Communications and Events Associate VISTA

What is IYT?

Improve Your Tomorrow (IYT) was founded in 2013 with the mission to increase the number of young men of color (YMOC) to attend and graduate from colleges and universities. We envision a world where men of color are overrepresented in higher education, underrepresented in the criminal justice system, and leaders in their communities. We work to combat academic inequities and build a college-to-community pipeline with remarkable resilience, authenticity, and passion.

What is AmeriCorps VISTA?

Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) is often referred to as the 'domestic Peace Corps.' Individuals who serve as AmeriCorps VISTA members support organizations in making sustainable changes in areas that effect poverty, including education, public health, climate, access to benefits and more. Through activities such as fundraising, grant writing, research, and volunteer recruitment, VISTAs gain professional experience and leadership skills that prepare them for a life of service in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Learn more https://americorps.gov/serve/americorps/americorps-vista 

What exactly do IYT VISTAs do?

IYT's VISTA program is an opportunity for diverse recent college grads or early career professionals to support in IYT's ongoing growth and development as California's leading nonprofit serving young men of color. VISTA's support departments at our National Office in Sacramento as well as directly at our school sites. Activities vary by department but they may include: supporting with developing new programs, working to improve systems to increase efficiency, developing new tools and resources or conducting research and analysis. Overall, these roles support in the capacity building of IYT as we rapidly expand across California and the nation.  

Responsibilities:

Reporting to the Events and Volunteer Manager, the Communications and Events Associate VISTA will: 

• Document departmental processes and procedures to ensure sustainability and streamlined deployment of event planning tools and templates for school programs. 
• Complete training on key communications and event platforms such as Salesforce, Monday.com, Typeform, and Hubspot. 
• Meet with IYT’s founders, visit school sites, and attend program trips to gain an understanding of organization's work, stakeholders, and impact. 
• Work with the Events & Volunteer Manager to analyze and prepare event and communications templates and tools, as well as staff and stakeholder surveys. 
• Draft a 12-month events calendar template to improve strategic planning processes.
• Create an event playbook for a career exposure trip between IYT and community/corporate partners. 
• Review existing documents and interview staff and members who have attended career exposure trips to outline key successes and best practices. 
• Draft and present iterations of the playbook during bi-weekly meetings with marketing and fundraising teams. 
• Take the lead in launching a summer pilot event for the playbook, training program staff and corporate partners identified by the fundraising team. 
• Measure impacts through participant/partner surveys and present the final playbook template to fundraising and marketing teams in August.
• Create an event plan for IYT’s annual AmeriCorps Cohort Orientations and Graduation Ceremonies
• Support the Events & Volunteer Manager in drafting a plan and template for regional teams to use in planning Mentor Fellow Cohort Orientations and Graduations. 
• Draft and send press release templates and work with California Volunteers to build out engagement opportunities for their leadership. 
• Improve IYT’s newsletter and social media content forms to improve processes around content capturing and posting statewide. 
• Review current templates and tools used to capture and highlight program activities as well as past newsletters. 
• Draft monthly content for a newsletter that highlights IYT’s AmeriCorps member's work in each state, developing foundational templates and tools in the process. 
• Present template and tool updates during bi-weekly department meetings.

Qualifications:

• Be 18 years or older (no upper age limit)
• Hold one of the following citizenship or legal residency statuses: US citizen, US National, Lawful Permanent Resident (i.e. Green Card status), and persons legally residing within a state. Examples of persons legally residing within a state may include those holding the following classifications: refugee, asylee, temporary protected status throughout VISTA service, and holding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status.
• Bachelor's degree or working toward a degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Event Management, or a related field.
• Relevant coursework or additional certifications in event planning or communications would be advantageous.
• Experience in event planning, coordination, and execution, preferably in a nonprofit or educational setting.
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, including program managers, fundraising teams, and volunteers.
• Proven experience working in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.
• Strong networking skills with the ability to build and maintain relationships with stakeholders, sponsors, and partners.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience in creating engaging content for various channels, including social media, newsletters, and press releases.
• Familiarity with project management software and tools such as Microsoft Excel, Monday, and Canva.
• Proficiency in using graphic design and multimedia tools for creating promotional materials.
• Flexibility and adaptability to changing priorities and last-minute adjustments inherent in event planning and communications.
  

Benefits of Service: 

• Living Stipend: $877.66 (Pre-Tax) paid biweekly
• Housing Stipend: $250 per month - Must be paid directly to landlord or loan holder if homeowner
• AmeriCorps VISTA Health Benefit Plan - learn more americorpsvista.imglobal.com
• Annual Leave (10 personal days and 10 sick days)
• Non-Competitive Eligibility for federal government employment
• End of Service Award - VISTA's can choose between a Segal Education Award of $7,395 or $1,800 cash stipend
• Professional Development Training from AmeriCorps via webinars or access to self-paced learning modules
  
• Term of service qualifies for Public Student Loan Forgiveness
• Student Loan Deferment and Interest Accrual Payment for qualified student loans
• When you become an IYT VISTA you also become part of the AmeriCorps Volunteer Network and the Employers of National Service jobs network.  This connects mentors to over 600 employers across every sector that highly value and recruit AmeriCorps service members after their year of service.

Additional Benefits with eligibility requirements

• Relocation Allowance - $.40 per mile (if moving over 50 miles to serve)
• Settling-In Allowance - $750 (if moving over 50 miles to serve)
• Child Care - Paid directly to childcare provider - learn more americorpschildcare.com

Length of Service: 

• 40 hours per week
  
• 1 year from start (365 days)
  

Requirement

• A cover letter is not required, however, all application questions must be answered in order to be considered.
• Must complete AmeriCorps application https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?fromSearch=true&id=121304 

Questions: Please email vista@improveyourtomorrow.org

IYT provides equal employment opportunities to all employees, service members and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Please note that this position is contingent upon the availability of grant funding

Salary : $250