Position Summary
Art-Reach creates, advocates for, and expands accessible opportunities in the arts so the full spectrum of society is served. While embracing a design forward approach, Art-Reach transfers power to communities facing barriers and turns their input into action by redesigning programs and policies at over 200 cultural organizations, with a specific focus on engaging people with disabilities and people experiencing poverty.
The Communications Manager works collaboratively across Art-Reach to effectively communicate programming and fundraising efforts, share Art-Reach’s story, and oversee external communications for the organization. This position is responsible for broadcasting our work through digital media, social media, email marketing and the Art-Reach website. The Communications Manager collaborates with programming on the development of digital media, and focused marketing initiatives around Art-Reach core programs. They will also play a support role in development functions including the annual appeal cycle, Art-Reach Spring Brunch and Cultural Access Awards support and physical mailings. The Communications Manager works with the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Executive Director to develop the annual communications plan, and the long-term strategy for communication efforts.
Responsibilities
Communications and Branding
- Maintains an overall communications calendar for the organization
- Ensures branding guidelines are used consistently in communications
- Designs graphics and templates for digital and print pieces for program, events, and organizational proposals
- Consolidates stories, photos, videos, program information, and organizational work and distributes it through monthly e-newsletters, social media accounts, and the Art-Reach website
- In collaboration with the Executive Director, generates press releases for major announcements
Digital Media
- Updates Art-Reach’s WordPress website to ensure accurate and timely information about Art-Reach
- Collaborates with program team to define, plan, and implement digital programming
- Collaborates with program team to develop accessible video content, including timeline and production
- Ensures branding and digital accessibility elements to media projects
- Edits shorter digital content in-house and coordinates with outside firms to provide media production support
Fundraising
- Supports event planning in collaboration with Executive Director and Director of Strategic Partnerships
- Designs and coordinates printing of development event invitations and communications
- Assists with annual appeal mailings and helps coordinate appeal graphics, timing, and messaging
- Maintains program photographs and stories to support fundraising efforts
Candidate Profile
First and foremost, you should have a passion for creating a justice-based world. Art-Reach works hard to create a world where people with disabilities and people experiencing poverty can bring their authentic selves into experiences. The person in this role is the one who shapes and communicates that story to existing and future program participants, donors, community leaders, and cross-sector partners. The idea ‘nothing about us, without us’ is incredibly important to Art-Reach so people with disabilities and people who have experienced poverty are encouraged to apply.
No one candidate will be perfect for this job. The skills and experience needed to be successful for this job exist on a spectrum. One version of a strong candidate will have three years of demonstrated success in nonprofit communications. Experience with digital design, websites, social media, and project management is certainly helpful, as is experience in communicating complex ideas. Another strong candidate might not have communications experience at all but they bring an innovative approach to design and their enthusiasm for design work brings their projects in on time. Another candidate might be early in their career and looking to learn what they can from this role so they can take that experience on to a larger role later in their career.
Familiarity with communications and marketing operations, and/or a willingness to learn, is going to be really helpful for anyone who enters this role. You will be well positioned for success if you bring knowledge of accessibility, cultural programming, design and websites. Art-Reach uses WordPress for its website; NeonCRM for newsletters; InDesign/Photoshop/Premiere Pro, along with Canva, for design and digital media. If you are familiar with any of these programs, or others similar to them, we want to hear about it.
Art-Reach does not believe that success is predicated on the academic degrees you possess. As such, degrees are not required for positions at Art-Reach. If you believe your educational experience adds to your candidacy, feel free to tell us why.
One more note before we move on. Frequently cited statistics show that candidates with disabilities, BIPOC candidates, women, and systemically excluded people apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Art-Reach is happy to leave that statistic in the past as much as you. No one ever meets 100% of the qualifications. Just apply.
Personal Characteristics
Strong interest and belief in creating accessibility in the arts and culture community around Philadelphia. A strategic and decisive problem solver, with an ability to think creatively, opportunistically, and analytically. An experienced relationship builder and influencer.
