C and B2G)
- **Mission**: “To uphold the core values of American democracy—creating open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promoting equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empowering all people to make their voices heard in the political process.” [commoncause.org](https://www.commoncause.org/about-us/)

## Products & Services
Common Cause operates as an advocacy and service organization rather than a product company. Its major offerings include:
- **Advocacy Campaigns**: Grassroots mobilization and lobbying at federal, state, and local levels to pass pro-democracy legislation (e.g., voting rights, ethics reforms).
- **Litigation**: Legal action in courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, on issues such as fair redistricting, campaign finance, and government transparency.
- **Election Protection**: Recruiting and training volunteers to monitor polling places and assist voters on Election Day.
- **Research & Public Education**: Producing reports, policy analyses, and educational campaigns (via the Common Cause Education Fund) to inform the public and decision-makers.
- **State & Local Offices**: On-the-ground teams in over 25 states that tailor national strategies to local needs.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not applicable (nonprofit)
- **Key Metric – Annual Revenue**: $7.6 million (most recent data) [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/common-cause)
- **Key Metric – Total Funding**: Not applicable; funded through donations and grants (not disclosed)
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: Not applicable; key partners include elected officials from both parties, coalition partners in democracy reform, and a network of 1.5 million supporters.
- **Growth Signals**:
  - 156 employees (+5.5% year-over-year, +13 people) [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/common-cause)
  - 1.5 million supporters nationwide [commoncause.org](https://www.commoncause.org/about-us/)
  - Active offices in 25+ states
  - LinkedIn followers: 14,015 (monthly growth +1.9%, yearly +35.8%)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Nonpartisan credibility**: Works across the political spectrum, building trust and enabling bipartisan wins.
- **Deep historical track record**: Founded in 1970, Common Cause has played a role in landmark achievements such as lowering the voting age to 18, banning “soft money” in campaigns, and creating the Office of Congressional Ethics.
- **Grassroots power**: 1.5 million members and supporters provide a massive, distributed network for rapid mobilization.
- **Legal and policy expertise**: In-house litigation and policy teams with a history of impactful Supreme Court and state-level cases.
- **State-level infrastructure**: Over 25 state offices with on-the-ground specialists who understand local dynamics.

## Strategic Focus
- **Defending the right to vote**: Fighting voter suppression and expanding access to the ballot.
- **Limiting big money in politics**: Advocating for campaign finance reform and transparency.
- **Holding officials accountable**: Pushing for stronger ethics rules, anti-corruption measures, and fair redistricting.
- **Racial equity and inclusion**: Embedding equity across all programs and internal operations, with a stated commitment to “a truly representative and inclusive government.” [commoncause.org](https://www.commoncause.org/about-us/)

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven environment**: Direct impact on strengthening democracy at every level of government.
- **Comprehensive benefits** (from [commoncause.org](https://www.commoncause.org/our-benefits/)):
  - 97% of employee medical premiums covered (100% vision/dental); 75% family coverage.
  - 401(k) with employer match.
  - Generous PTO: up to 20 days vacation, 3 personal/floating days, plus all major holidays (up to 35 days off annually including holidays).
  - 16 weeks paid parental leave for new parents (plus up to 16 weeks unpaid medical/family leave).
  - $1,000 professional development stipend per fiscal year.
  - $1,000 child/petcare stipend annually for work-related travel.
  - $100/month internet stipend for remote work.
  - Birthday gift from SugarWish.
- **Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)**: Five active ERGs – Advocates for Disability & Neurodiversity Awareness (ADNA), Black ERG, Latine ERG, LGBTQIA+ ERG, and North African, Middle Eastern, Asian/Pacific Islander, Desi (NOMADs) ERG. [commoncause.org](https://www.commoncause.org/careers/)
- **Remote/hybrid policy**: Remote-friendly with a monthly internet stipend and WFH support; headquarters in Washington, DC with offices nationwide.
- **Culture**: Rated 3.8/5.0 on LinkedIn (47 reviews); work-life balance 3.4, compensation 3.5, career opportunities 3.0. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/common-cause)

## Sources
1. [Common Cause Careers Page](https://www.commoncause.org/about-us/careers/)
2. [Common Cause Benefits Page](https://www.commoncause.org/our-benefits/)
3. [Common Cause About Page](https://www.commoncause.org/about-us/)
4. [Common Cause Homepage](https://www.commoncause.org/)
5. [Common Cause LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/common-cause)

## Other roles at Common Cause

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- [Policy Director and Counsel, Media and Technology](https://feeny.ai/job/policy-director-and-counsel-media-and-technology-common-cause-lower-48-tass886b0b72) — Lower 48, United States
- [Policy Director & Counsel, Voting and Fair Representation](https://feeny.ai/job/policy-director-counsel-voting-and-fair-representation-common-cause-lower-48-dcxf73an1029) — Lower 48, United States
- [Senior Director, Individual Giving](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-director-individual-giving-common-cause-washington-2trppers7qns) — Washington, DC
- [Legislative Director, CA](https://feeny.ai/job/legislative-director-ca-common-cause-sacramento-z35zy2bsnh0r) — Sacramento, CA