Senior Director of Brand Strategy & Identity (Volunteer)

Senior Director of Brand Strategy & Identity (Volunteer)

PromiseBrands | Brand Strategy, Identity, Positioning & Organizational Reputation

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 of Brands

About Mentor A Promise

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

Every child is a Promise.

As MAP continues to grow across education, publishing, media, technology, housing, workforce development, and community engagement, maintaining a clear, trusted, and mission-driven identity becomes essential to sustaining impact and building public trust.

About PromiseBrands

PromiseBrands is MAP's brand strategy, marketing, communications, audience development, creative campaigns, and organizational identity division.

The division is responsible for shaping how Mentor A Promise is understood, experienced, trusted, and remembered by children, families, volunteers, partners, funders, educators, policymakers, and communities.

PromiseBrands serves as the steward of MAP's reputation, voice, visual identity, storytelling strategy, and long-term brand growth.

Role Overview

The Senior Director of Brand Strategy & Identity serves as the senior leader responsible for the strategic development, governance, evolution, and protection of the Mentor A Promise brand.

This role oversees the organization's brand architecture, messaging frameworks, visual identity systems, audience positioning, reputation management, and long-term brand strategy.

Working closely with executive leadership, PromiseStudios, PromiseVoice, PromisePublic, PromiseFinance, PromiseTrust, and PromiseProducts, the Senior Director ensures that every interaction with MAP reinforces trust, credibility, consistency, and mission alignment.

The Senior Director helps define not only what MAP looks like, but what MAP stands for and how it is experienced across every platform, program, partnership, and community.

Key Responsibilities

Brand Strategy & Organizational Positioning

• Develop and lead MAP's long-term brand strategy
• Define organizational positioning and market differentiation
• Establish frameworks that strengthen awareness, credibility, and trust
• Support executive leadership on brand-related strategic decisions
• Ensure brand strategy aligns with organizational growth objectives

Brand Identity & Architecture

• Oversee MAP's brand architecture and naming systems
• Maintain consistency across all divisions, programs, products, and initiatives
• Establish and evolve visual identity standards
• Develop systems for managing brand assets and guidelines
• Ensure brand consistency across all organizational touchpoints

Messaging & Narrative Development

• Lead development of organizational messaging frameworks
• Define MAP's voice, tone, and storytelling principles
• Ensure messaging consistency across communications and campaigns
• Strengthen mission-centered storytelling efforts
• Guide audience-specific messaging strategies

Reputation & Brand Stewardship

• Protect and strengthen MAP's reputation and public trust
• Monitor brand perception and audience engagement
• Develop strategies that enhance credibility and visibility
• Support crisis communication planning and reputation management
• Promote ethical and responsible brand leadership

Audience Growth & Engagement

• Support strategies that expand awareness and engagement
• Identify opportunities to strengthen audience relationships
• Guide audience segmentation and positioning efforts
• Strengthen donor, volunteer, family, partner, and community engagement
• Improve brand reach and recognition

Cross-Divisional Leadership

• Partner with PromiseStudios on creative storytelling initiatives
• Collaborate with PromiseVoice on communications and journalism efforts
• Support PromisePublic advocacy and public engagement campaigns
• Partner with PromiseProducts and PromiseStack on digital experiences
• Align brand strategy across all MAP divisions

Brand Governance

• Establish organizational brand standards and policies
• Oversee brand compliance and quality assurance efforts
• Review major campaigns, initiatives, and public-facing materials
• Maintain consistency across digital, print, media, and community channels
• Develop systems that support long-term brand sustainability

Leadership Responsibilities

The Senior Director provides leadership and oversight for:

Brand Strategy

Responsible for:

• Organizational positioning
• Brand planning
• Audience strategy
• Market differentiation

Brand Identity

Responsible for:

• Visual identity systems
• Brand standards
• Design governance
• Brand architecture

Messaging & Narrative

Responsible for:

• Messaging frameworks
• Storytelling strategy
• Voice and tone
• Communications alignment

Reputation & Public Trust

Responsible for:

• Brand stewardship
• Public perception
• Reputation management
• Organizational credibility

Audience Development

Responsible for:

• Brand awareness
• Audience engagement
• Community growth
• Stakeholder relationships

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in brand strategy, marketing, communications, corporate identity, public relations, audience development, nonprofit leadership, or related fields
• Strong understanding of brand architecture, positioning, and organizational identity
• Experience managing complex brands across multiple audiences and channels
• Exceptional communication, storytelling, and strategic planning skills
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and teams
• Passion for mission-driven leadership and social impact

Why This Role Matters

Organizations are remembered for what they stand for.

Brands are trusted when they consistently deliver on their promises.

The Senior Director of Brand Strategy & Identity helps ensure that Mentor A Promise remains clear in its mission, consistent in its voice, trusted by its communities, and recognizable as a leader in supporting children and families experiencing housing instability.

This role helps protect and strengthen one of MAP's most valuable assets: its reputation.

Success Measures

• Brand awareness growth
• Brand consistency across divisions and platforms
• Audience engagement and trust
• Reputation and stakeholder perception
• Messaging effectiveness
• Organizational brand alignment
• Growth in community, donor, volunteer, and partner engagement

Volunteer Expectations

• Approximately 5–10 hours per week
• Minimum 6-month commitment
• Maintain timely and professional communication
• Collaborate through MAP systems and communication platforms
• Support MAP's mission, safeguarding standards, and organizational values
• Participate in leadership and strategic planning meetings

What You'll Gain

• Senior leadership experience overseeing organizational brand strategy
• Opportunity to shape the identity and reputation of a growing nonprofit organization
• Collaboration with executive, creative, marketing, communications, and technology leaders
• 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 brand strategy, communications, marketing, public relations, organizational identity, audience development, storytelling, or reputation management.

Help shape the identity, reputation, and future of Mentor A Promise while ensuring every child knows they are 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.