Reading Partners Community Relations Coordinator VISTA

Baltimore, MD

2021-2022

Reading Partners is a national literacy nonprofit that engages community volunteers and AmeriCorps service members to support elementary-aged students on their path toward reading proficiency. Our dedicated volunteers come from diverse backgrounds and life experiences and provide bi-weekly one-on-one tutoring to students, either in person or through our new online tutoring system. Our traditional, in-person program is proven to help children master the reading fundamentals necessary to become confident learners across all subjects. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Reading Partners urgently evolved program delivery to ensure students continue to receive the critical literacy tutoring in any learning environment. Our people are the heart and soul of our organization; we are all passionately engaged in a common mission to help all children become confident, lifelong learners. Reading Partners is also committed to building a culturally competent and representative team to advance social justice through our service in schools and communities. In joining Reading Partners, you'll be part of a stellar team leading the charge to pursue equity in education and expand a research-validated literacy program that works. Join Reading Partners and leave a legacy in schools and communities that will last long beyond an unforgettable and life-changing term of service. Learn more about us at readingpartners.org. 

AmeriCorps engages more than 80,000 Americans in intensive service each year at nonprofits, schools, public agencies, and community and faith-based groups across the country. Since the program’s founding in 1994, over 1 million AmeriCorps members have contributed more than 1.4 billion hours in service across America while tackling pressing problems and mobilizing more than 2.3 million volunteers for the organizations they serve.

At Reading Partners we have the opportunity to mobilize 350 AmeriCorps/VISTA members to serve in various positions across the country.  This AmeriCorps service opportunity is supporting and implementing the Reading Partners mission while at the same time exemplifying the AmeriCorps motto of “getting things done.” Reading Partners strives to recruit AmeriCorps members dedicated to a year of service in the community. Read on for more details about our service opportunities!

The Role

The VISTA Community Relations Coordinator is a key player in achieving Reading Partners’ development goals. This is an exciting opportunity to support the growth of donor relationships and awareness of the Reading Partners program through creation of marketing and public relations materials, stewardship of local donors, and creation of related tools. Reading Partners VISTA offers an amazing chance to give back through capacity-building roles – as a VISTA, you’ll receive benefits, a great place to serve, and the opportunity to springboard a glowing and growing career. Our top VISTA Community Relations Coordinators are ambassadors for service, demonstrate a passion for relationship and systems development, and strongly believe in our vision and values.  

What you’ll do and how you’ll do it:

Marketing and Public Relations

Create, adapt, and maintain marketing and public relations materials for the regional Reading Partners team.

• The VISTA Community Relations Coordinator will gather collateral, templates, and other resources for marketing and public relations usage, and determine best practices for engaging different groups of stakeholders. With the gathered collateral, the VISTA Community Relations Coordinator will create systems and new content to establish a strong presence on local social networking sites, support regional events through collateral creation, and support other regional communications. 

Systems and Resources Development 

Improve systems for tracking marketing and public relations materials’ usage and effectiveness. 

• Streamlining and improving available systems is a huge responsibility for the VISTA Community Relations Coordinator. By becoming familiar with existing tracking systems and reporting options, the VISTA Community Relations Coordinator will identify opportunities for improvement, implement best practices for usage of marketing materials, and document social media/donor campaign metrics for future activities. 

Relationship Management & Donor Stewardship

Support regional fundraising goals by identifying and stewarding local donor relationships. 

• The VISTA Community Relations Coordinator hones in on identifying and stewarding local donor pipelines. VISTA Community Relations Coordinators will propose and create customized communications calendars, proposals, and other resources to foster strong donor relationships. The VISTA Community Relations Coordinator will also document donor partnerships for future activities, including the creation of donor opportunities and acknowledging of gifts in the Salesforce database. 

About You!

You’ll be successful in this role if you:

• Are dedicated to national and community service
• Root your service in our vision & values
• Can problem-solve through challenges and failures
• Are flexible given the ever-changing environment of serving in public schools, and are adaptable in both work style and work environment
• Understand this position is an AmeriCorps service commitment
• Are dedicated to successfully completing a full term of service.
• Demonstrate a passion for working with children
• Possess a natural ability to connect with people
• Are eager for a dynamic schedule
• Pay strong attention to detail and manage competing priorities effectively
• Boast a deep belief in and passionately promote our mission
• Demonstrate a love for relationship-building and public speaking
• Demonstrate an eagerness to train and manage volunteers
• Take initiative in meeting goals and seeking professional growth
• Can quickly learn new technology systems like Salesforce and have a high level of comfort with Google Apps and Zoom Conferencing 
• Possess a high school diploma or GED
• Hold US Citizenship or Permanent Resident Status
• Have not completed more than three (3) prior AmeriCorps or VISTA service terms

Bonus Points if you:

• Are an AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service alum/alumna
• Have experience volunteering with other community-based or education program

What we offer:

• VISTA members earn a total compensation of $18,000 ($15,950.48 from VISTA, and $2,049.52 in the form of a rental subsidy from Reading Partners). 
• VISTA members are eligible for medical, dental, and vision coverage at no cost for our members; childcare assistance is available through AmeriCorps for those who qualify. 
• Eligible VISTA members can earn an education award of $6,345 after successfully completing their service term
• You may be eligible for student loan forbearance on federal student loans. 
• We offer an exciting and dynamic culture, and we commit to investing in and supporting our amazing people to grow their careers with us. As such, we provide ongoing professional development opportunities such as quarterly AmeriCorps webinars, monthly trainings, and networking opportunities. 
• We offer scaffolded support to help navigate these and other service benefits

The Other Things You Need To Know:

• Service Term:  This VISTA member will serve full-time (approximately 40 hours/week) from mid-November, 2021 through mid-November, 2022 and must commit to a full year of service. 
• National Days of Service: VISTA members at Reading Partners join thousands of other members across the country to serve each year on 9/11, MLK Day, and during AmeriCorps Week. This is another opportunity to participate in the service movement across the country, and to directly support our communities in a variety of service projects.