A Day in the Life of a Director of Communications and Outreach at Lumina Alliance
A Director of Communications and Outreach at a non-profit experiences "no day [that] looks the same," juggling tasks from drafting press releases and coordinating campaigns ("talking to the graphic designer, talking to the grant people") to community presentations and direct client services, even answering the crisis line. This variety reflects the dynamic needs of a non-profit with limited resources, where the role demands adaptability and a broad skill set.
Communication, Project Management, Teamwork, Problem-Solving, Leadership
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Clementine Ellis
Director of Communications and Outreach
Lumina Alliance
Agnes Scott College
University of Florida, MA, Sociology
Anthropology, Sociology
Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Communication and Marketing
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, LGBTQ
Video Highlights
1. No two days are alike in this role, highlighting the dynamic and ever-changing nature of the job.
2. The Director juggles multiple tasks, including drafting press releases, coordinating with vendors, giving community presentations, and managing social media, showcasing the multifaceted responsibilities of the position.
3. The job involves direct client interaction, such as answering crisis calls, demonstrating the personal and impactful aspect of the work and the potential to help others directly.
4.
Transcript
What does a day in the life of a director of communications and outreach look like?
This is an annoying answer, but no day looks the same. I think that's true for anyone working in this role or in the nonprofit world in general.
Nonprofits have limited resources. We're always trying to save money anywhere we can because we want the majority of our funding to go towards clients and the direct outreach we do. There is always something to be done, and there is no shortage of tasks.
An average day for me might include drafting materials. I might come in and draft a press release if there was some news story relevant to us that came out over the weekend or overnight. I'll follow up with media contacts and vendors.
For example, right now we're doing a campaign about our housing program, and we have four billboards going up throughout the county. So I'm talking to the graphic designer, the grant people, and the billboard company, just making sure everyone is on the same page.
I might also go out and give a presentation in the community. I just did one last week for the Department of Social Services to make sure our community partners know who we are. I attend internal and external meetings.
I'm always constantly checking social media, seeing what's going on, and making sure that we're posting consistently, that our posts are factual, trustworthy, and high quality. I have a team that helps me with that, but I also respond to DMs and comments.
I also still do a lot of client services. We are in constant need of people willing to answer our crisis line and talk to clients. My phone is connected to the crisis line, and usually an advocate answers before I get the chance. But if I hear it ringing for a long time, I'll pick it up, talk to a client, and see what I can do for them.
That was a long day I just described. Really, there is no average day. It responds to the immediate needs of the organization.