Communication Specialist VISTA

The Sanneh Foundation Inc • Saint Paul, MN

6d • $23,000 - $45,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Sanneh Foundation (TSF) is a 501(c)(3) serving the various needs of Minnesota's low-income youth and their families. The Communication Specialist VISTA will increase the awareness and visibility of Sanneh programs that aim to improve educational outcomes for low-income youth and families. By establishing lasting processes for media management, story capturing, and written content creation, the VISTA will improve outreach and engagement to support economic stability and self-sufficiency within the community.

Requirements

• 18 years of age (no upper limit)
• Pass a national service criminal history check
• Hold one of the following citizenship statuses: U.S. citizen, U.S. National, Lawful Permanent Resident Aliens and persons residing in a state that have the following legal residency classifications: Refugee, asylum or asylee, temporary protected status, or deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) status.

Nice To Haves

• Identify professional development resources related to journalistic storytelling, interviewing techniques, and brand messaging.
• Research best practices for developing different communications amongst different audiences, i.e., volunteers, program participants & donors.

Responsibilities

• Develop an in-depth understanding of TSF’s mission, core programs (such as Dreamline, Nutritional Services, and Workforce Development), and current storytelling and communication practices.
• Build and improve efficient systems to facilitate the creation of compelling written content that highlights the organization's work and impact.
• Create standardized workflows and templates for monthly electronic newsletters, ensuring consistent and informative updates for stakeholders.
• Develop a system for capturing stories, including a schedule for interviewing program participants, volunteers, and staff to highlight program success.
• Collaborate with the Multimedia VISTA to ensure written content effectively complements visual assets (photo and video) in storytelling campaigns.
• Create and maintain standardized copy across all projects to ensure consistency in messaging, tone, and brand voice.
• Develop and implement training materials to equip TSF staff with the skills needed to perform independent storytelling and narrative advocacy and ensure the long-term sustainability of storytelling processes by finalizing documentation and handbooks for future use.
• Draft a pilot technical assistance workshop curriculum focused on storytelling fundamentals, including interviewing techniques, ethical storytelling, and brand voice.
• Facilitate professional development sessions or "technical assistance" workshops on best practices for written communication and interviewing.
• Finish thorough documentation of all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) regarding newsletter production, caption writing, and storytelling archiving.
• Analyze the impact of new written content strategies (e.g., audience reach or engagement metrics) and provide a final report with recommendations for future growth.
• Create quick-reference training tools (e.g., one-pagers, checklists, and templates) that staff can use independently when developing written content.

Benefits

• Loan forbearance
• Professional development
• Americorps childcare benefit (for those with children under 13)
• Segal Education Award - $7,395 (before taxes, based on Pell Grant) is distributed via MyAmeriCorps.gov following a full term of service.
• Housing, nutrition, or education stipend totaling up to $1000 per month

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed