DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATE

Overview

ABOUT US

The Regional Environmental Council, Inc. (REC), a 501c3 non-profit established in 1972, is bringing people together to create a just food system and to build healthy, sustainable, and equitable communities in Worcester, MA and beyond. We believe that access to healthy food and the opportunity to live in an economically and environmentally sustainable food system is a fundamental human right. We accomplish our mission through our three Food Justice initiatives: Urban Gardens Resources of Worcester (UGROW), Youth Growing Organics in Worcester (YouthGROW), and REC Community and Mobile Farmers Markets.

OUR PROGRAMS

UGROW: Community and School Gardens Networks (est. 1995) – A network of 70+ community and school gardens and urban farms involving 600+ gardeners and farmers and 2,500+ public school students who grow healthy, organic, produce for their families and schools.

YouthGROW (est. 2003) – A leadership development, education, and employment program for youth (ages 14-18) from historically underserved Worcester neighborhoods. YouthGROW employs 40 teens annually on three urban organic farms. Youth learn to grow food and contribute meaningfully to their community while developing leadership, job, and life skills.

REC Community and Mobile Farmers Markets (est. 2008) – REC’s traditional and mobile farmers markets connect communities experiencing high rates of food insecurity in Worcester, Webster, and Southbridge, with affordable, healthy, culturally appropriate food from local growers that accept SNAP, HIP, and WIC/Senior Market Coupons.

POSITIONS DESCRIPTION

The Development and Communications Associate provides clerical and administrative support for the REC’s fundraising, grants programs, and event planning efforts. This role includes managing donor data, assisting with grants, and supporting event execution. The Associate will also update social media content, maintain the REC website, and assist with design tasks using Canva. The ideal candidate will be highly organized, creative, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple tasks with competing deadlines. Strong communication and design skills, along with the ability to work independently and as part of a team, are essential. Experience in fundraising or nonprofit work is a plus but not required.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Key Responsibilities:

• Donor Database: Accurately enter and update donor information in the donor management system, ensuring data integrity and following best practices for processing checks and credit card transactions. Retrieve mail from PO Box and prepare donation deposits.
• Receipts and Acknowledgments: Generate, prepare, and distribute donor receipts and acknowledgment letters for contributions according to the REC gift acknowledgement plan.
• Donor Relations: Maintain a current and comprehensive donor database, ensuring timely updates.
• Meeting Support: Organize and prepare conference rooms and materials for fundraising meetings, ensuring all logistics are in place.
• Grant Support: Assist the grants team by helping package, submit, and file grant proposals, reports, and award letters, ensuring compliance and completeness. Create grant attachments and manage grant files.
• Social Media Content Management: Create content and manage the REC’s social media accounts, contributing to the organization’s online presence and engagement.
• Email Campaigns: Create and load content into MailChimp communications, ensuring consistent and accurate messaging while keeping email lists up to date and accurate.
• Website Maintenance: Regularly update and maintain content on the REC website to reflect the organization’s latest activities and initiatives.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Donor Prospect Research: Assist with conducting online research to identify and evaluate new donor prospects, supporting efforts to expand the donor base.
• Committee Support: Support Fund Development Committee and other event committees, including attending meetings and recording accurate minutes.
• Capital Campaign Assistance: Provide administrative support for the Capital Campaign, as needed.
• Event Management: Assist with planning, executing, and promoting annual events such as the REC Annual Meeting, Plant Sale, Earth Day Cleanups, Farm Party, and other community engagement activities.
• Marketing and Photography: Capture and document photos/video of program activities and events and create graphics for use in marketing materials. Manage photo archives.
• Fundraising and Communications Support: Provide administrative and logistical support for fundraising and communications activities as directed by the Director of Development and Communications.
• Team Collaboration: Work closely with the Development team to support the mission, goals, and initiatives of the organization.
• Other Duties as Assigned: Perform any additional tasks and responsibilities as required to support organizational goals and activities.

WHO YOU ARE

The REC recognizes people gain skills through a variety of professional, personal, educational, and volunteer experiences. When reviewing applications, we take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. Preference is given to candidates that demonstrate the most qualifications, skills, and experiences listed below.

You Must Have:

• Education & Experience: Minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent, with at least 1 year of experience in an office or administrative setting.
• Technical Proficiency: Strong experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, etc.), Google Workspace (Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, etc).
• Social Media Expertise: Proficient in using various social media platforms for content management and engagement.
• Organizational Skills: Exceptional organizational skills with a keen attention to detail, ensuring tasks are completed accurately and efficiently.
• Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with a wide range of audiences.
• Independent & Team Work: Ability to work independently while also collaborating as part of a team in a fast-paced environment.
• Community Engagement: Comfort and ease in interacting with and establishing rapport with diverse community members.
• Transportation: Must have a valid driver’s license and access to reliable transportation for occasional travel as required.
• Physical Demands: Must be able to lift, carry, and/or move up to 25 pounds, and be capable of standing, walking, and performing other physical tasks for extended periods as required by the role.
• Commitment to Mission: A strong commitment to the organization’s mission, including its values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Passion for food justice is a plus.

It Would Be Great If You Have:

• Fundraising & Event Planning: Experience in supporting or coordinating fundraising initiatives and events.
• Donor Database Experience: Comfort and experience working with donor management systems.
• Website Maintenance: Experience in updating and maintaining website content, including basic web management tasks.
• Nonprofit Sector Experience: Previous experience working in a nonprofit environment, understanding the unique challenges and needs of this sector.
• Design Skills: Graphic design skills with proficiency in design tools (e.g., Canva, Adobe Creative Suite).
• Note-Taking: Experience in recording and organizing meeting minutes and key takeaways.
• Tech-Savvy & Learning Mindset: Willingness and ability to quickly learn new software and technologies to improve work efficiency.
• Project Management Tools: Familiarity with project management tools like Asana or similar platforms to track tasks and collaborate with teams.
• Local Food System Knowledge: Experience with or knowledge of the local food system is a plus.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish): Ability to communicate effectively in both English and Spanish is a plus

EQUITY STATEMENT

The Regional Environmental Council, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and actively seeks a diverse pool of candidates. People of color are strongly encouraged to apply. The REC does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, sex, ancestry, citizenship status, marital status, mental or physical disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, veteran status, or military status.

The REC is committed to building a team that represents diverse cultures, perspectives, skills, and experiences in order for our employees, our programs, and our community to thrive.

Studies have shown that women, trans people, non-binary people, and BIPOC are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the qualifications as described in the job description. We encourage candidates to apply, even if they don’t meet every requirement.