Coordinator-Communication

Mercy Home for Boys & Girls; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 56,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

Mercy Home for Boys & Girls is seeking a skilled Communications Specialist to craft compelling stories, manage donor communications, and produce multimedia content that highlights the agency’s impact on youth. The role involves interviewing youth, coordinating with Advancement and Youth Programs, and producing materials for web, newsletters, and events.

You will lead photo and video projects, collaborate with digital marketing, and help expand the organization’s storytelling across multiple

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in writing-intensive or communications/marketing fields.
• Journalistic abilities: strong writer, subject interviewer, and storyteller.
• Excellent interpersonal and oral communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills, detail oriented, ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, meet tight deadlines, and take on new opportunities as they arise.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Effective in collaborating actively in teams.
• Ability to interact with co-workers and stakeholders and present a professional image.
• Discretion, confidentiality, judgment, creativity, and critical thinking.
• Understanding of, and commitment to, Mercy Home’s mission to help young people and empathy for the plight of abused, neglected, and troubled youth.
• Awareness of current issues impacting our youth and willingness to advocate for youth beyond the Agency.
• Willingness to learn basic therapeutic concepts as practiced in Residential Youth Programs.
• Maturity and sensitivity to cultural and individual differences.
• Comfortable in working directly with teens and young people.
• Flexibility to work some nights and weekends, and volunteer to staff youth and fundraising events.
• Photographic skills and proficiency in using a digital camera.
• Experience preferred in creating content for various media e.g., web, magazine, newspaper, social media.
• Proficiency in PC systems, including Microsoft Word and Excel, as well as the ability to become proficient in other software packages and programs as necessary. Adobe Creative Suite preferred. Video editing software a plus.
• Familiarity with Catholic liturgical concepts and customs
• Valid driver’s license and the ability to drive a van.

Responsibilities

• Produce written and photographic content for Mercy Home Heroes team to engage current runners and recruit new runners.
• Photograph internal events and supply images for Mercy Home stories and marketing.
• Film and edit video for messaging and marketing programs of Mercy Home, including presentations by CEO, internal events, content marketing pieces, Mercy Home news stories.
• Interview youth and develop stories about their challenges and successes for multiple applications, including direct mailings, web content, newsletters, media, live presentations to stakeholders and co-workers, video, and social media posts.
• Serve as an ambassador between the Advancement and Youth Programs departments to detail outcomes of donor-funded initiatives, and to develop story ideas and youth profile subjects, and to inform the departments of each other’s activities.
• Manage or assist in all steps of the donor acknowledgement letter process, including researching donor relationship to Mercy Home and their giving history, writing and producing letters in a timely fashion, organizing and cataloguing letters, and maintaining the letter template file.
• Produce copy for the thank-you letter program, including: special events thank-you letters, campaign thank-you letters, and maintaining the thank-you template file.
• Actively partner with digital marketing team to advance Agency goals. Post content to mercyhome.org, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other emerging platforms.
• Stay current on social media and content marketing trends and writing styles and explore strategies to integrate them into promoting awareness and involvement opportunities at Mercy Home.
• Meet donor content needs of the agency by writing articles for the quarterly Waifs’ Messenger and The Herald, Sunday Mass TV Mass Guide, the Guardian Angel newsletter, direct mail and e-mail appeals.
• Expand Mercy Home’s creative storytelling through event and other marketing collateral, web, ads, brochures, signage, and video and audio editing.
• Assist with media outreach and coordination efforts.
• Assist in promoting giving opportunities in Corporate & Foundation, Planned Giving and Major Gifts areas as requested.
• Assist with internal and public special events, as needed.
• Serve as photographic liaison for all departments throughout the Agency. Photograph Agency events. Maintain a digital photographic library for the Agency and respond to requests for photos. Help manage process governing privacy and consent to use images publicly.
• Assist in production of weekly e-newsletter to co-workers to inform them of critical information and build community.
• Coordinate and distribute monthly e-newsletters to Mercy Home’s local and national email audiences, Mercy Home’s boards, and Mercy Home’s volunteers.
• Assist in managing bi-annual youth portrait shoots as well as agency publicity photo and video shoots as needed.
• Present youth story update at weekly Agency Advancement-wide meeting.

Skills

Journalistic abilities

Interpersonal communication

Organizational skills

Independent work

Team collaboration

Professional image

Creativity

Critical thinking

Youth advocacy

Public speaking

Photography

Video editing

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in writing-intensive or communications/marketing fields

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Microsoft Word

Excel

Video editing software

Job description

Description

Join our team today!

At Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, we are dedicated to empowering Youth, fostering hope, and creating brighter futures. Our mission is to be advocates, educators, coaches, and role models for the Youth we serve. We strongly believe that every young individual deserves a chance to thrive and reach their full potential.

As one of the Top 100 Places to Work in Chicago according to the Chicago Tribune for the past 13 consecutive years, Mercy Home prides itself on prioritizing the growth and well-being of our team. We provide comprehensive training as well as ongoing professional development opportunities throughout your time here.

