Director of Development And Communications

We are looking for a civic-minded professional to join our team at a formative stage of growth. We are seeking someone who is passionate and invested in youth action, social justice, and civic learning, with experience in nonprofit development and communications.

See this same job description here: tinyurl.com/YVoteDevComms

About Our Organization

YVote is a New York City-based nonprofit that equips youth with the skills and knowledge needed to individually and collectively create positive change in their communities—at and beyond the ballot box. YVote  was co-founded in 2017 by young people from dozens of NYC public high schools to address what they saw as one of the biggest barriers to youth involvement in electoral politics and civic spaces—a lack of knowledge and commitment as to “why vote?” and a need to put the “Y” (youth) into voting. YVote’s youth leaders are galvanized by the low levels of youth political participation and civic knowledge in New York and are creating a youth civic movement to counter disengagement through our civic programs and coalition work. 

To this end, YVote provides peer-led civic programs, leadership opportunities, and tools and resources to NYC teens. We host programs during the summer and school year, all of which take place during out-of-school time and are free to, and mostly stipended for, participants. The primary programs—Democracy Camp, Changemakers Institute, and Next Gen Civic Fellowship—are motivational on-ramps for youth to engage with social issues and build a community of civic-minded peers. Additional leadership opportunities—such as hosting our podcast, participating in the NYC Youth Agenda policy initiative, or becoming a peer facilitator—further develop participants’ civic identities, agency, and efficacy in a supportive, youth-led space.

About the Position

The Director of Development & Communications will be responsible for carrying out a range of functions within the organization, namely around fundraising/development and communications/marketing. It’s a dynamic role in which an enthusiastic, organized, creative, and motivated professional will thrive. The Director of Development & Communications will work closely with all team members in order to have a deep understanding of YVote’s theory of change, programs, and impact and be able to create messages and communicate our story effectively through external channels and fundraising materials. This role provides both flexibility and room for growth in the areas of greatest interest for the selected candidate, so if you don’t meet every qualification below but are passionate about the organization’s mission and feel strong alignment with the purpose of this role we encourage you to still apply. 

Core Responsibilities

Development

• Establish a process for bringing in major gifts, including identifying and cultivating relationships with potential major donors 
• Work with Executive Director to carry out institutional fundraising activities, identifying promising philanthropic targets, conducting prospect research, cultivating relationships with funders, and crafting relevant materials, including LOIs, proposals, and grant reports
• Develop and promote individual giving campaigns and activities, including an end of year appeal                                                  
• Communicate with donors and prospective donors and develop and maintain strong professional relationships
• Stay up to date on philanthropic trends and best practices and attend in-person and virtual events related to fundraising or philanthropy
• Support management of Advisory Board through drafting board agendas, supporting board recruitment, drafting board communications, and leading the Advisory Board Development Committee

Marketing and Communications

• Develop print and digital marketing materials, including monthly First Tuesday newsletter, monthly Youth Voice Bulletin, fundraising emails, presentations, event scripts or talking points, press releases, annual impact report, and more as needed.
• Regularly measure impact of marketing and communications activities and stay up to date on best practices for digital platforms. 
• Conduct media outreach and maintain media contact list to promote awareness of org’s work
• Manage the Social Media Creator Corps of young people in creating and maintaining an active marketing presence on social media platforms, which currently include Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn and support growth in reach and engagement. 
• Write and edit content for websites, updating the website regularly with engaging copy & visual assets
• Seek and monitor media coverage of youth civic engagement efforts to support content creation, development reports, and public education efforts. 
• Manage process to acquire high quality visual assets—photos & videos of programs—for website, social media, and external materials.
• Continue execution of newly developed brand, ensuring alignment across media platforms and materials.

Requirements:

• 1-2 years applicable experience in fundraising, development, marketing, or related positions in the nonprofit sector
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills, including ability to receive and respond professionally to feedback on drafts of written documents.
• Excellent writing, editing, and oral presentation skills 
• Experience with social media content creation and digital communications platforms
• Proficiency with Canva, Google Suite, Zoom 
• Demonstrated commitment to youth civic engagement issues 
• Strong alignment with organizational values of youth leadership, diversity, open mindedness, and collaboration

Preferred Qualifications: 

• 3-5 years applicable experience in fundraising, development, marketing, or related positions in the nonprofit sector
• Demonstrated experience with institutional fundraising, including grant writing and management
• Demonstrated experience with securing four figure (and up) donations from individual donors
• Experience working with high school age youth, either in a classroom or out-of-school setting
• Knowledge of NYC civic and philanthropic landscape 
• Proficiency with MailChimp (or similar), WordPress, photo/video editing software

Salary and Benefits

This is a four day a week role—part of YVote’s commitment to honoring holistic development of staff and youth alike—with a full-time starting salary range of $80,000 – $90,000 annually, and a benefits package including: health insurance, paid holidays, vacation days, and personal and sick days. We anticipate two days a week of onsite work and two days with a remote option, plus 1-2 days per month attending YVote’s in-person youth programming

Anticipated Start Date: June 2024

To Apply: 

Please send a bio/resume, cover email telling us about your background and interest in the role, and two samples of relevant, prior writing or work, explaining how you developed the pieces and what they show about your skill set, to katie@yvoteny.org. 

***************************

Vote is an equal opportunity employer that actively seeks to recruit and retain a diverse staff reflective of the young people we serve. We especially encourage applications from people of color, LGBTQ+ candidates, and candidates from historically marginalized communities. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

***************************