Communications Director

About Tipping Point

Tipping Point finds, funds, and strengthens the most promising poverty-fighting solutions so one day everyone in the Bay Area can prosper. Since 2005, Tipping Point has invested over $440 million in community interventions, policy change, and new ideas. Last year, our grantees provided life-changing services in housing, early childhood, education, and employment to nearly 90,000 of our neighbors across the Bay Area. Visit www.tippingpoint.org to learn more.

Values

• Tipping Point’s core values are at the heart of everything we do and we look for individuals who share our commitments:
• We cultivate community because we know we are more powerful together.
• We practice gratitude.
• We hold ourselves accountable to achieving impact for and with the communities we serve.
• We relentlessly pursue equity because one’s background and identities should not predetermine one’s opportunities.

Position Overview

The Communications Director is a highly strategic and tactical communications professional who is an experienced manager and writer. They are responsible for overseeing and executing the communication strategy and activities that raise funds for Tipping Point’s work and elevate our brand in the community. They understand fundraising strategy, how to communicate a case for support, and how to target an audience of current and prospective donors. The Communications Director has experience building a digital communications strategy, and will oversee and improve the organization’s digital communications channels, including email, web, and social media. They direct a team of internal staff and external creative vendors to produce compelling communications campaigns and event programs that enhance the organization’s brand.

This position reports to the Chief Communications + Events Officer and supervises three to four team members. The Communications Director works in close partnership with the Development department as well as all of the Executive Team members including the CEO.

Responsibilities

Strategy + Execution

• Partner with the Chief Communications + Events Officer and Program Communications Director to set annual communication strategy and goals; evaluate team’s progress against goals.
• Develop consistent external messaging that communicates Tipping Point’s case for support to donors and prospective donors; ensure the message and tone of each channel is communicating this case.
• Partner with the Program Communications Director to oversee the organization’s editorial calendar; implement systems and tools for efficient and effective cross-team information sharing.
• Build and develop Tipping Point’s digital communications strategy; optimize new and existing channels to drive donations and build the pipeline of supporters.
• Direct a process to regularly update external messaging so that staff are prepared with consistent, compelling, and current talking points about Tipping Point’s strategy and impact.
• Collaborate internally and externally to produce high-quality fundraising events, maintaining Tipping Point’s reputation as innovative, intentional, and bold.
• Oversee storytelling arc at fundraising events; write speeches and talking points as needed.
• Manage external vendors and creative partners to produce campaigns and events that effectively cultivate and steward our community of funders.
• Collaborate to set strategy for executive visibility; advise and support CEO on external opportunities including speaking engagements, press, and social media.

Management + Leadership

• Manage and develop a team of communication professionals; establish and hold the team accountable for annual performance goals and support identification of professional development opportunities to expand skills and competencies.
• Lead internal coordination and collaboration across the communication team by designing and executing effective team meetings, aligned with strategy and goals.
• Assist Chief Communications and Events Officer with budgeting and staff development.

All other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

In addition to our core values, Tipping Point staff exhibit four core competencies: flexibility, exceptional communication skills, ability to work well on a team, and the ability to continuously problem solve in the face of challenges.

Additionally, the Communications Director must have:

• Well-developed knowledge of the communications/marketing field, including experience leading communication strategy, converting complex topics into accessible stories, creatively using social media/technology, and experience in planning, writing, editing, and production of press, print, and digital materials.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with a broad array of stakeholders, use ideation and creativity to approach work, remain adaptable in a constantly shifting environment, and stay focused on quality
• Demonstrated application of a strategic mindset that can see ahead to future possibilities and translate them into breakthrough strategies, backed by the ability to determine goals, actions, and resources required to implement those strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to develop others, build effective teams, and direct work in an engaging way
• Exceptional writing skills, ability to vary messages in a compelling way to different stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability leading strategic communications to make complex topics accessible and actionable, in ways that resonate with broad and differing stakeholder groups and translate strategy into results.
• Commitment to Tipping Point’s mission and values and ability to operate with the highest degree of integrity in representing the organization

Nice To Haves:

• Experience working with philanthropy, wealth management, development, or non-profit organizations.
• Local knowledge of the Bay Area philanthropic community is a plus.

“Nice to have” really means just that; it’s entirely possible that you don’t have any of these and are still a great fit. It’s not expected that any single candidate would have expertise across all of these areas — we’re looking for candidates that are particularly strong in a few areas, and have some interest and capabilities in others.

Salary + Classification

Tipping Point is committed to paying competitive wages. In an effort to increase equity, because we know that salary negotiations tend to have an unfair bias, we do not participate in a salary negotiation process for any candidate. We will make our best offer, and it will be the same regardless of the candidate. The annual starting salary for the Communications Director role is $160,000. This position meets the exemption requirements as defined by state and federal law. Exempt employees are paid on a salaried basis, and their salary is intended to constitute their entire regular compensation, regardless of the number of hours they work; therefore, exempt employees are not eligible for overtime pay.

Hybrid Work Environment

Tipping Point is committed to the safety of our staff and to facilitating connection and community with one another. While we were remote for almost two years, we are a highly in-person culture and have moved into a hybrid work environment. While managers have some discretion over the schedule, teams are generally expected to be in person Tuesday-Thursdays. All other days staff may choose to work in the office or remotely. Please note that in a constantly changing environment, Tipping Point may adjust this arrangement as it sees the need to.