Responsibilities

• Develop and lead an organization-wide communications and marketing strategy aligned with WCF’s mission, values, strategic priorities, fundraising goals, racial equity commitments, and community leadership work.
• Steward WCF’s brand, voice, messaging, and reputation across audiences and channels; advise the President & CEO and other leaders on high-impact communications, emerging opportunities, and communications risks.
• Translate complex community issues, data, partnerships, and investments into clear and compelling stories, messages, presentations, and materials that connect mission, evidence, and lived community experience and inspire philanthropy.
• Guide media relations and earned visibility, including relationships with local and regional media, public announcements, thought leadership opportunities, and crisis or rapid-response communications when needed.
• Lead integrated engagement strategies and campaigns for donors, fundholders, nonprofit partners, community members, civic leaders, and other priority audiences across digital, print, email, events, and emerging channels.
• Oversee WCF’s website, social media, email marketing, and public-facing content, using audience insights and analytics to strengthen reach, relevance, and marketing strategies.
• Partner across WCF philanthropy, grants and community engagement, finance, operations, and special initiatives to clarify communications goals, prioritize needs, and coordinate work around organizational priorities.
• Support WCF donor cultivation and stewardship, fundraising campaigns, grantmaking and community initiatives, board and executive communications, and other high-priority organizational work.
• Strengthen internal communications and communications capacity by equipping staff, board members, and ambassadors with clear messages, tools, coaching, and training.
• Build practical communications calendars, workflows, project-intake and prioritization practices, measurement dashboards, and reporting systems appropriate for a small, high-performing organization.

Requirements

• Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in communications, marketing, public relations, journalism, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success developing and implementing strategic communications plans for an organization, initiative, campaign, or major project.
• Exceptional writing, editing, messaging, and storytelling skills across formats and audiences.
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to set priorities, coordinate contributors, and move complex work from strategy through execution.
• Working knowledge of digital communications, email marketing, websites, social media, audience engagement, and analytics.
• Experience advising senior leaders, collaborating across functions, and influencing organizational decision-making.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and community-centered communications.

Preferred

• Experience in philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, community development, public affairs, or another mission-driven setting.
• Experience supporting fundraising, donor engagement, capital campaigns, or major community initiatives.
• Experience working with boards of directors and executive leaders.
• Experience directing or partnering effectively with graphic design, multimedia, photography, video, or other creative specialists.
• Familiarity with Whatcom County and regional issues affecting communities.

Benefits

• medical, vision, dental; paid time off: 20 vacation days, 11 holidays, and sick leave; retirement benefits.