Development and Communications Specialist
NYFS is actively recruiting a full-time (1.0 FTE) Development and Communications Specialist.
To apply, please email your resume and cover letter to HumanResources@nyfs.org
Scope/Overview:
The Development and Communications Specialist plays a key role in advancing awareness of Northeast Youth and Family Services (NYFS) and supporting development efforts that sustain our mission. This position is responsible for the execution of communication and marketing strategies, donor engagement and management, and event support. These efforts aim to enhance our visibility, strengthen stakeholder relationships, and support fundraising initiatives. Working closely with the Development Director, this role helps implement a comprehensive development plan aligned with our strategic priorities and organizational values. We are looking for a candidate who will bring experience, creativity, and a shared passion for our mission. The ideal person will be energized by the opportunity to make an impact through storytelling, community-building, and strategic fundraising.
Responsibilities:
Communications and Marketing 65%
- Collaborate with the Development Director to develop and maintain a strategic communications calendar
- Draft and distribute email campaigns, newsletters, and donor updates
- Partner with staff across departments to gather and share impact stories for fundraising, social media, and public engagement
- Ensure consistent branding and messaging across digital and print platforms
- Engage on social media through content creation and interaction to help build and grow digital following
- Coordinate with vendors and consultants on creative design and production as needed for projects including but not limited to appeals and newsletters
- Write and publish blogs and content for the website
- Represent NYFS at fairs, festivals, and community events by organizing and participating in tabling and outreach activities, including event registration, serving as the primary contact, coordinating staffing and materials, and attending events as needed
- Manage inventory and order of communication materials (e.g., business cards, flyers, brochures)
- Other duties as assigned
Fundraising and Event Management 35%
- Manage daily operations of fundraising campaigns, including donor tracking, data entry, and gift acknowledgments
- Support individual giving efforts, including online donations, recurring gifts, and donor stewardship
- Assist in the preparation of donor materials, impact reports, and outreach materials
- Coordinate logistics for fundraising events such as the annual Leadership Luncheon, and assist with community engagement and special events
- Conduct research on prospective donors, civic partners, and sponsors to support cultivation strategies
- Generate regular reports to track fundraising progress and campaign effectiveness
- Spearhead comprehensive volunteer management operations (including recruitment, training, scheduling, retention, and identifying internal volunteer need) while forging strategic community partnerships to boost organizational engagement
- Commit to the principles of Community-Centric Fundraising (https://communitycentricfundraising.org/ccf-principles/)
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree in related field such as Communication, Philanthropy, or Business Administration or equivalent professional experience
- 3-5 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, nonprofit communications, or related roles
- Strong project management and prioritization skills with the ability to adapt to daily changes and manage multiple initiatives simultaneously
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a high level of attention to detail
- Experience working with donor databases, email marketing systems, and social media tools
- Knowledge of website management, Google SEO, and digital analytics
- Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines
- Capacity to balance independent work and collaboration across teams
- A proactive, solution-focused mindset with the ability to adapt to shifting priorities
- Strong interpersonal skills and a desire to engage with people from diverse backgrounds
- Genuine interest in the mission of NYFS and willingness to grow with the organization
Preferred Qualifications:
- Familiarity with tools such as Microsoft Office, Salesforce, InDesign, Photoshop, WordPress, Canva, and Constant Contact
- Speaks Spanish, Hmong, Karen, or Somali
Strong candidates will have a solid understanding of their own culture and practice sensitivity and respect for the cultural backgrounds of clients as well as other staff. NYFS welcomes clients as well as staff with diverse cultural/ethnic identities, sexual orientations, gender identities, disabilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Salary Range: $22.12- $26.59 per hour
NYFS Benefits:
- Competitive benefits include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and short- and long-term disability. 401k that matches at 3%, vested immediately. Options to contribute to health savings account (HSA) and flexible spending account (FSA).
- Generous Paid Time Off, Reasonable Time Off (similar to sick time), and flexible Holiday policy.
- $1,000 HSA employer contribution for enrolled eligible health plans. (pro-rated for employment start dates after May 31)
- $500 stipend to seek out training with 5 CEU days and licensure fee reimbursement.
- Flexible schedule collaboratively determined with your supervisor. Staff may work from home on Fridays.
- The final week of the year NYFS closes services to ensure all staff have a paid collective week off to support work sustainability.
- Weekly supervision is provided for all staff working toward licensure. Biweekly supervision offered for all staff regardless of licensure to support staff wellness and quality client care.
- Many training opportunities including specific trauma modalities (TF-CBT, NET, CCPT) and cultural responsiveness trainings quarterly.
- In-depth reflective weekly clinical consultation as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
Agency Overview:
NYFS is a community-based nonprofit founded in 1976 located in Northeast Ramsey County. NYFS provides trauma and culturally responsive clinic-based, and school-based mental health services, domestic and sexual violence services, and community-based services including diversion programming, youth development programming, and community advocacy. We have long-standing partnerships with 16 municipalities in Ramsey County; NYFS’ services are genuinely community-driven.
Who We Are:
NYFS lives its deep values around providing integrative care for the whole family with a focus on youth, young adults, and their caregivers. Staff are dedicated, innovative, and mission-driven, offering authentic, relational, client-centered care. The team is playful, creative, growth-oriented, down-to-earth, and hardworking – and we laugh a lot! We are committed to genuine integration of trauma and culturally responsive care across the agency. As a trauma-responsive organization, NYFS is actively invested in organizational supports for staff wellness and work sustainability. We believe in a family-first work environment, rather than seeking work/life balance.
We are committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity in recruitment, hiring, training, and promotion of persons based on merit, qualifications, and competence. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, place of residence, political affiliation, veterans’ status, or status with regard to public assistance, or any other class protected by local, state, or federal law. NYFS provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.
