Job Description:  Director of Communications

The Director of Communications at Funders for Justice (FFJ) leads the public messaging of the organization, by working collaboratively with the executive director, staff, and member leaders to develop strategy, content, and materials that advance the mission, goals, and programs of FFJ. 

BACKGROUND

Funders for Justice is a national network and organizing platform for grantmakers, donor networks, and funder affinity groups to mobilize resources to grassroots organizing led by and for people of color, at the intersections of racial justice, gender justice, economic justice, ending criminalization, and building models for community safety and justice. FFJ is a political home for funders: a place of problem-solving and catalyzing change in philanthropy; a place for trouble-makers and visionary leaders in philanthropy; a place for the curious committed to manifesting tangible change; a place to learn, support each other, and tell the whole truth about this political moment: what communities and organizations are facing, what they’re doing to fight and build new ways, and how funders need to step up to meet the mandate of the moment. 

FFJ is a highly collaborative organization that trusts the people on our team to lead. Staff are innovative and generative, and create infrastructure for our work that holds both structure and flexibility so that members can meaningfully participate in our programs and partner with staff to lead on new opportunities. 

FFJ was founded in 2014, and has grown from less than 100 members, mostly rapid response programming, and part time staff, to over 500 members, several areas of programming, several formal member leadership roles, and six full time staff roles; the Director of Communications will be the seventh staff role. Funders for Justice is led by a steering committee and a set of member leaders across three issue-based strategy groups, and staff. The staff work closely with the member leadership and other members to design and implement the daily programming. 

FFJ hosts an array of standing programming: divest/invest political education for funders; a cohort of movement advisors that provide political guidance to our work; three strategy groups: healing justice, ‘me too’ in philanthropy, and eroding the power of police unions; the donor organizing committee for the Movement for Black Lives, in partnership with M4BL staff; and a fellowship for FFJ’s member leaders. FFJ also offers additional responsive and collaborative programs throughout the year, including webinars and virtual institutes, as well as in-person events and training institutes at philanthropic conferences (when it is safe again to convene in person). 

For more about FFJ, visit Funders for Justice. For more information about our fiscal sponsor, SEE, please visit saveourplanet.org.    

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Director of Communications works in close partnership with the staff and member leaders to lead the public messaging of the organization, through working collaboratively to develop content and materials that advance the mission and goals of FFJ. The message will be rooted in the abolition values of FFJ, and guided by a deep solidarity with the movements and organizations that FFJ partners with, in order to shift the leadership and culture of philanthropy to accountability to the grassroots. This includes public materials, political education materials, managing and maintaining FFJ’s main website and divest/invest website, maintaining social media accounts, tracking member engagement with digital materials, and creating original content. The Director of Communications will be responsible for design of materials and websites, including project management for website redesign(s), graphic design for new materials, and project management with any communications consultants. 

This role reports to the Executive Director. The Director of Communications will build out a communications team when resources are available. 

• Lead the development and implementation of the strategic communications plan for FFJ 
  • Lead an innovative communications strategy that is long-term and focused, while also responsive and nimble to advance emerging opportunities and meet the mandate of movements, and that includes a wide range of platforms and mediums  
  • Develop the public narrative of FFJ, in partnership with the Executive Director, other staff, and member leaders 
  • Partner with the Executive Director, Director of Organizing, and the Director of Training and Leadership Development to develop and implement annual communications goals and strategies, as part of organization-wide goals and strategies 
  • Develop the communications work plan and budget, and monitor progress 
• Craft public materials for member recruitment 
  • Partner with the Membership Manager to develop materials for the annual membership drive 
  • Partner with the Membership Manager to develop materials for ongoing member recruitment  
  • Provide, or partner with a consultant on, graphic design for new materials  
• Design Political Education Materials 
  • Partner with staff to develop political education materials to advance the goals of the strategy groups, fellowship, external trainings, and other programs 
  • Provide, or partner with a consultant on, graphic design for new materials  
• Lead Digital Communications 
  • Manage and maintain FFJ’s primary website, including regular content updates  
  • Manage and maintain FFJ’s divest/invest website, including regular content updates  
  • Lead the redesign for FFJ’s primary and divest/invest websites 
  • Manage FFJ’s newsletter, including creating new content and coordinating 
  • Run FFJ’s social media accounts, including creating original content as well as amplifying the content of our funder and movement partners 
  • Track member engagement with FFJ’s digital platforms, and use that data to inform how you grow and pivot communications strategies and tactics 
• Media Relations 
  • Develop relationships and engage with philanthropic media to amplify FFJ’s work  
  • Develop relationships and engage with philanthropic media to amplify FFJ’s funder and movement partners 
  • Land earned media and op-eds  
  • Author and manage the distribution of press releases 
  • Respond to press inquiries 
  • Creating, implementing, and managing an editorial calendar  
• Safety and Security Systems & Practices 
  • Partner with the Administration Manager on safety and security practices for FFJ’s communications work, including but not limited to digital security 
• Provide timely responses to funder and movement partners, and others with communications requests 
• Create and maintain the communications systems and files for the organization 
• Project management with consultants and vendors  
• Participate in all staff meetings and relevant meetings with staff and members 

