External Affairs Coordinator

Organization Overview:

At Literacy Academy Collective (LAC), we believe access to literacy is the most pressing Civil Rights issue in New York City. Only 32% of NY State 8th graders scored at or above proficiency and in Rikers Island, 30-40% of incarcerated individuals between age 19-21 have reading and writing disabilities. Our mission is to build and support a network of NYCPS schools that will allow children with dyslexia, LBLDs, and other struggling readers to achieve academic success. We aim to bring culturally relevant, structured literacy to students at the intersection of race, poverty, and disability. Our schools will serve as labs for evidence-based practice and innovation in teaching, affecting students, teachers, and leadership in each borough of NYC. Following a successful pilot, we launched our first school, South Bronx Literacy Academy, located in District 7 in Fall 2023. Our students on average made over a year’s worth of growth from the beginning of last year to the beginning of this year. We are beginning to close the gap for the students who have historically been the most difficult to move. Our parent-community feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. We opened our second school, Central Brooklyn Literacy Academy, in September 2025.

Position Overview:

LAC is seeking an External Affairs Coordinator to manage logistics for fundraising and community engagement. This position is a key driver of the LAC team, providing project management support for our Director of Community & Family Engagement and Director of External Affairs & Strategy. If you want to play a pivotal role in building a nonprofit for rapid growth while learning from thought leaders in the educational equity field, this role is for you.

Primary Responsibilities:

Operational & Project Management Support (45%)

• Monitor grant deadlines and reporting requirements to ensure all submissions are timely and accurate.
• Track engagement with current and past donors and update leadership on appropriate opportunities to re-engage.
• Identify potential funding opportunities that align with LAC’s mission and priorities.
• Identify challenges and decision points related to fundraising, donor stewardship, and grants management, escalating key issues to leadership and implementing solutions as directed.
• Implement and track community engagement project plan based on student enrollment processes to increase operational efficiency
• Support outreach to prospective families about school admissions by maintaining detailed records of all interactions to support enrollment and follow-up efforts

Communications (20%)

• Create donor communications including acknowledgment letters, appeals, impact reports, and newsletter content to support fundraising and stewardship efforts
• Manage social media accounts and website updates, developing content that highlights student achievements, program outcomes, and community stories
• Design marketing materials for enrollment, events, and community outreach including flyers, brochures, and digital assets

Event Management (20%)

• Coordinate event logistics for donor and community events under direction of appropriate supervisor: manage venues, catering, vendors, invitations, volunteers, and day-of operations in partnership with the respective director based on event type.
• Communicate event details and logistics to school stakeholders and community partners to ensure seamless event delivery.
• Support post-event follow-up including stakeholder feedback collection and donor stewardship activities to maximize relationship-building outcomes.

Ad Hoc Support (15%)

• Interface and support the school instructional team as needed on-site at our Bronx and Brooklyn schools

The person who will thrive in this role is someone with…

• A deep commitment to supporting students at the intersection of race, poverty, and disability, and to the principles of equity and inclusion.
• The experience and skills to communicate effectively both orally and in writing with team members and external parties across a broad range of stakeholders
• The desire and agility to thrive in a rapidly changing environment where direction may come from more than one leader; demonstrated ability to reprioritize and manage up when prioritization challenges arise
• Ability to create and maintain systems that enhance organizational efficiency; ability to create, document, and manage processes and procedures
• Highly resourceful and problem-solving team player, with the ability to be extremely effective independently
• Strong organizational skills to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly with excellent attention to detail across a wide array of projects
• The passion and ability to manage and problem-solve with and on behalf of leaders
• The desire to receive and integrate feedback to enable self-improvement and achieve higher professional and project-related performance
• An optimistic and upbeat attitude with a self-reflective and thoughtful maturity that recognizes and understands the diversity of the team and the work
• Solid interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with multiple stakeholders including school staff, donors, families, and leadership

Qualifications:

• Excellent organizational and project management skills.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in nonprofit operations, donor relations, event coordination, communications, or related field.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with demonstrated ability to engage diverse stakeholders
• Experience with social media management, digital marketing tools, and CRM systems (Bloomerang, or similar platform preferred)
• Familiarity with public school systems and educational operations
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience
• Spanish proficiency preferred

What We Offer

• Remote work one-time setup stipend
• Generous paid time off, including holidays and a flexible vacation policy
• Monthly wellness stipend
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with 3% employer match
• Professional development budget
• Hybrid work environment

Spanish proficiency preferred