Careers Job Description
General Description
The Institute is seeking a full-time Communications and Development Associate to develop and write content to promote the Institute’s work and to contribute to fulfilling reporting requirements for the Institute’s funders. The Communications and Development Associate must work closely with Institute staff to develop a strong understanding of the organization’s mission and programs to promote and support the organization’s work. The ideal candidate will have strong writing and interpersonal skills, familiarity with nonprofit development, and knowledge of criminal justice reform.
ABOUT THE INSTITUTE:
As a champion of institutional, structural, and personal transformation, the John Jay College Institute for Justice and Opportunity (The Institute) opens doors and eliminates barriers to success for people who have been involved in the criminal legal system. The Institute is one of twelve research entities that collectively comprise the Research Consortium of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The Institute has a diverse portfolio of projects that focus on identifying what it takes for people to live successfully in the community after justice involvement and on increasing the effectiveness of the professionals and systems working with them. Recognizing the transformational power of education, the Institute focuses much of its work on increasing access to higher education for people with criminal histories. The Institute’s comprehensive and strategic approach includes direct service, research, technical assistance, and policy advocacy. To learn more please visit our website: https://justiceandopportunity.org/
Other Duties
The Communications and Development Associate is responsible for the following:
Communications
- Develop and edit external communications, such as e-blasts, invitations, and press releases.
- Update and expand the Institute’s website (using WordPress).
- Manage the Institute’s social media accounts to promote Institute events, report releases, and other significant happenings.
- Create, edit, and manage PowerPoints, videos, flyers, posters, etc., to ensure consistency across Institute programs.
- Proofread external communications and publications.
- Research and monitor analytics of the Institute’s communications mechanisms (such as the website visitors, MailChimp open rates, new Twitter followers, etc.) to ensure strong engagement on our external communications.
- Ideal but not required: Create, produce, and edit videos, podcasts, and other materials to raise awareness of the Institute’s work, highlight participants’ voices and supplement Institute communications efforts (such as editing videos to accompany virtual report releases).
Content Creation
- Serve as the editorial lead for content, messaging, and, under the director of communications and strategic initiatives direction, support the implementation and execution of communications strategies.
- Drive content creation, including digital, print, and library of testimonials and case studies; coordinate staff and vendor support for content creation.
- Produce written content across multiple mediums (email, social, newsletters, articles, creative briefs, video scripts, etc.), emphasizing elevating the stories and experiences of the Institute's alumni members.
- Analyze key metrics and keep up to date with media innovations to maximize the reach and impact of the Institute's communications and development strategies.
- Support leadership and all other external-facing stakeholders to develop and edit public-facing content across major communications channels, including social media.
Development
- Develop and manage a grant reporting calendar; schedule meetings to discuss upcoming grant reports; participate and take notes in grant report planning meetings; draft designated grant reports; contribute to finalizing reports.
- Research potential funders and draft letters of inquiry, grant proposals, or other materials to pursue new funding.
- Contribute to maintaining relationships with existing funders, for instance, by participating in meetings, developing materials upon funders’ requests, etc.
- Work with Institute staff and other stakeholders to plan and execute fundraisers.
- Craft end-of-year campaigns and other individual contribution requests through various mediums, such as written e-blasts and videos.
- Track, create and send thank you notes to donors following fundraisers, year-end giving campaigns, and other individual donations received.
- Manage and track funding-related developments in Salesforce.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree
- Strong writing and editing skills
- Strong organizational skills to manage competing deadlines.
- Ability to learn quickly and take on projects with minimal supervision
- At least two years of experience in nonprofit communications and development or a related field, such as journalism, publishing, public relations, etc.
- Familiarity with (or ability to learn) MailChimp, WordPress, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Adobe Creative Suite, Salesforce, Foundation Directory Online (“FDO” or “Candid”), and other programs relevant to communications and development.
- Candidates with life experience are strongly encouraged to apply.
Please send a resume and cover letter with salary expectations.
At the Institute, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. The Institute believes that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to our success, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.
RFCUNY Benefits
RFCUNY Employee Benefits and AccrualsAbout the Research Foundation
The Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY) was established as a not-for-profit educational corporation chartered by the State of New York in 1963. RFCUNY supports CUNY faculty and staff in identifying and obtaining external support (pre-award) from government and private sponsors and is responsible for the administration of all such funded programs (post-award).
RFCUNY stands between CUNY’s principal investigators (PIs) and the sponsors who support them and strives to fulfill its essential responsibilities to both groups. Working closely with individual PIs and Grants Officers on the campuses, RFCUNY oversees employment, accounting, audit, reporting, purchasing, and special responsibilities that include management of a planned giving program; liaison with governmental agencies and foundations; negotiation of agreements; facility construction and renovation; protection and commercialization of intellectual property; and compliance with applicable standards in research involving human subjects, animal care, environmental and radiological safety, and conflicts of interest.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Key Features
Institute for Justice and Opportunity
Full Time
$40,000.00 - $47,000.00
Sep 01, 2022 (Or Until Filled)