Communications Manager

DOCN seeks a Communications Consultant to deliver and develop narratives and messaging to our member base as well as internal organization.

Description

Engagement Type

Independent Contractor - Communications 

Contract Period

April - December 2026, with option to extend  

Time Commitment

10-15 hours per month

Compensation

$150 hourly rate, up to $18,000 for the 2026 period

SCOPE OF WORK

External Strategy

• Review and adjust the core organizational narrative and messaging architecture
• Sharpen DOCN public voice — written, spoken, and digital
• Distill programmatic and strategic work into compelling, accessible language 

Member Communications & Content

• Biweekly Member Connection newsletter — drafting and production
• Regular program emails and event announcements
• Annual report content development and coordination
• Membership collateral — printed and digital
• Member portal communications — onboarding, retention, and lifecycle touchpoints

Convening and Cultivation Materials

• Support donor, grant, and funder-facing materials
• Invitations — designed for intimacy and cultural resonance
• Day-of print materials — name tags, reflection cards, welcome packets
• Post-event follow-up communications — 48 hours, 2 weeks, and 6-month touchpoints
• Swag, gifts and note card designs (print and vendor coordination preferred)

Digital & Social Media

• Maintain consistent brand voice and visual standards across all platforms (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and member Slack along with other modalities) 
• Support website domain and content updates

EveryAction & Membership Portal

• Support segmented member communications and list hygiene 
• Develop member lifecycle communication sequences within EveryAction
• Coordinate member portal content — onboarding flows, renewal notices, engagement prompts
• Collaborate with ED and programs staff to ensure communications reflect current member data

Crisis Communications

• Develop a crisis communications protocol — escalation paths, decision authority, and response timelines
• Draft holding statements and response templates for key risk scenarios (media inquiries, member concerns, funder pressure, field controversy)
• Establish a rapid-response process for social media and press inquiries

EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE

Required

• Demonstrated experience in racial justice, movement philanthropy, or aligned advocacy spaces
• Strong writing — across registers: member newsletters, field-facing narrative, funder proposals, social copy
• Comfort with ambiguity and the ability to hold multiple workstreams simultaneously
• High level of cultural competence and ability to communicate across class, geography, and race
• Discretion and trust — this role involves early access to strategy pivots and leadership conversations 

Strongly preferred

• Familiarity with EveryAction/VAN or comparable CRM platforms
• Experience with segmented communications within a member or network organization  
• Crisis communications experience — protocol development and real-time response
• Knowledge of social justice philanthropy and/or donor organizing ecosystem

TERMS & COMPENSATION

The entire contract will not exceed $18,000 for the 2026 period, with an hourly rate of $150 per hour and 10-15 hours per month. This engagement is structured as an independent contractor relationship. The consultant will be expected to maintain clear communication with the DOCN team, participate in regular check-ins, and attend planning meetings. Occasional travel may be needed and will be communicated in advance.

Please submit a capabilities statement with your relevant experience and three clients as references via Gusto. Note references will not be contacted without consent.

About the Company

Founded in 2019, the Donors of Color Network (DOCN) is a first of its kind cross-racial community of donors committed to engaging our collective power towards racial equity and justice. DOCN estimates there are approximately 1.25M people of color with assets over $1M in the U.S. This demographic represents a significant potential source of power and influence that to date has had limited leadership in organized philanthropic spaces that support racial equity and justice. DOCN was founded to organize and promote the leadership of this community – working across race, national origin, professional backgrounds, and intersections of gender, sexual orientation, religion, and ability. Our donor members are organizers and leaders in their own spaces, moving their peers, friends, and networks to center the priorities of communities of color and to think with a systems frame. As we grow our network, we are bringing these individuals together and building a strong foundation of a values-aligned, humble, joyous, loving, and learning community. As a recently formed organization, we are inspired by the possibilities that will come, with the knowledge that we are more powerful together than each of us is as an individual. DOCN’s impact is unique in that our work centers the stories and lived experiences of donors of color and communities of color most directly harmed by racial discrimination and injustice. By creating understanding and aligning values across diverse backgrounds, we are working towards power building in communities of color nationally to achieve racial and gender equity, economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, and political power that reflects and is accountable to communities of color. We do this through peer-to-peer donor learning, investing in leaders of color, supporting organizing and advocacy, and through the promotion of our Inclusion Principles. These Inclusion Principles are a set of voluntary commitments we ask organizations we support and partner with to make. We aim to influence how budgets are made, how dollars are allocated, how boards are built, and how folks are hired by requiring a racial equity lens for each. Apply To This Job