What we are offering
The annual salary for this position is estimated at $40,000 – $44,000. Art-Reach pays 85% of monthly health premiums and matches the first $1,000 of 403(b) savings per year for employees who opt into the employee retirement savings program. Art-Reach is currently working remote with limited access to a shared office space. As such, Art-Reach provides a one-time reimbursement of $500 to help with costs setting up a remote office. Additionally, Art-Reach offers a $20 per month reimbursement per employee for personal internet/phone use.
The Organization
Art-Reach’s mission is to create, advocate for and expand accessible opportunities in the arts so the full spectrum of society is served. Our programs influence and create systemic change in the cultural sector throughout the Philadelphia region so that people with disabilities have access to the arts. Art-Reach is the only organization in the Philadelphia region working toward cultural accessibility on a scale that includes over 400 organizational partners, with programs that directly impact over 200,000 people annually.
Art-Reach’s core programs include three areas: large-scale collaborations, education and learning initiatives, and arts programming for human service agencies. Art-Reach currently runs two large-scale collaborative programs: ACCESS and the Virginia and Harvey Kimmel Family Fund STAMP program. In education and learning, Art-Reach presents free workshops on cultural accessibility through its CAFE series, hosts an annual international conference on cultural accessibility, and conducts trainings, workshops and consultancies throughout the year. Finally, Art-Reach curates cultural arts programming for 185 human service agencies by distributing free and low-cost tickets to theaters, museums, and historic sites, along with highly interactive, design-driven, participatory experiences for people with disabilities through its Kimmel Family ENCORE program.
At Art-Reach, the way we work is as important as the work we do
In the same way that Art-Reach centers the communities it serves and responds to their needs, it aspires to center the humanity of its employees and respond to their needs in progressive and empathetic ways.
- We value a collaborative process in planning, implementation, and evaluation that includes different perspectives and informs the vision for everything that Art-Reach hopes to accomplish.
- We value trust as the root of our conversations, plans, and in the work we do. Trust allows us to have open and honest conversations, facilitates healthy conflict, and creates straightforward evaluation of our work. The trust we have in each other creates accountability for everyone to Art-Reach’s vision.
- We value lived experience, perspective, and background of our coworkers, interns, volunteers. We embrace anti-ableism and anti-racism practices to create systemic change through intentional changes in policy, action, and programs.
- We value experimentation as our way toward innovation. Along the way we embrace risk and failure as critical components to creating an environment where we continuously learn and grow as we make systemic change happen.
- We value choice in how and when we work. Every Art-Reach employee has autonomy to choose when to prioritize their work, their family, or any other commitment that is important to them in ways that allow for their personal, mental, and physical well-being.
- We value exploration in professional and personal development through formal and informal learning opportunities. In line with the various ways people absorb information Art-Reach supports its team in pursuit of growth while embracing a community of learning. Art-Reach does not consider formal education as a prerequisite for employment.
- We value teamwork and the interrelation of our roles. Art-Reach colleagues understand that their work directly impacts the work of their colleagues. Teamwork between departments is critical to ensure success across the organization.
What to expect in the process
Step one: All submissions will be reviewed and the initial candidate pool will be formed. Not all submissions will make it into the candidate pool. Once the pool of candidates is established, Art-Reach will setup a brief initial conversation. After those conversations the candidate pool will be reduced and candidates will be notified of their status.
Step two: Remaining candidates will take part in an interview via zoom with the five-person Art-Reach staff. After this interview, the candidate pool will be reduced to finalists and all participants will be notified of their status.
Step three: Finalists will meet with the Executive Director and Director of Strategic Partnerships. This will take place via zoom or in-person depending on the state of the pandemic, and the comfort level of everyone involved. The final candidate will be selected after this interview.
Step four: Selection and placement of the final candidate. Placement for this position is anticipated to occur in February 2022.