About Decolonizing Wealth Project 

Decolonizing Wealth Project (DWP) envisions a world where racial equity has become a societal norm, and new systems and ways of being ensure everyone can live their best lives, thrive in their cultures, and bring about healing from generations of colonial trauma. Our mission is to bring forth truth, reconciliation, and the healing of our global family from the ails of colonization through education, radical reparative giving, and storytelling.

Decolonizing Wealth Project was founded by Edgar Villanueva, author of Decolonizing Wealth (2018, 2021), a book that presented novel and innovative concepts for philanthropy and finance to advance  racial justice by making commitments to truth and repair. This work was met with a devoted audience and launched a movement that continues to drive reform in philanthropy and beyond. DWP’s work emerged as the ongoing practice of the strategies outlined in the book and the organization was founded in 2019 to put those concepts in action. Since that point, DWP’s programs have centered on the following key areas: 

• Education and Advocacy 
• Philanthropic Giving and Practice
• Racial Healing 
• Narrative and Culture Change

This work is all accomplished with a team of ten full-time staff, three deeply engaged advisors, and consulting support. The fully remote team is located around the country, with access to an office space in Manhattan, for NYC-based or visiting staff. Several retreats each year and in-person programmatic work deepens community and team-building. We celebrate our shared commitment to the organization’s mission, bringing creativity and support to each other, and a universal willingness to “roll up our sleeves.” As a start-up, our team orientation is to move quickly, while simultaneously working to scale systems and capacity for long-term growth. DWP is fiscally sponsored by Allied Media Projects. 

About the Opportunity

DWP has had the unique privilege of entering the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors with an enthusiastic audience that has only grown. DWP has built a combination of traditional communications, utilizing mainstream press, speaking engagements, and collateral materials, while also leveraging media activation events with celebrities and influencers, key brand and entertainment partnerships, and an extensive social media following. The Director of Communications will focus on the execution of this multi-channel approach to ensure that the many opportunities presented to DWP are activated with efficiency and high quality. 

This position is ideal for an experienced communications generalist who is able to capture and contribute to communications strategies, in order to translate those strategies into work plans and then execute on the tactics identified. A high level of project and constituent management will be required as this position will be charged with coordinating with staff, consultants, and leaders at all levels to bring exciting ideas to fruition. As the communications function expands, there may be future opportunities for growth, including hiring additional staff in coming years. 

This position will report directly to the Chief of Staff, who brings extensive experience in communications. Depending on location, the Director of Communications will be expected to have an in-office presence 2-3 days per week (based on proximity to other colleagues). 

The Director of Communications will be responsible for supporting DWP in the following areas: 

• Align with DWP’s mission and values: Rely on equity-centered principles to serve as a thought and work-partner with DWP’s Founder/Principal, Chief of Staff, and other colleagues and consultants. Bring a willingness to execute on needed tasks at any level, while maintaining an overarching perspective of the mission and work. 
• Support strategy development: Facilitate the development of a multi-channel communications strategy in partnership with senior leaders and consultants. Provide research and insight, contribute to and capture ideas, and shift concepts into comprehensive work plans. 
• Project manage and execute communications work plans: Serve as the key person driving internal communications work against an annual communications plan that reflects traditional nonprofit communications (i.e. impact reports, newsletters, website, social media), as well as innovative forms of donor and audience engagement (i.e. pop culture integrations, brand partnerships, activation events). Tasks might include drafting and editing materials, coordinating and facilitating meetings, posting to social media, partnering with event planners, and other tactical needs.
• Develop and manage cross-organizational and external partnerships: Manage an ecosystem of external consultants for areas including narrative change, narrative research, event planning, and high-level strategy. Partner closely with the Development team to create key materials with a compelling call to action for DWP’s mission. 
• Ensure high-quality execution of communications strategies: Apply a detail orientation with deep attention to deadlines and internal work plans. Build and utilize a feedback loop with constituents to test ideas, measure effectiveness, and iterate. 

Ideal candidates for the Director of Communications role will bring the following experiences or highly transferable skills to enable their work: 

• Connection to DWP mission: Understanding of and deep personal commitment and connection to the work of racial and gender equity, with familiarity communicating about complex and sensitive issues.
• Start-up orientation: Comfort working in a fast-paced environment with the ability to self-direct. Capacity to contribute to a high-performing team with a partnership-oriented approach.
• Project management track record: Experience with executing communications tasks at all levels. Demonstration of outstanding written and verbal communication skills. Confidence and facility with social media. Deep attention to detail, timelines, and deadlines.
• Nonprofit communications experience: Previous professional work in communications, either within a nonprofit organization, foundation, or a nonprofit/advocacy practice within a communications agency. Demonstrated history of full-service nonprofit/advocacy communications, working on a wide range of projects to engage donors and supporters of an organization. 
• Nontraditional and campaign communications exposure: Past work that leverages influencer engagement, pop culture and brand integrations, in-person events, narrative change, and/or advocacy campaigns. 
• Partnership: History of working with internal and external colleagues and partners to deliver complex communications activities. Experience supporting a high-profile principal. 
• Technical skills: Experience and familiarity with Canva, Adobe suite, Asana, and Salesforce.

Travel

Domestic (and potentially international travel) will be required for this position, with expectations of at least 20% of time spent traveling. 

Salary and Benefits

The pay range for the Director of Communications position is $120,000-$140,000. DWP offers more than four weeks of annual leave, inclusive of a minimum of two weeks year-end office closure, ten days of personal leave, and public holidays. 

Decolonizing Wealth Project is committed to a diverse and multicultural workplace.

This is Remote Role with a preference for New York, Los Angeles or Atlanta.