If you're passionate, driven, and dedicated to making the world a better place, then we want you on our team. The committed workers at Mercy Home provide healing, guidance, and opportunity to young men and women in need.

How You’ll Make an Impact

You will assist the Communications division and the Agency Advancement department in promoting public awareness about Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, its brand, and opportunities for involvement. To help attract, engage, and activate new supporters through published content about our young people, activities, and mission. To steward donors and constituent groups through written and other communications. To inform and engage age coworkers regarding the Agency’s activities and core mission.

In this Role, you will

• Produce written and photographic content for Mercy Home Heroes team to engage current runners and recruit new runners
• Photograph internal events and supply images for Mercy Home stories and marketing
• Film and edit video for messaging and marketing programs of Mercy Home, including presentations by CEO, internal events, content marketing pieces, Mercy Home news stories
• Interview youth and develop stories about their challenges and successes for multiple applications, including, but not limited to: direct mailings, web content, newsletters, media, live presentations to our stakeholders and co-workers, video, and social media posts.
• Serve as an ambassador between the Advancement and Youth Programs departments to detail outcomes of donor-funded initiatives, and to develop story ideas and youth profile subjects, and to inform the departments of each other’s activities.
• Manage or assist in all steps of the donor acknowledgement letter process, including: researching donor relationship to Mercy Home and their giving history, writing and producing letters in a timely fashion, organizing and cataloguing letters, and maintaining the letter template file
• Produce copy for the thank-you letter program, including: special events thank-you letters, campaign thank you letters, and maintaining the thank-you template file.
• Actively partner with digital marketing team to advance Agency goals. Post content to mercyhome.org, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other emerging platforms.
• Stay current on social media and content marketing trends and writing styles and explore strategies to integrate them into promoting awareness and involvement opportunities at Mercy Home.
• Meet donor content needs of the agency by writing articles for the quarterly Waifs’ Messenger and The Herald, Sunday Mass TV Mass Guide, the Guardian Angel newsletter, direct mail and e-mail appeals.
• Expand Mercy Home’s creative storytelling through event and other marketing collateral, web, ads, brochures, signage, and video and audio editing.
• Assist with media outreach and coordination efforts.
• Assist in promoting giving opportunities in Corporate & Foundation, Planned Giving and Major Gifts areas as requested.
• Assist with internal and public special events, as needed.
• Serve as photographic liaison for all departments throughout the Agency. Photograph Agency events. Maintain a digital photographic library for the Agency and respond to requests for photos. Help manage process governing privacy and consent to use images publicly.
• Assist in production of weekly e-newsletter to co-workers to inform them of critical information and build community.
• Coordinate and distribute monthly e-newsletters to Mercy Home’s local and national email audiences, Mercy Home’s boards, and Mercy Home’s volunteers.
• Assist in managing bi-annual youth portrait shoots as well as agency publicity photo and video shoots as needed.
• Present youth story update at weekly Agency Advancement-wide meeting.

What we need from you

• Bachelor’s Degree in writing-intensive or communications/marketing fields.
• Journalistic abilities: strong writer, subject interviewer, and storyteller.
• Excellent interpersonal and oral communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills, detail oriented, ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, meet tight deadlines, and take on new opportunities as they arise.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Effective in collaborating actively in teams.
• Ability to interact with co-workers and stakeholders and present a professional image.
• Discretion, confidentiality, judgment, creativity, and critical thinking.
• Understanding of, and commitment to, Mercy Home’s mission to help young people and empathy for the plight of abused, neglected, and troubled youth.
• Awareness of current issues impacting our youth and willingness to advocate for youth beyond the Agency.
• Willingness to learn basic therapeutic concepts as practiced in Residential Youth Programs.
• Maturity and sensitivity to cultural and individual differences.
• Comfortable in working directly with teens and young people.
• Flexibility to work some nights and weekends, and volunteer to staff youth and fundraising events.
• Photographic skills and proficiency in using a digital camera.
• Experience preferred in creating content for various media e.g., web, magazine, newspaper, social media.
• Proficiency in PC systems, including Microsoft Word and Excel, as well as the ability to become proficient in other software packages and programs as necessary. Adobe Creative Suite preferred. Video editing software a plus.
• Familiarity with Catholic liturgical concepts and customs
• Valid driver’s license and the ability to drive a van.

Basic Information / Schedule Details

Monday to Friday, with evening/weekend hours to cover youth and fundraising events

Pay:$56,000 to $58,000

Location: West Loop Campus- 1140 W Jackson Chicago, IL 60607

For information on benefits please follow this link:
https://www.mercyhome.org/working-mercy-home-2/benefits/

Why You Will Love Working Here

At Mercy Home, our commitment to providing the best care for the Youth we serve extends to ensuring our team receives top-of-the-line training and professional development.

We are a Top Workplace as awarded by the Chicago Tribune.

Mercy Home for Boys & Girls is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to Inclusion and Diversity.

Visit us at www.mercyhome.org/jobs.