Job Description: The Communications Manager is a full-time position responsible for coordinating the marketing and communications efforts of First Fruit Ministries, a Christian ministry focused on serving people experiencing homelessness or human trafficking with food, shelter, and care services. The Communications Manager connects First Fruit Ministries with the public by telling the story of what God is doing in the lives of our clients and in our community. She/he will lead storytelling efforts through copywriting, do marketing project development and management, liaise with various media/marketing contractors, and collect and analyze data using the ministry’s donor management software (CRM), Google Analytics reports, Asana, and other sources. The Communications Manager is the administrative support for the multi-platform communication and marketing efforts of the ministry.
The Organization: First Fruit Ministries shares God’s unconditional love through outreach and supportive housing for those experiencing homelessness or trafficking in Southeastern North Carolina. Our commission is to host the Presence of God that He may work through us toward our donors, our clients, and our community. We believe all ministry flows from relationship. There are three pillars that help define the ministry philosophy at First Fruit: Sonship, Empowerment, and Communication.
- The first core pillar is Sonship: our identity as sons and daughters of God as we are hidden in Christ Jesus; we are children of a loving and perfect Father who is pleased in us and wants to share more of Himself and His love with us.
- The next pillar is Empowerment: the Holy Spirit in us, empowering us to reach our potential through the salvation of our souls, renewing our minds and hearts with healthy thinking in line with the truth of Scripture.
- The final pillar is Communication: sharing the love of God in community by words and actions; activating the Holy Spirit in others by the working of the gifts of the Spirit in each of us.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s or higher degree in Communications, Marketing, a related field of study or significant experience
- Computer proficient, including knowledge of slide deck creation, basic graphics creation using Canva or Adobe design products, basic social media account management, MS Office Suite, Google Suite, Asana
- Talented in interpersonal communication with strong writing skills
- Self-directed with the ability to multitask, prioritize workloads efficiently and effectively, and work with minimal supervision
- Additional experiences in marketing and branding, project management, and contract negotiation are desired.
Primary Responsibilities: Use storytelling and project coordination to increase First Fruit Ministries’ influence in the community, leverage existing donor and volunteer engagement, and communicate the mission and impact of the organization. Support the leadership team in planning, directing and implementing a comprehensive communications and marketing program that builds brand awareness, generates new donor relationships, and stewards volunteers and donors as they participate in the work of the ministry.
Duties:
- Gather stories and statistics that demonstrate the organization’s vision, mission, impact, and opportunities, including producing all written media content. Copywriting, to include:
- Develop core messaging document: 3-5 key messages, a tagline, a boilerplate (100-150 words), compile most used facts/stats in our language (on trafficking, homelessness, and FFM success rates)
- Write monthly newsletter for print and email distribution featuring FFM’s quarterly focus, a program highlight, and current needs
- Develop template for podcast description that staff can update and publish
- Write 10-15 social media captions using key messages that share FFM’s value proposition in the marketplace, mission, and program impact
- Edit 2 Op Ed pieces from Executive Director on topics of her expertise
- Write content for email drip campaigns for new donors, new email subscribers, lapsed donors, and new volunteers (3-5 emails for each segment)
- Write press releases (6 per year) to announce First Fruit Ministries’ events, funding awards, or special interest topics
- Write engaging, donor-focused program descriptions for Street Outreach, Supportive Housing, 5.11 House, The Guest House, Day Shelter, and Food Pantry programs
- Support Leadership Team operations by taking meeting notes, calendaring meetings and setting up projects in Asana, tracking and reporting project progress on strategic goals and priority projects
- Collaborate with staff, contractors, consultants, and Board to execute the ministry's marketing strategy using Asana project management software, including administrative tasks, managing deadlines and workflow, and managing resources and information for the team
- Coordinate marketing campaigns focused on annual fund growth, corporate gifts, special events, and planned giving as encompassed in our WayMaker program, including event planning and execution for off-campus ministry events
- Ensure that publications, social media accounts, and website include donor-focused content and consistent branding
- Along with the Executive Assistant and leadership team, align marketing and communications efforts with ministry goals and communicate the results across an audience of key stakeholders.
KPIs
For the role of Communications and Marketing Manager at First Fruit Ministries, the following key performance indicators (KPIs) can help measure success in achieving the outlined responsibilities and duties:
1. Storytelling and Content Creation:
- Monthly Story Impact
- Measure the reach and engagement of monthly newsletters and social media captions featuring FFM’s quarterly focus, program highlights, and current needs.
- Content Effectiveness
- Assess the impact of written content on volunteer and donor engagement and awareness.
2. Brand Awareness and Consistency:
- Brand Consistency Score
- Evaluate the consistency of messaging and branding across various communication channels, including newsletters, social media, and press releases.
- Website and Social Media Analytics
- Monitor website and social media metrics to track the growth of brand awareness and audience engagement.
3. Event Planning and Execution:
- Event Success Rate
- Assess the success of off-campus ministry events through attendance, donor participation, and funds raised.
- WayMaker Program Growth
- Measure the growth of the annual fund, corporate gifts, special events, and planned giving within the WayMaker program.
4. Project Coordination and Reporting:
- Asana Utilization
- Evaluate the effective use of Asana for project management, including tracking progress on strategic goals and priority projects.
- Project Progress Reporting
- Assess the accuracy and timeliness of project progress reporting, including calendaring meetings and setting up projects in Asana.
5. Collaboration and Alignment:
- Stakeholder Alignment
- Measure the alignment of marketing and communication efforts with ministry goals through feedback from key stakeholders.
- Internal Communication Effectiveness
- Evaluate how well marketing and communication efforts are communicated across the leadership team and other key stakeholders.
These KPIs are designed to assess the performance of the Communications Manager in key areas such as storytelling, content creation, brand consistency, event planning, project coordination, and collaboration with internal teams. Regular monitoring and adjustment of these indicators will help ensure the success of the individual in this role.
Reporting Relationship: Reports directly to Executive Director
