Communications and Events Coordinator

Organizational Overview: College Unbound (CU) is an accredited and state-approved college whose mission is to reinvent the higher education experience for underrepresented returning adult learners. Through rigorous and engaged scholarship, College Unbound integrates students’ own purposes for learning with the needs of their workplaces and communities, improving the lives of the students and the lives of those they touch. Started in RI, College Unbound now supports students across multiple states and looks to continue to develop an infrastructure to support this developing model.

Position Summary: College Unbound is seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented Communications and Events Coordinator to help advance the mission of the college, promote CU on a national scale, and support the advancement team in raising $5M annually. Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO), the Communications and Events Coordinator plays a key role in elevating CU’s visibility and fundraising capacity through strategic communications, event planning, and donor engagement.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Communications

• Develop and execute CU’s external communications strategy in alignment with organizational goals.
• Work closely with communications consultants to design key communications pieces and develop strong video content.
• Write, edit, and design compelling content for newsletters, press releases, social media, and the CU website.
• Collaborate across CU functional areas to share student and alumni stories across communication channels.
• Maintain a content calendar and ensure timely, consistent messaging across platforms.
• Create and manage digital assets (photos, videos, graphics) in coordination with freelance designers and vendors.
• Track engagement analytics and generate monthly performance reports to guide strategy.

Events

• Plan and execute virtual and in-person events, including donor receptions, public programming, student showcases, commencements, and annual fundraisers.
• Coordinate event logistics, including vendor management, RSVPs, scripts, materials, and staffing.
• Manage event budgets and ensure alignment with CU’s mission and branding.
• Support donor stewardship by facilitating personalized experiences and communications for attendees.

Team and Administrative Support

• Support the advancement team with scheduling, database entry (Charity Engine), and donor acknowledgments.
• Maintain organized documentation of communications strategies, campaigns, and event planning timelines.
• Assist with grant communications and impact storytelling as needed.