Marketing & Media Coordinator

Marketing & Media Coordinator

About Darkness RISING 

Darkness RISING Project is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides direct mental health resources, connects individuals with therapists of color, and helps those in the Black community have conversations about their mental health and emotional well-being. We accomplish this by partnering with mental health providers, mental health educators, and Black performers from the Broadway community to create events, seminars, and direct resources where the intersection between mental health education and the arts collide. 

About this Role

The Marketing & Media Coordinator will manage and cultivate media relationships, secure corporate sponsorships, execute marketing campaigns, and provide strategic recommendations to the Executive Director. This role blends hands-on campaign execution with high-level media outreach and sponsorship development, with a strong emphasis on securing broadcast placements including television segments, radio interviews, and podcast features, as well as identifying and stewarding corporate partners who align with our mission. The ideal candidate brings existing media and corporate relationships and a track record of getting organizations on air and funded.

This role operates in close collaboration with the Executive Director, who sets strategic direction and approves all external messaging and partnership agreements and the Development Director to ensure sponsorship and media efforts align with broader fundraising goals.

Job Type: Contractor

Pay Rate: $35/hourly

Hours: 10/week 

Location: Remote, based in NYC, with occasional in-person events in New York + 

covered travel to NC

Duration: April 2026 - August 2026 with a possibility of an extension. 

Essential Functions

Individuals may perform other duties as assigned.

Key Responsibilities

Media & Public Relations

• Own and cultivate relationships with journalists, producers, bookers, influencers, and media outlets with particular focus on broadcast media.
• Proactively pitch and secure on-air opportunities including television segments, radio features, and podcast appearances for the Executive Director, artists and organizational spokespeople.
• Pitch stories and secure media coverage for events, programs, and organizational initiatives across print, digital, and broadcast platforms.
• Prepare spokespeople for on-air interviews, including talking points, format guidance, and logistics coordination.
• Draft and distribute press releases, media kits, one-pagers, and other outreach materials.
• Track and report all media coverage, including broadcast placements,  to the Executive Director and Development Director. 

Corporate Sponsorship Development & Management

• Identify, research, and cultivate relationships with prospective corporate sponsors whose values and audiences align with Darkness RISING's mission.
• Develop and present compelling sponsorship proposals and partnership packages tailored to individual corporate prospects.
• Negotiate sponsorship agreements in collaboration with the Executive Director, ensuring mutual benefit and mission alignment.
• Manage active sponsor relationships through consistent communication, deliverable fulfillment, and stewardship, ensuring sponsors feel valued and informed throughout the partnership.
• Coordinate sponsor recognition across events, marketing materials, digital platforms, and media outreach.
• Track sponsorship pipeline activity, deadlines, and renewal opportunities; report regularly to the Executive Director and Development Director
• Develop and maintain a sponsorship prospecting list organized by industry, giving capacity, and relationship status.
• Work with the Development Director to align sponsorship strategies. 

Campaign Execution

• Coordinate email campaigns, community outreach, and influencer partnerships.
• Support promotion of in-person and virtual events, including sponsor-integrated programming.
• Maintain and actively grow media and sponsor contact lists, organized by outlet, beat, industry, and relationship tier.
• Monitor and report on campaign performance.

Strategic Input

• Provide strategic options and recommendations to the Executive Director for marketing campaigns, media engagement, and sponsorship growth.
• Suggest creative approaches for increasing visibility, engagement, participation, and corporate partnership opportunities

Optional Social Media Responsibilities - Increased pay rate

• Manage and post to social media platforms
• Integrate social media campaigns with media, sponsorship, and event promotions.
• Track engagement metrics and report on performance.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated success securing on-air media placements — including TV segments, radio interviews, and podcast features — for organizations, causes, or clients.
• Proven experience identifying, pitching, and closing corporate sponsorships
• Experience managing sponsor relationships from agreement through fulfillment, including recognition coordination and renewal outreach.
• Existing relationships with NYC-area and/or NC-area journalists, producers, bookers, or corporate partnership decision-makers, particularly in sectors aligned with health, wellness, social justice, or community development, strongly preferred.
• Comfort serving as a media liaison and preparing spokespeople for on-air interviews.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to craft compelling press materials, sponsorship proposals, and pitches.
• Experience with email campaigns, PR outreach, and event promotion.
• Self-starter, organized, and able to manage multiple relationships and deadlines independently while staying closely aligned with organizational leadership.
• Optional: social media management (Additional pay) 

Portfolio & Assessment Requirements

All applicants must submit a portfolio that demonstrates real, documented results. We are specifically looking for broadcast experience and corporate sponsorship success.

Required Portfolio Materials

• Broadcast placement links: YouTube clips, podcast episode links, or recordings of TV segments or radio interviews you personally booked. 
• Your role, clearly described: For each major placement or sponsorship, briefly describe your specific contribution — did you identify the outlet or sponsor, write the pitch, make the call, negotiate the deal, manage the relationship? We want to understand your specific role. 
• Sponsorship example: Share a corporate sponsorship you helped secure — the prospect you identified, the proposal or pitch you developed, the outcome, and how you managed the relationship. Feel free to edit for confidentiality. 

Optional Portfolio Additions

• Sponsorship proposal or partnership package you've developed.
• Social media examples and performance metrics.
• Press releases, media kits, or pitch templates you've developed.

Skills

• Experience using email marketing platforms such as MailChimp or equivalent.
• Proficient in Google Suite or related software.
• Extremely organized with strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple relationships and deadlines simultaneously.
• Ability to be discreet with sensitive organizational information
• Ideal, not required: Proficient in a CRM platform for managing media and sponsor contact pipelines is

Education & Experience

• At least two years of experience in media relations, PR, or corporate sponsorship development — nonprofit experience a plus.
• Passion for our mission and the communities we serve.

To apply, email info@darknessrisingproject.org with the required portfolio materials. 

GET TO KNOW US: 

darknessrisingproject.org   @darknessrisingproject

We believe in:

• Actively affirming the Black community, the LGBTQIA community, and intersecting, marginalized communities 
• Providing access to underutilized mental health resources 
• Respecting relationships with sponsors, partners and community members
• Acting with integrity in all circumstances
• Using innovation and creativity to enhance our resources
• Recognizing the value that each individual contributes to our overall goal

CONDITIONS: All work is subject to approval by the Executive Director. This job description is subject to change by the employer as the organizational needs and requirements of the job change.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT:  To accomplish this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to help enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Most work will be performed indoors in a home/school office. Work may be conducted occasionally in other indoor locations, such as meeting or event spaces, or in outdoor venues for special events. 
• Outdoor event work may require lifting 5-10 lbs. 
• Work requires frequent written communication
• Most work requires frequent sitting and operating a computer

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT STATEMENT:

Darkness RISING values a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture — women, Black, Indigenous and other people of color, individuals with disabilities, and people from other underrepresented communities are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, age, creed, religion, physical ability, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, sexual orientation, previous incarceration, languages spoken, socioeconomic status, veteran status, union membership or activism, or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law.

Note: Research shows that while men apply for positions when they meet an average of 60% of the requirements, women, Black people, people of color, and other historically underrepresented groups only apply when they check every box. If you feel like this is the position for you even though you don’t check every box please apply, you could be exactly what we’re looking for.