You are viewing a preview of this job. Log in or register to view more details about this job.

VISTA Digital Communications Fellow - L.A. Works

L.A. Works
Email

AmeriCorps VISTA Position Descriptions

AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) is a national service program dedicated to ending poverty by building the capacity of nonprofit organizations and public agencies. VISTA's mission is to strengthen and supplement efforts in low-income communities to eliminate and alleviate poverty by engaging volunteers from all walks of life, all geographical areas, and all age groups in a year of full-time service.

By joining the L.A. Works Volunteer Corps Program, you will be placed with one of our nonprofit partner organizations to serve for 12 months and tasked with a capacity-building project such as: creating sustainable systems to expand services, recruiting community members to volunteer in local programs, establishing a database of program alumni, and/or developing partnerships to bring new economic opportunities in Los Angeles County.

Benefits of AmeriCorps VISTA

  • Living Allowance – VISTA members will receive a modest bi-weekly living allowance of $33,134.70 per year to cover basic expenses.
  • Relocation Allowance - If VISTA members move 50+ miles from their home to a new community, they will receive relocation travel assistance and a settling-in allowance.
  • Healthcare Benefits – VISTA members will be able to choose between reimbursement for healthcare or a healthcare plan that also includes dental and vision coverage.
  • Professional Development - VISTA members will receive professional development opportunities from L.A. Works and AmeriCorps VISTA throughout the year.
  • Child Care Assistance - VISTA members may be eligible to receive a child care benefit if they have children under the age of 13.
  • End of Service Award – At the end of their service, VISTA members will be able to choose between the AmeriCorps Segal Education Award of $7,395 to pay for education expenses or a cash stipend of $1,800.
  • Non-Competitive Eligibility (NCE) - Once VISTA members complete their term of service, they will qualify for NCE, a unique hiring path that makes it easier for federal agencies to hire VISTA alumni.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Be 18 years or older and cannot be enrolled in an undergraduate program
  • Pass a national service criminal history check
  • Hold one of the following citizenship statuses: US citizen, US National, Lawful Permanent Resident Aliens or the following legal residency classifications: refugee, asylum or asylee, temporary protected status, or DACA status
  • AmeriCorps VISTA cannot accept applications from international students on OPT/CPT visas

VISTA Digital Communications Fellow

About L.A. Works

L.A. Works unites Angelenos and inspires action for an equitable LA. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit volunteer action center, we create and manage hands-on community service projects to mobilize volunteers throughout the greater Los Angeles area. We are looking for enthusiastic, experienced individuals who share our passion for service and civic pride.

Additionally:

  • What we do matters and has a direct, positive impact in Los Angeles.
  • We enjoy a casual but focused work environment.
  • As an organization that specifically serves the Los Angeles community, preference in hiring goes to candidates who live locally. All employees must be California residents.

About the Role

The VISTA Digital Communications Fellow will strengthen L.A. Works' capacity to engage volunteers and community partners through strategic external communications systems that support volunteer recruitment, outreach, and retention. The VISTA member will assess current communications tools and strategies, strengthen sustainable digital infrastructure, improve communications data collection and performance tracking, and develop systems and resources that help L.A. Works more effectively connect volunteers and community partners to meaningful service opportunities throughout Los Angeles. This is a capacity-building role that offers the opportunity to work across social media, newsletters, website content, communications data, volunteer engagement systems, and major service initiatives while developing sustainable processes that can continue beyond the VISTA service term.

Essential Job Functions

The list that follows is not intended to be comprehensive; it is intended to provide a representative summary of the major responsibilities of the position. The VISTA member may not be required to perform all activities listed and may participate in additional capacity-building activities aligned with the approved VISTA Assignment Description.

Key Responsibilities

Assess & Strengthen External Communications

  • Conduct an assessment of L.A. Works' current external communications tools used to engage volunteers and community partners, including social media platforms, website content, and newsletters.
  • Analyze audience and engagement data across communications platforms using tools such as Buffer, Salesforce, and other analytics platforms.
  • Establish and track baseline communications metrics, including audience growth, engagement rates, and volunteer conversion indicators.
  • Evaluate newsletter performance, including open rates, click-through rates, subscriber engagement, and audience behavior patterns.
  • Review communications performance across volunteer recruitment initiatives, seasonal campaigns, Days of Service, fundraising campaigns, and other major organizational initiatives.
  • Use communications and audience data to develop recommendations that strengthen volunteer recruitment, outreach, and community engagement, including strategies to increase awareness among under-resourced communities.

Build Sustainable Communications Systems

  • Create and maintain a comprehensive communications calendar aligned with volunteer recruitment priorities, organizational initiatives, and seasonal campaigns.
  • Develop and improve standardized workflows and templates for social media scheduling, newsletters, and other external communications.
  • Build and strengthen systems for audience segmentation and targeted outreach to volunteers and community partners.
  • Develop processes for organizing and maintaining digital content libraries and communications resources.
  • Create documentation, guides, templates, and training materials that enable L.A. Works staff to effectively maintain communications systems over time.

Strengthen Communications Data & Performance Tracking

  • Evaluate and improve dashboards and other systems used to track communications performance.
  • Develop newsletter segmentation strategies that strengthen targeted messaging to different audiences.
  • Assist in tracking and organizing volunteer engagement data within Salesforce and other organizational systems.
  • Develop reporting templates that summarize communications performance, engagement trends, and volunteer outreach outcomes.
  • Analyze collected data and provide recommendations to strengthen volunteer recruitment messaging and communications strategies.

Support Volunteer Engagement & Days of Service

  • Participate in L.A. Works Volunteer Corps meetings, leadership trainings, cohort learning opportunities, and professional development activities.
  • Apply communications, project coordination, facilitation, and leadership skills through participation in L.A. Works' annual Days of Service, including MLK Day, Earth Day, Juneteenth, September 11 National Day of Service, and other major service initiatives.
  • Serve in leadership or support roles for major service events, including serving as a Project Leader when appropriate.
  • Help spearhead year-round initiatives that strengthen organization-wide seasonal campaigns and annual Days of Service.
  • Develop and strengthen systems for tracking volunteer participation and community impact associated with Days of Service and other volunteer initiatives.
  • Collaborate with fellow VISTA members to share best practices, challenges, and lessons learned related to volunteer engagement, communications, and community service.

About You

We're looking for someone who is curious, collaborative, organized, and excited about using communications and data to strengthen volunteer engagement and nonprofit capacity.

We also hope you:

  • Have an interest in communications, digital engagement, data analysis, and systems building.
  • Have volunteer experience and/or knowledge of the nonprofit or community service sector.
  • Have strong written communication, analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
  • Are interested in understanding audience behavior and developing strategies that strengthen volunteer recruitment and engagement.
  • Are comfortable managing multiple projects and priorities while meeting deadlines.
  • Are excited to develop tools, systems, templates, and resources that can be sustained by the organization over time.
  • Are comfortable learning and working with tools such as Microsoft Suite, Google Suite, Salesforce, Buffer, Meta platforms, and other communications and analytics tools.
  • Are interested in developing leadership, facilitation, project coordination, and community engagement skills through service.

L.A. Works is an Equal Opportunity Employer

L.A. Works encourages all applicants to apply and seeks to engage qualified individuals who reflect the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We define diversity in broad terms to include race, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, geography, socioeconomic status, and other unique attributes that make us who we are.