Director of Public Relations - Volunteer Leadership

About Us:

The Donovan’s Venom is a 501c3 nonprofit organization focused on curating universal accessibility to fine arts and music education for all. We are passionately dedicated to ensuring that everyone, regardless of financial circumstances, has access to high-quality music education, performance opportunities, and fine art. We aim to inspire, empower, and uplift communities by fostering a love for music and the arts through our commitment to education, inclusivity, diversity, and social impact, which drives us to expand our reach continually and enrich the lives of those we serve

Position Overview

We’re looking for a Director of Public Relations who wants more than a traditional PR role.

This is an opportunity to build and shape the public relations function, elevate a growing organization’s voice, and tell stories that create meaningful visibility and impact.

In this volunteer role, you’ll have the opportunity to define how we show up externally—from media relations and storytelling to executive visibility, thought leadership, major announcements, partnerships, and reputation management.

If you’re a strategic communicator who also loves to roll up your sleeves, build relationships, create compelling narratives, and turn great work into stories people want to hear, this could be an exciting opportunity for you.

What You’ll Own

Build the PR Function

You’ll help create the strategy, infrastructure, relationships, and processes that will shape our public relations efforts as we grow.

• Develop and lead our overall PR and media relations strategy.
• Build the tools, processes, media relationships, and communications calendar needed to scale the function.
• Identify creative opportunities to increase awareness of our mission, programs, people, and impact.
• Establish PR goals, priorities, metrics, and reporting.
• Serve as a trusted communications partner to senior leadership.

Tell Stories That Matter

Great organizations have great stories—and you’ll help make sure ours are heard.

• Discover and develop compelling stories about our mission, programs, participants, volunteers, partnerships, and impact.
• Turn organizational initiatives into narratives that connect with audiences.
• Write and oversee press releases, media pitches, statements, talking points, briefing materials, and other external communications.
• Partner with Marketing, Creative, Programs, Learning, and other teams to uncover stories worth sharing.

Build Meaningful Media Relationships

You’ll help expand our network and create opportunities for our organization and leaders to participate in relevant conversations.

• Build relationships with journalists, editors, producers, podcasters, influencers, and other media contacts.
• Proactively pitch stories, organizational milestones, programs, partnerships, and impact.
• Identify opportunities for interviews, features, podcasts, panels, conferences, and other visibility opportunities.
• Manage incoming media inquiries and coordinate interviews.

Elevate Executive & Thought Leadership

Help position our leaders and subject-matter experts as credible voices in the conversations that matter to our mission.

• Develop executive messaging, talking points, speeches, articles, and public statements.
• Identify thought leadership opportunities for organizational leaders.
• Prepare executives for interviews, panels, presentations, and public appearances.
• Help leaders communicate complex ideas in ways that are clear, authentic, and engaging.

Protect & Strengthen Our Reputation

You’ll play an important role in helping the organization communicate thoughtfully during both exciting moments and challenging ones.

• Monitor emerging issues, media conversations, and reputational risks.
• Help develop crisis and issues communications strategies.
• Create communication protocols, response templates, FAQs, and spokesperson guidance.
• Partner with leadership on sensitive or high-profile communications.

Measure What Matters

PR should create measurable impact.

• Establish meaningful PR and communications metrics.
• Track media coverage, audience reach, engagement, message penetration, and other relevant indicators.
• Evaluate campaigns and identify opportunities to improve.
• Share insights and recommendations with leadership.

What You Bring

• 6+ years of progressive experience in public relations, communications, media relations, corporate communications, nonprofit communications, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing PR and media strategies.
• Strong relationships—or the ability to quickly build relationships—with journalists, editors, producers, and other media professionals.
• Exceptional writing, storytelling, editing, and verbal communication skills.
• Experience developing media pitches, press releases, executive communications, talking points, and public statements.
• Experience preparing senior leaders for interviews and public appearances.
• Strong judgment and the ability to navigate sensitive communications with professionalism and discretion.
• Experience with crisis communications and reputation management is a plus.
• Experience in nonprofit, education, youth programs, technology, media, entertainment, or another mission-driven environment is a plus.

Most importantly, you’re comfortable entering an environment where not everything has already been built. You see that as an opportunity.

Disclaimer

This is a volunteer position and does not constitute employment. Responsibilities may evolve based on organizational needs.

As a 100% volunteer-led U.S. nonprofit organization, we may engage volunteers located outside the United States. International volunteer participation is subject to applicable U.S. sanctions and export-control requirements, data privacy and information-security requirements, background screening where appropriate, and confirmation that the volunteer’s country and assigned responsibilities have been approved by the organization.