Associate Director of Community Engagement

Overview

The Associate Director of Community Affairs is a key member of the Development team and is responsible for strengthening the organization’s presence, reputation, and partnerships within the community. This role develops and manages programming and opportunities for engagement with external community members, businesses, and associations. This position plans and executes key fundraising events that engage the community, cultivates community relationships, oversees marketing and communications, manages the public relations strategy, and serves as a key ambassador for the organization.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, collaborative, and passionate about advancing a nonprofit mission through meaningful engagement. This individual directly supervises a Marketing & Events Coordinator who also supports all marketing and event-related activities.

Events Strategy & Management

• Lead the planning, execution, and evaluation of all community-facing events (e.g., fundraisers, awareness events, donor cultivation events, community outreach activities) and support volunteer appreciation events
• Oversee solicitation of event sponsor ships and execution of sponsorship deliverables
• Develop event timelines, budgets, run-of-show documents, and post-event reports
• Manage pre-, during-, and post-event communication and stewardship strategies, utilizing segmentation strategies for different audiences (e.g., new vs. existing supporters, general admission vs. VIP, etc.).
• Manage event logistics, including venues, permits, vendors, catering, AV, volunteers, guest experience, and post-event reporting, communication, and reconciliation
• Ensure events align with brand standards, equity and inclusion principles, and organizational goals
• Track event performance metrics, analyze short-term and long-term ROI, and actively propose recommended improvements

Community Engagement & Partnerships

• Serve as a primary liaison to community partners, businesses, associations, and nonprofit collaborators
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships and programming that advance organizational visibility, mission impact, and resource development
• Represent the organization at community meetings, third-party pick-up beneficiary events, corporate engagement opportunities, and public events; craft and conduct public presentations as needed
• Develop and manage the organization’s Culinary Guest Chef Program, regularly building relationships with local and regional chefs and culinary businesses for partnership
• Identify new opportunities for collaboration, sponsor ships, and community-based initiatives

Public Relations

• Serve as the key point person for the organization’s contract public relations firm
• Support the creation of a public relations strategy that allows Mama’s Kitchen to grow its brand throughout the community.
• Support PR firm in the coordination and execution of opportunities for earned media, including on-site interviews, client interviews, event and special campaign story pitches, and more.
• Communicate cross-functionally with other departments to coordinate on-site media events
• Support the development of talking points, media alerts, press releases, quotes, and op-eds
• Assist with media-friendly events, site visits, and public appearances
• Ensure consistent messaging and storytelling in all community engagements
• On occasion, participate in or serve as an organizational representative in on-camera/audio media opportunities

Marketing and Communications

• Oversee the organization’s marketing and communications strategy to ensure consistent, mission-aligned messaging across all channels
• Collaborate with leadership to develop and execute annual marketing and communications plans, campaigns, and strategies that support organizational goals
• Manage content strategy across digital, print, email, social media, and community-facing materials
• Coordinate with development and volunteer engagement teams to ensure cohesive messaging and organized scheduling of email marketing
• Ensure brand integrity and voice across all communications, campaigns, and public materials
• Supervise and/or collaborate with Marketing & Events Coordinator, consultants, and…