Why Join PAW? At PAW, communications and fundraising are about much more than promoting an organization. They help animals receive care, connect pets with families, support people in our community and make important programs possible.
This position offers the opportunity to gain hands-on experience across social media, communications, fundraising, grant development, events and community engagement, while working alongside an experienced Development team.
For someone looking to grow their skills and build a career in mission-driven work, this role provides the opportunity to learn, contribute and see the impact of their work every day.
Position Summary
People for Animal Wellbeing (PAW) is looking for a creative, organized and community-minded individual to join our Development team as our Communications & Community Engagement Coordinator.
This is an exciting junior-level opportunity for someone who loves storytelling, social media, community connection and meaningful work with animals. The ideal candidate will bring strong writing and research skills and an interest in growing their experience across fundraising, communications and nonprofit development.
Working closely with the Director of Development, the Coordinator will help tell the stories of the animals and people PAW serves, create engaging digital content, support fundraising campaigns and grant activities, and represent PAW at events and within the community.
No two days at PAW are quite the same. One day may involve creating a social media reel about an animal in our care, another researching and drafting a grant application, promoting an upcoming fundraiser, attending a community event, taking photos, creating a graphic, or helping share the impact of a donor's support.
We are looking for someone who is comfortable jumping in, learning, asking questions, bringing ideas forward and becoming an important part of a collaborative, mission-driven team.
Key Responsibilities
Social Media & Digital Engagement
- Take primary responsibility for the planning, creation, scheduling and publishing of engaging content across PAW's social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube and other platforms as required.
- Create mission-aligned graphics, reels, videos, stories, photos and other digital content.
- Help maintain PAW's social media and communications calendar in coordination with organizational priorities, events, programs and fundraising campaigns.
- Monitor social media conversations and respond or escalate questions and comments as appropriate.
- Help ensure PAW's voice, messaging and visual identity remain consistent across platforms.
- Monitor basic social media analytics and help identify opportunities to improve reach and engagement.
- Stay current on social media trends and identify creative ways PAW can tell its story.
Storytelling & Communications
- Help identify and capture meaningful stories about the animals, people, programs, donors, volunteers and community partners connected to PAW.
- Write and edit content for donor communications, fundraising appeals, newsletters, social media, website content and community outreach.
- Assist with PAW's e-newsletters and email marketing initiatives.
- Take photos and videos at the shelter, community events, adoption activities and fundraising initiatives.
- Create visually engaging materials using tools such as Canva.
Fund Development & Grants
- Support the Director of Development with fundraising campaigns, donor communications and stewardship initiatives.
- Research and identify potential grant, foundation, corporate, government and community funding opportunities aligned with PAW’s priorities.
- Write and develop grant applications, proposals, letters of inquiry and supporting materials in collaboration with the Director of Development.
- Gather and synthesize program information, statistics, budgets, outcomes and impact stories required for funding applications.
- Maintain grant calendars, application deadlines, reporting requirements and supporting documentation.
- Assist with the preparation of funder reports, ensuring commitments, outcomes and deadlines are accurately tracked.
- Support donor recognition, stewardship and other fund development activities as required.
Community Engagement & Events
- Represent PAW as a welcoming and professional ambassador at community events, adoption events, fundraisers and other offsite activities.
- Assist with the planning, promotion and execution of PAW fundraising and community events.
- Support event logistics, digital promotion, photography, social media coverage and post-event storytelling.
- Help build and maintain positive relationships with local businesses, community groups, schools, sponsors and other partners.
- Support community outreach initiatives that increase awareness of PAW's programs, services and impact.
Development Team Support
- Work collaboratively with the Director of Development and other PAW departments to identify stories, communications opportunities and fundraising needs.
- Assist with campaign materials, sponsorship recognition, donor presentations and event collateral.
- Help gather and organize statistics, outcomes and success stories for reports, proposals and future campaigns.
- Provide general administrative and project support related to fundraising, communications and community engagement.
What We're Looking For
· Post-secondary education in communications, marketing, public relations, business, nonprofit management, fundraising or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
· Strong research and written communication skills, with the ability to take information from multiple sources and turn it into clear, persuasive and compelling written content.
· Demonstrated ability to write professionally for different audiences; experience with grant writing, funding proposals, research papers or persuasive writing is strongly preferred.
· Ability to research funding opportunities and assess their alignment with organizational programs and priorities.
· Strong storytelling skills and the ability to communicate impact through both written and digital content.
· Comfort and experience using social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.
· Comfortable working in an animal shelter environment and interacting appropriately with animals of varying sizes, personalities and needs.
· Experience using Canva to create engaging digital content.
· Comfort creating and editing photo and video content, including short-form content for social media.
· Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines and competing priorities.
· Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
· Confidence interacting with members of the public, donors, community partners, volunteers and colleagues, with the ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
· Strong judgment and professionalism when communicating on behalf of an organization.
· Comfort working in a busy environment where priorities can change quickly.
· Previous experience in nonprofit, fundraising, event coordination or community engagement is considered an asset.
· Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends for events and community activities.
· A genuine commitment to animal wellbeing and community impact.
Please note: Candidates may be asked to provide samples of their writing, social media content and/or other communications work as part of the selection process.
Pay: $35,000.00-$40,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Dental care
- Employee assistance program
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- Store discount
- Vision care
Work Location: In person
