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Empowerment Advocate

Agency: Rise Calgary

Location: Calgary SE & NW must be able to work from all 3 office Locations

Status: FT – Monday to Friday 8:30-4:30

Wage: $53,770.00 Annual Salary plus benefits

About Rise Calgary

Rise Calgary works to ensure everyone moves forward and that no one feels alone during their fight for a better quality of life. We believe in our community and want all Calgarians to have tangible support that move them from scarcity to strength. Everyone who comes to us for help will receive compassionate and non-judgmental support from our small but mighty team. We value growth, innovation, and testing new ideas to shift perspectives, drive systemic change, and help end poverty in our city once and for all.

Position Reports to the Manager of Programs

Position Summary

The Empowerment Advocate works to support clients in their financial journey towards stabilization. Empowerment Advocates work collaboratively to deliver the Earn and Learn, Taxes and Benefits, Financial Coaching and Mobility Coaching programs. The Empowerment Advocate supports the Vision, Mission and Values of Rise Calgary in all work activities.

Performance Goals: Shared with Empowerment Team:

  • 50 Financial Coaching graduates per year
  • 40 graduates of Earn and Learn
  • 20 Mobility Coaching graduates per year
  • 50 RESPs opened
  • Approx. 1300 taxes filed

Specific Duties

Financial Empowerment

  • ·Manage impact measurement data for all four financial empowerment programs, create impact sharing content and disseminate communications on Financial Empowerment Programs to stakeholders,
  • Build and maintain healthy relationships within Calgary’s Aspire network and the National Financial Empowerment Network (Prosper Canada),
  • Build and maintain programmatic theories of change and logic models for Financial Empowerment programs, as needed.
  • Advocate on behalf of clients with agencies, departments and systems as required.

Earn and Learn/ Financial Coaching:

  • Facilitate recruitment, project planning, implementation, delivery and evaluation of financial empowerment programs and services including Financial Coaching, Matched Savings Program, and RESPs.
  • Provides Information and education to clients interested in RESP’s, Financial Coaching, and the Matched Savings programs.

Taxes and Benefits/RESP’s

  • Coordinate Rise Calgary tax clinics, manage and build relationships with tax clinic volunteers, and liaise and maintain volunteer membership with the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program.
  • Schedule’s weekly/biweekly/monthly tax clinics in partnership with the Volunteer Coordinator and Taxation Volunteers.
  • Supports Tax Clinic clients in accessing the documents they need to file their taxes.
  • Prepares and edits correspondence related to Tax Clinics involving communications, statistics, reports, and other documents as required to support the Manager of Programs
  • Provides Benefits Navigation and support to clients after completion of their tax returns.
  • Performs internet research regarding Benefits Navigation.
  • Provides further follow-up to clients after receiving their Notice of Assessment.
  • Creates a system of tracking tax clinic participants and benefits accessed.
  • Acts as a liaison between client and Canada Revenue Agency, as necessary.
  • Assist Manager of Programs in developing yearly volunteer training program.
  • Assist Manager of Programs in facilitating Taxation and Benefits volunteer training and supporting the Aspire Community of Practice
  • Work to continuously build your knowledge on taxation and benefits information and maintain strong relationships with taxation experts.

Mobility Coaching:

  • Developing a participant-directed one-on-one partnership with participants.
  • Coach participants to strengthen their decision-making, persistence, and resilience over time.
  • Assist participants in building the skills and mindsets necessary for the complex task of moving out of poverty.
  • Attend all training and staff development meetings associated with the Mobility Coaching program.

Administrative:

  • Maintains organizational filing systems, organizational statistics, and data collection using online data management systems.
  • Performs photocopying, file management, and document creation
  • Prepares and edits correspondence related to Tax Clinics involving communications, statistics, reports, and other documents
  • Replies to general information requests with accurate information
  • Relays all pertinent information, issues, needs, and ideas to management and staff members as appropriate.
  • Complete all required documentation, surveys, and online data management as required.
  • Performs other responsibilities as required.

Program Evaluation and Impact Measurement:

  • Complete all required assessments and surveys as needed for program evaluations.
  • Commit to building client knowledge and measuring client transformations.
  • Commit to strong case management, including continuous input into Rise Calgary’s data management system to support a strong cross functional team.

Stakeholders and Partnerships:

  • With the support of the Rise Calgary executive team and data management system, identify gaps in services and common community needs.
  • Attend community meetings as needed and assigned.
  • Attend regular team meetings.
  • Support Rise Calgary in maintaining a professional relationship with stakeholders and community partners by being a strong partnership broker.
  • Continuously grow partnership and facilitation skills.

Support Stabilization - Cross-Functional Team

Support Individuals and Families in moving from Scarcity to Strength (Stabilization to Empowerment):

  • Work with community members to connect to programs and services that promote skill building and increased knowledge.
  • Coordinate services, programs, or supports that address the needs identified by the community member and builds the capacity of the community member.
  • Support residents to increase their self-advocacy skills and ability to advocate on behalf of themselves.
  • Conduct case conferences as needed.
  • Provide coaching and support to community members in crisis.
  • Provide financial coaching and financial literacy related supports when required.
  • Complete all required documentation, surveys and online data management as required.

Support Intake and Assessment:

Support Stabilization Advocates as needed with intake and assessment, including the following duties:

  • Greet all clients of Rise Calgary with dignity and respect.
  • Commit to ensuring all clients feel supported and connected.
  • Input all client data into the online data management system.
  • Provide intake and assessment to individuals and families accessing Rise Calgary services.

  • Work with community members to identify their needs and match them with resources to assist meeting those needs.
  • Commit to follow-up with community members as to appropriate fit of referrals and make changes as needed.
  • Advocate on behalf of residents with agencies, departments and systems as required.
  • Create a comprehensive plan with community members and connect them with on-going support and resources.
  • Crisis management as required.
  • Assists Stabilization Advocates, as necessary.

Qualifications

Minimum qualifications:

  • Minimum of high school completion.
  • Ability to always provide unconditional positive regard to a diverse population
  • Attention to detail
  • Well-developed interpersonal skills
  • Ability to work a varied schedule which. Schedule is mainly during regular office hours but may include evening or weekend shifts.

Preferred qualifications:

  • Degree
  • 1-2 years experience in the social service sector
  • Acquaintance with the philosophical underpinnings of serving marginalized people.
  • Knowledge of community resources is an asset.

Working Conditions:

  • Combination of sitting/standing
  • Workdays can take place at any of our three locations in NW and SE Calgary

Work Hours:

  • 7.5 hours 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday
  • Flexibility to work occasional evening and weekend hours required.

Thank you for your interest in this position. Because of time limitations, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Send all cover letters and resumes to melody.lemay@risecalgary.ca

No phone calls please

Closing Date: July 24th, 2026