Organizational Description:

Beneficial State Foundation is a unique foundation whose mission is to create, guide, and promote a new, beneficial banking model that transforms the banking industry.

Rather than grant making, we are the primary owner of two triple-bottom-line banks – Beneficial State Bank and Albina Community Bank – and our work is to help define, drive, measure, and strengthen the social and environmental work of the banks. We play a key role in connecting nonprofits, social-impact businesses, other foundations, and the bank in order to fund and support community- and environmentally-focused projects and programs.

Beyond our own banks, the foundation is also helping to build a movement toward a financial system that nourishes rather than extracts from communities. We seek to change the banking system for good.

Position Overview:

Beneficial State Foundation seeks to hire a Community and Media Relations Officer to play a dual function: (1) be the connector role in Oakland/Bay Area and (2) help manage media relations on behalf of the organization.

The candidate should be fluent in English and Spanish. This person should possess the ability to work independently and with many projects and departments. The position requires the use of initiative, creativity, and diplomacy in efforts to meet the foundation's mission, including the continued expansion of the bank's name recognition in our three-state market and beyond.

This person will help to garner media attention by carrying the voice of Beneficial State, positioning us as a new, unique bank model that strives to “benefit all, and harm none” through mission-driven and impact-focused banking. Responsible for informing the media when something newsworthy happens within our organizations, this person may also help field incoming requests to the appropriate team member. The individual should be able to maintain confidentiality and work efficiently with stakeholders from very diverse backgrounds.

The Community and Media Relations Officer will report to the foundation's Deputy Director in Oakland regarding community engagement efforts, and to the foundation’s Strategic Communications Director for media-related work. This person will also work closely with the Oakland loans and deposits team and the bank’s marketing department.

The job may include working with and supervising volunteers, interns, collaborators and consultants to help achieve the goals of the foundation. The position requires a moderate amount of traveling and participation in evening and weekend events. The person in this position is also expected to help coordinate some events and special projects designated by the foundation or Oakland branch as described in the duties section below.

Responsibilities:

Media Relations

1. Help coordinate all media activities and manage incoming and outgoing requests. Establish a sustainable, strategic approach to media relations with the goals of supporting industry awareness and positioning Beneficial State as a progressive thought leader in our industry. Maintain a keen understanding of industry trends affecting clients and peers and make appropriate recommendations regarding communications strategy. Help to simplify, clarify, and improve Beneficial State’s internal and external facing communications.

• Actively reach out to media outlets with newsworthy stories and commentary on current affairs.
• Build and maintain relationships with journalists, bloggers, influencers, thought leaders, and other media contacts to place stories about company news and other initiatives.
• Prepare weekly briefing for management on relevant trending media issues.
• Track media inquiries and interview requests.
• Leverage existing media relationships and cultivate new contacts with industry media.
• Ensure media relations contact list is always up-to-date.
• Follow up with all reporters (including making corrections or clarifications to garnered press when necessary).
• Create and maintain a repository of Beneficial State press and media, tracking media mentions.
• Make full use of Meltwater platform functionality.

2. Draft and edit content, often on behalf of Beneficial State leadership.

• Seek, track, and evaluate op-ed opportunities.
• Collaborate on crafting and pitching press releases and thought leadership columns.
• Maintain and create content for blog, in coordination with foundation communications team.
• Share information and develop content for social media in conjunction with foundation communications team.

3. Represent the organization at public events, and evaluate and pursue speaking engagement opportunities, industry events, and awards, in coordination with bank marketing and foundation communications team.

Community Engagement

1. Strategically outreach to nonprofits, social impact businesses, and foundations in Oakland and the Bay Area and connect them to the bank with the goal of increasing Beneficial State’s understanding of the community’s needs, its impact in the community, and its mission-aligned deposits and lending. Continue to expand the local awareness and profile of the bank with mission-aligned entities by continuing and cultivating strategic contacts and relationships.

• Research, recommend, and implement strategic alliances with businesses, financial institutions, nonprofit organizations, foundations, and associations.
• Participate individually and in conjunction with loan and deposit staff in networking events, fundraisers, educational events and appointments as necessary within targeted sectors.

3. Develop and manage community events, forums, and strategic meetings as needed in support of our mission and target sectors

• Find and secure venues.
• Manage budgets within given parameters.
• Coordinate marketing channels, materials, invitations and RSVP tracking.
• Coordinate and communicate with aligned associations and groups, alternative funders, B Corps, and others.

4. Attend regular community events to represent the bank and foundation.

5. Support marketing efforts of foundation and bank.

• Coordinate with marketing team in implementation of marketing plans/activities.
• Recommend local and regional avenues for marketing.
• Recommend and forward topics to marketing team for social media outreach.
• Create and distribute Beneficial State Ambassador communications.

6. Update and maintain organizational database systems, including Salesforce and other tracking systems within the Foundation.

• Maintain contact databases for marketing, brand awareness and event invitation efficiency.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• Collaborate on and assist with projects led by other foundation staff.
• Anticipate and assist in resolving situations without continuous supervision.
• Other duties as assigned.

You are:

• A social justice advocate committed to advancing a progressive agenda
• An experienced communications professional with strong writing and proofreading skills
• Politically savvy; you understand what makes an item newsworthy and have your finger on the pulse of current events
• Outgoing; a natural connector who communicates with confidence, tact, and diplomacy
• Comfortable talking to the media and equipped with an understanding of what makes a good story
• Extremely responsive to requests with excellent attention to detail and accuracy; able to handle multiple projects under pressure and meet deadlines
• Able to cooperatively structure and independently execute work-plans for various projects
• A strategic thinker who tends to see the big picture
• An independent, proactive go-getter who is passionate about connecting people to each other and to resources
• Comfortable operating in an entrepreneurial setting and able to adapt quickly to a continuously evolving organization
• Humble and enjoy supporting and celebrating the success of colleagues

Requirements:

• BA/MA degree in Business Administration, Public Policy, Communications, Marketing or a related discipline
• 3-5 years minimum professional experience in politics, social impact, or nonprofit sector
• Demonstrated ability to conceptualize and develop new programs and initiatives
• Proven relationship building and networking skills
• Proven track record designing and executing successful (public) media relations campaigns at both a local and multi-state level
• Exceptional writing, editing, and proofreading skills.
• Solid experience with digital and social media including blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
• Solid computer skills including Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint
• Knowledge of banking or finance is preferred
• Familiarity with Salesforce a plus
• Proficiency in Spanish required

Please email a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to [email protected] | www.beneficialstate.org. Please include “Community and Media Relations Officer” in your email’s subject line.

Please, no phone calls.

Compensation: Salary commensurate with experience and offering excellent benefits including health, dental, vision, 401k and more.

Beneficial State Foundation provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants in all company facilities without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, pregnancy, childbirth, physical disability, mental and/or intellectual disability, age, military status or status as a Vietnam-era or special disabled veteran, marital status, registered domestic partner or civil union status, gender (including sex stereotyping and gender identity or expression), medical condition (including, but not limited to, cancer related or HIV/AIDS related), genetic information, or sexual orientation in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.