Senior Director of Brand Ventures & Publishing (Volunteer)

Senior Director of Brand Ventures & Publishing (Volunteer)

PromiseBrands | Publishing Operations, Brand Ventures & Revenue Growth

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Division: PromiseBrands

Location: Remote with NYC-based collaboration as needed

Commitment: Approximately 5–10 hours per week

Type: Volunteer Senior Leadership Role

Minimum Commitment: 6-month commitment required

Reports To: Chief Brand Officer

About Mentor A Promise

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City–based nonprofit organization serving children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability through mentorship, literacy, social-emotional learning, educational enrichment, workforce development, creative opportunity, advocacy, housing innovation, and community-centered support.

MAP believes that powerful stories, mission-driven products, and innovative brand experiences can generate awareness, strengthen community engagement, and create sustainable resources that support children and families.

About PromiseBrands

PromiseBrands is MAP's brand strategy, marketing, publishing operations, merchandise, digital brand experience, social enterprise, licensing, and revenue growth division.

The division transforms creative ideas, intellectual property, educational content, and mission-driven products into opportunities that expand impact, strengthen visibility, and support organizational sustainability.

PromiseBrands serves as the bridge between creativity and community engagement, ensuring that MAP's stories, products, and brands reach audiences in meaningful ways.

Role Overview

The Senior Director of Brand Ventures & Publishing serves as the senior leader responsible for publishing operations, brand ventures, product commercialization, licensing opportunities, merchandise expansion, and earned-revenue initiatives across Mentor A Promise.

This role oversees the strategic growth of MAP's books, educational resources, merchandise, toys, apparel, digital products, and future brand ventures while helping transform intellectual property and creative assets into sustainable opportunities for mission impact.

Working closely with PromisePages, PromiseStudios, PromiseVoice, PromiseLearning, and executive leadership, the Senior Director helps build and scale a portfolio of mission-driven products, publishing initiatives, and brand ventures.

The ideal candidate is entrepreneurial, strategic, creative, and passionate about building sustainable social enterprise opportunities that advance MAP's mission.

Key Responsibilities

Brand Ventures Strategy

• Develop and lead MAP's brand ventures and commercialization strategy
• Identify opportunities for sustainable revenue generation and growth
• Support development of mission-aligned products and initiatives
• Evaluate new venture opportunities and expansion strategies
• Build long-term plans for organizational growth through brand ventures

Publishing Operations

• Oversee publishing operations for books, educational resources, and literary products
• Support production, distribution, and publishing workflows
• Strengthen publishing systems and operational effectiveness
• Coordinate publishing initiatives across creative and operational teams
• Expand opportunities for mission-driven publishing

Merchandise & Product Development

• Oversee merchandise and consumer product initiatives
• Support development of books, toys, apparel, educational products, and branded merchandise
• Collaborate on product launches and seasonal campaigns
• Strengthen product portfolio planning and management
• Ensure products align with MAP's mission and brand standards

Licensing & Intellectual Property Expansion

• Explore licensing and partnership opportunities
• Support expansion of MAP's intellectual property portfolio
• Collaborate with creative teams on franchise and character-based opportunities
• Identify opportunities for brand growth and distribution
• Support stewardship of organizational intellectual property assets

Revenue Growth & Social Enterprise

• Support earned-revenue strategies and social enterprise initiatives
• Monitor performance of publishing and product initiatives
• Identify opportunities to strengthen sustainability and growth
• Support development of long-term revenue diversification strategies
• Provide recommendations to leadership regarding venture performance

Cross-Divisional Collaboration

• Partner with PromisePages on literary properties and content development
• Collaborate with PromiseStudios on media and creative assets
• Work with PromiseVoice on promotional campaigns and audience engagement
• Support PromiseLearning educational publishing opportunities
• Align brand ventures with organizational priorities

Senior Leadership Responsibilities

The Senior Director provides leadership and oversight for:

Publishing Operations

Responsible for:

• Publishing workflows
• Production coordination
• Distribution support
• Publishing growth

Brand Ventures

Responsible for:

• New initiatives
• Venture development
• Growth opportunities
• Strategic partnerships

Merchandise & Consumer Products

Responsible for:

• Product development
• Merchandise strategy
• Product launches
• Portfolio management

Licensing & Commercialization

Responsible for:

• Licensing opportunities
• Brand expansion
• Intellectual property activation
• Strategic growth initiatives

Potential Reporting Structure

Director of Merchandise & Social Enterprise

Director of E-Commerce & Retail Operations

Director of Publishing Operations

Director of Licensing & Brand Partnerships

Publishing Coordinators

Merchandise Coordinators

E-Commerce Specialists

Brand Venture Associates

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in publishing, licensing, social enterprise, brand management, product development, consumer products, entrepreneurship, business development, or related fields
• Strong strategic planning and operational leadership skills
• Experience managing products, ventures, or revenue-generating initiatives
• Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities
• Entrepreneurial mindset with strong business acumen
• Passion for mission-driven innovation and social impact

Why This Role Matters

Great organizations create impact.

Sustainable organizations create impact that lasts.

The Senior Director of Brand Ventures & Publishing helps transform creativity, storytelling, intellectual property, and mission-driven products into opportunities that strengthen awareness, engagement, and long-term sustainability.

This role helps ensure that every product, publication, and venture contributes to greater opportunity for children and families experiencing housing instability.

Success Measures

• Growth of publishing and brand venture initiatives
• Expansion of merchandise and consumer product offerings
• Development of strategic partnerships and licensing opportunities
• Revenue growth from earned-income initiatives
• Strength of publishing operations and product launches
• Contribution to organizational sustainability and impact

Leadership Participation

The Senior Director of Brand Ventures & Publishing is expected to:

• Attend divisional leadership meetings
• Conduct regular check-ins with direct reports
• Participate in strategic planning and organizational initiatives
• Support cross-divisional collaboration and leadership alignment

Volunteer Expectations

• Approximately 5–10 hours per week
• Minimum 6-month commitment required
• Maintain timely and professional communication
• Collaborate through MAP systems and communication platforms
• Support MAP's safeguarding standards, mission, and organizational values
• Foster an inclusive, supportive, and mission-driven culture

What You'll Gain

• Senior leadership experience within a growing nonprofit organization
• Opportunity to help build publishing, merchandise, and social enterprise initiatives
• Collaboration with creative leaders, entrepreneurs, marketers, and executive teams
• Professional references and letters of recommendation
• Meaningful impact supporting children and families experiencing housing instability

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist and include their resume and cover letter.

Please highlight experience involving publishing, licensing, entrepreneurship, brand management, product development, merchandising, social enterprise, business development, or related disciplines.

Help transform stories, products, and ideas into opportunities that strengthen impact, sustainability, and possibility through Mentor A Promise.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, and programmatic requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.