  ABOUT YOU

Knowledge & Skills 

• At least 5 years of demonstrated experience and success with taking lead on the entire body of communications work of an organization 
• At least 10 years of demonstrated experience in racial, gender, and economic justice work, preferably as part of a grassroots organization for at least part of that experience
• At least 8-10 years of demonstrated experience with philanthropy, including foundations, intermediaries, collaborative funds, affinity groups, as a staff member and/or as a grantee partner. 
• Ability to communicate complex and powerful  ideas, frameworks, strategies, and campaigns on a range of mediums and through both short and long form 
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with safety and security practices, especially as related to the communications work of an organization 
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with crafting public materials that are accessible across multiple accessibility considerations, including multiple disabilities and multiple languages  
• Demonstrated experience successfully leading in a manager or director role. 
• Strong demonstrated experience with Google Analytics, Wordpress, Mailchimp, Canva, Powerbase and/or other membership database, and other relevant tools and platforms 
• Facility with technology and comfort with a virtual office
• You have excellent verbal and written communication skills, used to craft the public narrative for an organization, using a wide range of styles and platforms, including reports, blogs and short essays, and social media 
• You are able to manage time effectively, allowing you to prioritize, follow-up on, and finalize tasks in order of relevance.  

Attitude and Teamwork   

• You believe in respect of self and others as a core value and work ethic.
• You believe in responsibility/accountability as a practice and value that is not only about completing tasks and obligations. 
• You are proactive and take initiative in your approach to your work, at all levels and including collaboration with others 
• You link responsibility to awareness of the consequences of your actions, and anticipate the effects to prevent damage to yourself, others and the shared environment.
• You practice and value kindness, effectiveness, and collaboration. 
• You come up with creative solutions to problems based on your own experience. 
• You are emotionally aware and practice self/community care to make your ability to work and fulfill your responsibilities sustainably. 
• You are aware of your own limits, discern, and have a practice of asking for support and collaboration to meet your goals. 
• You to interface easily with others to agree on plans of action, problem-solve, or give/receive feedback 
• You have great attention to detail. 
• You see the big picture, can make connections in analysis and work across programs within the organization, as well as between FFJ, grantmakers and donors, and sister affinity groups. 
• Flexibility and comfort with overlapping projects, competing deadlines, and multiple stakeholders
• Ability to travel for occasional staff retreats, FFJ convenings, and other events when it is truly safe to do so, given the current global pandemic

FFJ/SEE is an equal-opportunity employer. Women (trans & cis), people of color, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, and others most impacted by the carceral system are strongly encouraged for this role. 

COMPENSATION 

This is a salaried, full-time position. Salary, commensurate with experience, begins at $90,000. Benefits include generous leave and health insurance, and retirement contributions. 

LOCATION & WORK ENVIRONMENT (Conditions and Physical Demands) 

Anywhere in the United States. This job operates in a professional, virtual, home office or co-working environment, with occasional local and national travel. This role routinely uses standard office equipment, including a laptop computer and cell phone. The employee is generally required to spend long periods of time sitting, typing, and working at a computer. May require the ability to occasionally lift and transport items. 

HOW TO APPLY 

Please submit an application consisting of the following materials combined into a single PDF: 

• Cover letter 
• Resume 
• 2-3 writing samples (preferably the samples demonstrate two different writing styles, e.g., blog post, op-ed, fact sheet, talking points, etc.) 
• Contact information for 3 references (we’ll notify applicants before contacting references) 

Please submit your PDF application to jobs@funders4justice.org. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. We aim to begin interviews in November 2022, and expect to onboard a new staff member in late 2022 or early 2023.