Development and Communications Coordinator (P

Common Ground is Seeking a Part-Time Development and Communications Coordinator 

About Common Ground High School 

Common Ground High School is the nation’s longest-running environmental charter high school, founded in 1997. Our 230 students form an inclusive, powerful community of learners and leaders. These students benefit from a unique learning environment: an urban farm and 20-acre site, home to state of the art school facilities, adjacent to West Rock Ridge State Park, and located in the City of New Haven. We strive to create a learning environment grounded in foundational building blocks: rigor, responsive relationships, relevance that’s rooted in the local community and environment, and real roles & rights. Common Ground’s graduation rate consistently surpasses the state average, and between 97 and 100% of our students are accepted to college each year. 

Common Ground High School is part of a community nonprofit organization that also operates an urban farm and community environmental education center. As a whole, Common Ground is a center for learning and leadership, inviting people across ages and identities to connect to their urban environment, build community, grow into their full potential, and contribute to a just and sustainable world. We work toward this mission through active, authentic learning rooted in justice and our environment: a farm, in a forest, in a city. 

About the Position

Common Ground is seeking a high-energy, "outside-the-box" thinker to fill the multi-faceted role of Development and Communications Coordinator. As our fundraising and marketing needs grow, we need a proactive go-getter who can seamlessly pivot between uplifting our work community through digital media and executing essential donor relations tasks. This is a dynamic role for a self-starter who can foresee potential problems, plan for contingencies, and build deep trust across the organization. 

Responsibilities

Development Coordination & Donor Relations

• Donor Stewardship: Lead the engagement and retention strategy for recurring monthly donors and donors giving up to the $500 level.
• Acknowledgment: Draft and manage the timely delivery of personalized thank-you letters and acknowledgment packages for all donors.
• Meeting Preparation: Prepare high-quality briefing documents, slide decks, and folders for donor meetings and site visits.
• Event Planning: Assist in the logistical planning and execution of fundraising events, including guest list management and on-site coordination.
• Venue Promotion: commission-based income for revenue generating use of Common Ground venue
• Data Support: Maintain and update donor information within the organization's database to ensure accurate record-keeping.

Communications & Media

• Content Creation: Capture video and photo content across the high school, urban farm, and community programs. 
• Digital Strategy: Manage and plan content creation and posting on social media, including Instagram and Facebook and expanding to TikTok.
• Mentorship: Manage and provide robust training to interns at local colleges and students in Media Club.
• Recruitment: Working with CGHS leadership and staff to help with promoting: the lottery, accepted students, interviewing current students, etc.

Key Skills & Requirements 

• Go-Getter Mindset: Proven ability to take initiative, juggle multiple competing priorities, and work independently with minimal supervision.
• Strategic Writing: Confident professional writing and proofreading skills for our website, social media posts, newsletters, and creative fundraising campaigns.
• Technical Savvy: Proficiency in managing virtual meetings, content development software, a digital camera, cell phones (iOS and Android), and social media analytics.
• Flexibility: Ability to take instruction and feedback from teachers, staff, managers, and department directors, while reporting to the Director of Development and Communications

Time and Travel

• Flexibility: While a typical work week is 20 hours, Monday-Friday, there will be times when you will need to work outside of these hours. Additionally, there will be times when you will have to create content off campus in order to cover the expansiveness of our work. 

Work Schedule & Compensation

• Salary: $25 to $30 hourly, will commensurate with experience.
• In-Person & Hybrid Balance: This position is primarily in-person to capture the vibrant daily life of Common Ground. However, to support work-life balance, the employee has the option to work from home (WFH) one day per week.
• Extended Hours: Some nights and weekends are required for Board meetings, fundraising events, afterschool gatherings, and other work obligations.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume through our ADP online portal or by submitting a cover letter and resume to [email protected]. We will be reviewing applications as received, until the position is filled.

Nondiscrimination Policy and Notice 

Pursuant to Title IX and its regulations (“Final Rule” released on April 19, 2024), the Board of Directors has adopted and implemented a policy stating that the Common Ground District does not discriminate on the basis of sex and prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity it operates, including admission and employment. Common Ground High School does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, status as a veteran, status as a victim of domestic violence, marital status, pregnancy or related conditions, national origin, protective hairstyles, alienage, ancestry, age, disability, or any other basis prohibited by law and prohibits discrimination, including harassment, in any education program or activity it operates. The Board shall provide protections from all forms of sex-based harassment, including sexual violence and unwelcome sex-based conduct that creates a hostile environment by limiting or denying a person’s ability to participate in or benefit from a school’s education program or activity. The Common Ground District shall take prompt and effective action to end any sex discrimination in its education programs or activities to provide for the prompt and equitable resolution of sex discrimination complaints, prevent recurrence, and remedy its effects. To that end, the District shall act promptly and effectively in response to information about conduct that reasonably may constitute discrimination, including sexual violence and other forms of sex-based harassment. The district shall also ensure that all school employees are trained about their obligations to address sex discrimination and their obligations to notify or provide contact information for the Title IX Coordinator. The Common Ground Board of Directors Non-discrimination policy includes protections for students, employees, and applicants against discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, or recovery from these conditions and shall provide reasonable modifications for students based on pregnancy or related conditions, allow for lactation for employees, and access to a clean, private lactation space for students and employees. Common Ground shall not disclose personally identifiable information obtained through complying with Title IX, with limited exceptions, such as when there had been prior written consent or when the information is disclosed to the parent of a minor. Retaliation against anyone who, in good faith, makes a report of harassment or discrimination, files a complaint of harassment or discrimination, serves as a witness, or participates in an investigation or grievance process is also a violation of Common Ground District’s non-discrimination policy and is prohibited.