Public Engagement Lead; Volunteer

Overview

Public Engagement & Community Trust Lead (Volunteer) at Mentor A Promise (MAP) in New York City / Remote Hybrid. Organization:
Mentor A Promise (MAP). Type:
Volunteer (Senior Leadership Role).

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a NYC-based nonprofit serving children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability through mentorship, literacy, social-emotional learning, and creative expression. Our work centers dignity, trauma-informed care, and the belief that every child deserves stability, opportunity, and a voice. The Department of Public Engagement & Community Trust is MAP’s public face and relationship engine. It protects how MAP is seen, heard, and experienced by families, schools, volunteers, funders, and the broader community.

The Public Engagement & Community Trust Lead leads MAP’s strategy for building public trust, visibility, and belonging. This role oversees all outward-facing communications, community presence, storytelling, and engagement while ensuring child safety, consent, and dignity are never compromised. This is a senior volunteer leadership role and thought partner to the Executive Director, Policy, Legal, Development, and Program leadership.

• Public Trust & Ethics
• Lead MAP’s consent-driven, trauma-informed public engagement framework
• Ensure youth and family privacy, dignity, and safety across all public-facing work
• Chair or coordinate the Public Trust & Ethics Council

• Communications & Messaging
• Set MAP’s public voice, tone, and narrative standards
• Oversee website, newsletters, social media, public statements, and outreach materials
• Ensure consistency, accuracy, and mission alignment across all communications

• Community Engagement
• Build strong relationships with families, schools, shelters, volunteers, and community partners
• Guide community outreach and public events
• Ensure MAP shows up with respect, humility, and cultural competence

• Media & Reputation Management
• Serve as MAP’s primary public communications lead
• Oversee media inquiries, interviews, and press relationships
• Protect MAP and its families during sensitive or high-visibility moments

• Team Leadership
• Recruit, train, and support volunteer engagement teams
• Set priorities, workflows, and quality standards
• Foster a collaborative, supportive, mission-driven culture

• Experience in communications, community engagement, nonprofit leadership, journalism, or public relations
• Strong understanding of trauma-informed, child-centered, and culturally responsive communication
• Ability to manage public narrative with care, ethics, and strategic clarity
• Comfort working with vulnerable populations and sensitive stories
• Experience leading teams or projects in mission-driven environments
• Excellent writing, editing, and interpersonal skills
• Experience in education, housing, youth development, or social services is a strong plus

• Approximately 5–10 hours per week
• Minimum 6-month commitment preferred
• Remote with NYC-based collaboration as needed

Public trust is the foundation of everything MAP does. Families will only engage if they feel safe. Schools will only partner if they feel confident. Funders will only invest if they believe in our integrity. This role protects that trust—and in doing so, protects children.

Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist; please add your resume.

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 understanding of these constraints.