Newsletter Writer (Volunteer)

Newsletter Writer (Volunteer)

PromiseVoice | Editorial Writing, Newsletters & Organizational Storytelling

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Division: PromiseVoice

Location: Remote

Type: Volunteer Creative & Communications Role

Commitment: Approximately 5–10 hours per week

Minimum Commitment: 6-month commitment required

Works Closely With: PromiseVoice Leadership, Newsletter Team, Editors, Writers, PromisePublic, PromiseStudios, PromisePrograms, and other MAP divisions

About Mentor A Promise

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City–based nonprofit supporting children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability through mentorship, literacy, education, social-emotional learning, creative expression, storytelling, and community-centered opportunity.

MAP believes thoughtful communication can educate, connect, and inspire people to care more deeply about the issues affecting children, families, schools, and communities.

About PromiseVoice

PromiseVoice is MAP’s writing, editorial, communications, and storytelling division.

The division helps transform the work, ideas, research, experiences, and accomplishments happening throughout MAP into clear and compelling stories for our community and the public.

Our newsletter, The Beacon, brings together organizational updates, educational insights, community stories, research, program developments, and perspectives on issues affecting children and families.

Role Overview

Mentor A Promise is seeking a curious, thoughtful, and dependable Newsletter Writer to help research, develop, and write engaging content for The Beacon and other MAP newsletter communications.

The Newsletter Writer will work with editors and contributors across the organization to turn information into stories people actually want to read.

This role goes beyond summarizing organizational updates.

We want a writer who can ask:

What happened? Why does it matter? Who should we hear from? And how can we tell this story clearly, accurately, and with humanity?

Key Responsibilities

Newsletter Writing

• Write original articles, features, profiles, updates, introductions, and short-form pieces for MAP newsletters.
• Transform program developments and organizational updates into accessible, engaging stories.
• Develop strong headlines, openings, transitions, and calls to action.
• Adapt writing style and length to different newsletter sections and audiences.
• Maintain MAP’s editorial voice while bringing originality and personality to the writing.

Research & Story Development

• Research topics related to education, mentorship, literacy, youth development, housing instability, families, communities, and MAP initiatives.
• Identify compelling story angles rather than simply reporting information.
• Conduct interviews with volunteers, organizational leaders, partners, educators, and other appropriate contributors.
• Verify names, dates, statistics, quotations, and other factual information before publication.
• Identify opportunities for deeper features and recurring newsletter series.

Organizational Storytelling

• Connect with MAP divisions to understand what teams are accomplishing and developing.
• Highlight program milestones, volunteer contributions, partnerships, creative projects, research, and community initiatives.
• Help readers understand not only what MAP is doing, but why the work matters.
• Elevate voices across the organization rather than allowing the newsletter to reflect only leadership perspectives.
• Help document MAP’s growth and organizational history through thoughtful reporting.

Human-Centered & Responsible Storytelling

• Write about children, families, and housing instability with dignity, context, and care.
• Avoid language that sensationalizes hardship or reduces people to circumstances.
• Respect privacy, consent, safeguarding, and confidentiality requirements.
• Never invent quotations, experiences, statistics, or personal details to strengthen a story.
• Work with editors when stories involve sensitive subjects or potentially identifying information.

Editorial Collaboration

• Participate in newsletter planning and editorial discussions.
• Pitch original story ideas and recurring features.
• Accept and incorporate editorial feedback.
• Collaborate with copy editors and proofreaders before publication.
• Meet agreed drafting, revision, and publication deadlines.
• Maintain organized drafts, sources, notes, and revisions.

Cross-Division Collaboration

The Newsletter Writer may collaborate with:

• PromisePrograms for program stories and updates
• PromiseResearch for research and evidence
• PromiseMeasure for impact information
• PromiseStudios for photography and visual storytelling
• PromisePublic for public-facing communications
• PromiseBridge for partnership stories
• PromiseLearning for education and literacy content
• Other MAP divisions based on editorial priorities

The writer is expected to approach teams with curiosity and respect while maintaining editorial accuracy.

Ideal Candidate

Strong candidates may have experience or education in:

• Journalism
• Newsletter writing
• Editorial writing
• Communications
• Creative nonfiction
• Feature writing
• Blogging
• Copywriting
• English or literature
• Nonprofit communications
• Digital publishing

Professional journalism experience is welcomed but not required.

Strong candidates will demonstrate:

• Excellent writing and storytelling ability
• Strong grammar and command of written English
• Curiosity and willingness to ask thoughtful questions
• Ability to turn complex information into accessible writing
• Strong research and fact-checking habits
• Ability to interview people respectfully
• Openness to editing and revision
• Reliability and attention to deadlines
• Sensitivity when writing about children and families
• Commitment to accurate and ethical storytelling

What Success Looks Like

Success means The Beacon becomes something readers look forward to opening.

Stories are informative without feeling institutional.

Program updates have context and meaning.

Volunteers and teams see their work thoughtfully represented.

Complex issues are made understandable without being oversimplified.

Children and families are represented with dignity rather than defined by hardship.

And over time, the newsletter becomes more than a collection of updates—it becomes a living record of MAP’s people, ideas, work, growth, and impact.

Why This Role Matters

Every week, meaningful things happen across an organization that can easily disappear into meetings, emails, and project folders.

A student reaches a milestone.

A volunteer develops an idea.

A partnership opens a new possibility.

Research changes how we understand an issue.

A program learns something worth sharing.

The Newsletter Writer helps make sure those moments are not lost.

Find the story. Ask the question. Capture the moment. Write something worth reading.

Commitment

• Approximately 5–10 hours per week
• Minimum 6-month commitment required
• Fully remote
• Consistent participation in editorial planning as needed
• Reliable completion of assigned stories and revisions
• Timely, professional communication and follow-through

What You’ll Gain

• Published writing experience through a mission-driven nonprofit
• Opportunities to develop a portfolio of newsletter and feature writing
• Experience interviewing nonprofit leaders, educators, volunteers, partners, and community stakeholders
• Collaboration with editors, researchers, communications professionals, and creative teams
• Opportunities to pitch and develop original stories
• Professional references and letters of recommendation
• Meaningful experience using writing to illuminate issues affecting children, families, education, and communities

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist and submit:

• Resume
• 1–3 writing samples or portfolio
• Brief statement of interest

Writing samples may include newsletter articles, journalism, blogs, feature writing, essays, nonprofit communications, or other relevant published or unpublished work.

Good newsletters deliver information. Great newsletters create connection. Help us make The Beacon a place where MAP’s work, people, ideas, and stories come alive.

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