Manager of Community Engagement / PHL

About Cradles to Crayons :

Cradles to Crayons (C2C), founded in 2002, provides children living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive—at home, at school, and at play. We supply clothing, shoes, diapers, school supplies, and more, free of charge. Our vision is that one day all children will have the essentials they need to thrive.

Two in 5 kids in the United States are currently facing Clothing Insecurity, going without basic essentials like pants, shoes, diapers, and school supplies during their critical development years. Three of the top 10 reasons kids miss school are rooted in Clothing Insecurity—just one example of the significant short- and long-term social and economic costs when these needs go unmet. Cradles to Crayons keeps Clothing Insecurity at the core of our mission and is the only large-scale nonprofit organization to focus on this resource gap. Since its founding, Cradles to Crayons has distributed more than three million customized packages of essentials to children in Massachusetts, Greater Philadelphia, Chicagoland, and nationally, through Giving Factory Direct—a first-in-kind online product donation platform launched in 2021.

Cradles to Crayons takes a three-pronged approach to mitigating Clothing Insecurity :

• In-person Engagement— through tens of thousands of children and adults volunteering at our Giving Factory warehouses to sort and package high volumes of new and like-new donations from our communities for our Service Partners to distribute to the children they serve.
• Online Product Donations —Giving Factory Direct matches product donors directly to children who need the items they have to donate. GFD is currently available in a growing number of communities as we expand our reach nationally.
• Advocacy and Awareness —Cradles to Crayons is uniquely positioned to raise Clothing Insecurity as a national issue through awareness campaigns, data / evaluation, and legislative outreach.

Cradles to Crayons has earned the highest possible rating from Charity Navigator since 2009. Only 2% of charities nationwide have received this distinction. C2C has a budget of $19.4M for FY25.

POSITION OVERVIEW :

This position reports to the Associate Director of Partnerships & Engagement and supervises the Community Engagement Coordinator.  The Manager of Community Engagement serves as a key management team member and an active participant in developing strategies affecting Cradles to Crayons’ acquisition of donated children’s items from the community, with an emphasis on identifying a sustainable model and growth pattern.  In partnership with the Operations team, the Manager of Community Engagement is responsible for the organization’s efforts to acquire new and like-new donated children’s items to meet product acquisition goals.

The Manager of Community Engagement strengthens existing partnerships and forges new relationships to help build Cradles visibility, impact, and financial resources.  Possessing an entrepreneurial spirit with flexibility to work in a fast-paced environment and with individuals with different work styles will be critical for the success of this individual.  Given the cross-organization nature of this position, an ability to work across all disciplines and throughout the organization in a persuasive and credible manner is a requirement.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES :

PERFORMANCE MEASURES :

Team and Organizational Support

Community Organizing and Volunteer Management

Other Responsibilities Include :

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE / KNOWLEDGE / SKILLS / ABILITIES :

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS :

The estimated salary range for this position is $55,000-$60,000. The compensation offered to the successful candidate may vary from the posted range based on geographic location, work experience, education, and / or skill level, among other things.

This is a benefits-eligible position. Cradles to Crayons benefits include, but are not limited to :

DIVERSITY IS OUR STRENGTH :

Diversity and Inclusiveness are core values at Cradles to Crayons, and we continuously strive to be a team where everyone feels welcome and supported. It is the policy of Cradles to Crayons to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and / or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. Individuals from underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply.

WORKING CONDITIONS :

This is a warehouse environment and normal changes in temperature are to be expected while working inside the warehouse or outside, on or around the loading dock. There are no hazardous or significantly unpleasant conditions.

ACCOMMODATION :

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is possible that requirements may be modified to reasonably accommodate disabled individuals. However, no accommodations will be made by Cradles to Crayons which may pose serious health or safety risks to the employee or others, or which impose undue hardships on the organization.

About CRADLES TO CRAYONS :

Cradles to Crayons (C2C), founded in 2002, provides children from birth through age 12, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive—at home, at school, and at play. We supply clothing, shoes, diapers, school supplies, and more, free of charge. Our vision is that one day all children will have the essentials they need to thrive. Two in 5 kids in the United States are currently facing Clothing Insecurity, going without basic essentials like pants, shoes, diapers, and school supplies during their critical development years. Three of the top 10 reasons kids miss school are rooted in Clothing Insecurity—just one example of the significant short- and long-term social and economic costs when these needs go unmet. Cradles to Crayons keeps Clothing Insecurity at the core of our mission and is the only large-scale nonprofit organization to focus on this resource gap. Since its founding, Cradles to Crayons has distributed more than three million customized packages of essentials to children in Massachusetts, Greater Philadelphia, Chicagoland, NYC, and nationally, through Giving Factory Direct—a first-in-kind online product donation platform launched in 2021. Cradles to Crayons takes a three-pronged approach to mitigating Clothing Insecurity : 1. In-person Engagement—through tens of thousands of children and adults volunteering at our Giving Factory warehouses to sort and package high volumes of new and like-new donations from our communities for our Service Partners to distribute to the children they serve. 2. Online Product Donations—Giving Factory Direct matches product donors directly to children who need the items they have to donate. GFD is currently available in a growing number of communities as we expand our reach nationally. 3. Advocacy and Awareness—Cradles to Crayons is uniquely positioned to raise Clothing Insecurity as a national issue through awareness campaigns, data / evaluation, and legislative outreach. Cradles to Crayons has earned the highest possible rating from Charity Navigator for 13 consecutive years. Only 2% of charities nationwide have received this distinction. C2C has a budget of $12.9M for FY22.