Marketing & Communications Intern

CalHDF is a non-profit housing organization that uses legal advocacy and education to hold cities accountable and get housing built. If you have a love of housing, messaging, design, and word play, we can use your help. CalHDF is working on upping our public profile going through a rebranding, redesign, and rethinking of our public-facing strategy. This is a great opportunity to be part of the team and help craft our brand and message almost from scratch.

About CalHDF

The California Housing Defense Fund (CalHDF) is a 501c3 nonprofit with a core mission to increase the affordability and accessibility of housing in California by using legal advocacy and education to ensure cities comply with their own zoning ordinances and state housing law. We are the first and preeminent non-profit in California that has focused on making sure that the hard-won legislative wins for housing at the State Capitol translate into real change for struggling Californians. We work with homeowners, small developers, and city and state government officials, providing free legal aid, education and workshops, counseling and advocacy, and pursuing housing impact litigation.

About the Position

The Marketing & Communication Intern reports directly to the Director of External Affairs and acts as support to the larger five-person team.

This temporary paid internship is 8-10 hours a week at a rate $20/hr. This position is normally located in Oakland, CA, but is a temporarily remote position. A preference will be given to those in the SF Bay Area as we have occasional in-person meet ups, then to Californians generally or those with specific knowledge and/or experience with California housing. The internship term is flexible, and would be extended for the right candidate.

Summary of Essential Job Functions:

Marketing and Communications

• Work with team to envision and create custom short-form content for the organization’s social media channels (Twitter and LinkedIn)
• Brainstorm campaign ideas
• Create graphics with Adobe Suite and/or Canva
• Provide suggestions to management for improving client/community experience on social platforms and internal processes.
• Develop content library to include graphics, headlines, quotes, and marketing verbiage
• Develop content calendar on a weekly/monthly basis
• Help prepare PR materials including press releases, social media threads, and email blasts
• Update and maintain list of relevant journalists for press releases

Development and Events

• Help develop donor outreach and thank you materials
• Review our donor lists and help form outreach strategies and materials to re-engage former donors
• Provide support at and for fundraising and educational events
• Coordinate mailing of personalized donor gifts and thank you letters

Education

• Help create educational materials for homeowners, small developers, and governmental agencies to more easily understand and navigate current and proposed changes to housing law
• Review CalHDF’s library of past and current housing impact litigation and help simplify our work for non-lawyer audiences
• Research and prepare support material for educational and fundraising materials around changing housing prices, demographics, and general trends across California

Requirements

Experience and Qualifications:

• Familiarity with housing at the state and local levels and a passion to get more housing built
• Familiarity with or interest in the general concepts of urban planning in relation to housing
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills
• Familiarity and experience with managing professional social media accounts (Twitter and LinkedIn) and creating custom short-form content
• Proficiency with Google Suite
• Experience with WordPress, Divi, and/or the desire and ability to learn these tools quickly
• Knowledgeable about the basics of design, experience in Adobe Suite and/or Canva a plus
• Community outreach and/or marketing experience, preferred
• Experience with videography/photography a plus
• Exceptional time-management and organizational skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with others
• Applicants with experience or coursework in Marketing, Journalism, Communications, English, Urban Planning, Photography or other communications/creative-intensive discipline are encouraged to apply
• Exemplify highest standards of integrity, professionalism, discretion, excellence and accountability; demonstrates emotional intelligence and self-awareness; inspires confidence and trust; welcomes feedback.
• Exercises initiative to identify and solve problems with drive, flexibility, resourcefulness and creativity.
• Able to interact in an effective, tactful and professional manner internally, externally and with the public at large; responds graciously and promptly to the needs and requests of others.
• Plan to participate in communications efforts and public events/activities as a member of the development and communications team.

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