Coordinator- Communications

About the role

Mercy Home for Boys & Girls is dedicated to empowering Youth, fostering hope, and creating brighter futures. We are a Top 100 Places to Work in Chicago and are committed to the growth and well-being of our team.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• Help attract, engage, and activate new supporters through published content about our young people, activities, and mission.
• Steward donors and constituent groups through written and other communications.
• Inform and engage age coworkers regarding the Agency’s activities and core mission.
• 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.
• Aid in media outreach and coordination efforts.
• Aid in promoting giving opportunities in Corporate & Foundation, Planned Giving and Major Gifts areas as requested.
• Aid in 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.
• Aid 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.

Requirements

• 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.
• Able to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Effective in collaborating actively in teams.
• Able 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.

Qualifications

• Committed to making the world a better place.

Skills

• Writing and storytelling skills.
• Photography and videography skills.
• Content creation for various media.
• Organizational and project management skills.
• Interpersonal and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Photographic skills and proficiency in using a digital camera.
• 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.

Benefits

Learn more about our benefits.

Pay

$56,000 to $58,000

Schedule

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

Location

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