Are you a storyteller? Does your team specialize in building press relationships, while centering marginalized voices in Massachusetts? Are you a social media expert? Do you believe in the power of working-class and immigrant organizing? Apply to join APIs CAN as our communications consultant/vendor.

As APIs CAN anticipates a multi-year legislative and policy campaign around data equity, anti-hate, civic advocacy, narrative change, and language justice; and staffing up to meet the moment. We know we will need a strong communications infrastructure in place. We seek expert, values aligned communications expertise to accomplish that. We’re requesting proposal(s) to address the following priority needs.

Scope of Work:

Press Relations

Build out press infrastructure relations, on behalf of APIs CAN, and hand off the relationships to APIs CAN;
Develop a roster of press contact for APIs CAN and cultivate name recognition of APIs CAN as the leading voice of progressive AAPIs in Massachusetts;
Plan, coordinate, and host press conferences, both in person and virtual, for APIs CAN and our partner organizations;
Respond to press inquiries: Correspond with reporters to determine angle of story, work with Director, Steering Committee co-chairs, to determine most appropriate response; check with relevant programmatic staff to ensure accuracy of response; respond to social media comments also, when necessary.

Speakers’ Bureau:

Train APIs CAN’s steering committee for engagement with the press;
Build out speakers’ bureau training program for members of coalition groups from working-class and non-English speaking AAPI communities, including media training, message development, and storytelling skills;
Create political education and civic engagement training resources for speaker bureau participants;
Work with the Director to incorporate community voice in the launch of the coalition’s policy agenda, which will be used to inform key policymakers at the state level.

Storytelling

Curate storytelling about APIs CAN and work of collaborative partners that are prepared and integrated with media relations;
Experiment and evolve storytelling practices across organization and programs;
Create images, slogans, and ongoing marketing and branding materials to capture APIs CAN’s initiatives and objectives and reflect the needs of our coalition and community members;
Demonstrate cultural understanding, humility, and competency as a representative of APIs CAN in the community.

Strategic Communications and Social Media Infrastructure Development

Set up a CRM and gather data from member groups; build/add into CRM;
Remains abreast of current legislative and non-legislative issues relevant to coalition priorities;
Build a collection of photo and video assets/media; to be used as needed in the coming months;
Breathe life into APIs CAN social media accounts (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, BlueSky); build to a point of having momentum
Create social media toolkits for digital organizing to be shared with APIs CAN members.

Candidate Qualifications: Vendor must have 3-5 years of work experience with local community organizations in the area, history working with smaller nonprofits and advocacy organizations, commitment to social and racial justice, experience working with BIPOC led and focused organizations, and an understanding of the local Boston, Worcester, Springfield and broader Massachusetts media landscape. Must be based in the Greater Boston Area and be able to attend in person meetings, community gatherings, and events (access to a car is a plus). Vendors with staff or candidates proficient in Vietnamese, Cantonese, Bengali, or Khmer are strongly encouraged to apply.

Contract and Pay: This is a contracted consultant position with the expectation that hours will vary as campaign work ramps up. Pay for this role is $6,250.00/month, paid monthly via direct deposit. Benefits will not be provided. Ideal vendor will start February 1, 2025 and contract will go until January 31, 2026 with the possibility of renewal.

To Apply: Email your proposal with the following materials to info@massapiscan.org by December 30, 2024.

Provide a resume or online portfolio. Provide all relevant contact information for the primary contact person.
Work Samples: Share a press release, media statement, and sample email outreach to local media outlets.
References: Provide 2-4 client references including short description of the project and contact information.

About the Asian Pacific Islanders Civic Action Network (APIs CAN):

The Asian Pacific Islander’s Civic Action Network (APIs CAN) is a statewide network in Massachusetts whose mission is to advance the interests of Massachusetts' Asian and Pacific Islander American communities by promoting a shared agenda to further equity and is rooted in a commitment towards racial and wealth equity of the Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities.

As part of our work to build a network of progressive, working class AAPI organizations, APIs CAN has focused on building a shared civil rights agenda for the AAPI community in Massachusetts, expanding from only working on issues of voting and civic action to engaging AAPI communities on a wide range of issues and representing the perspective of working class AAPI communities within the mainstream discourse in our state. This expansion of work began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when our groups came together to address both the rise of anti-Asian violence and the immediate needs of our communities, including food, rental relief, and unemployment. Through this crisis response and expanded work, we built trust across the coalition and identified the need to expand our work.

Now, APIs CAN continues to play a key role in leading civic participation, language access, and voting access for AAPI communities, while continuing to work on the root causes of anti-Asian violence and racism through our civil rights agenda. This is coupled with coordinating on responding to individual cases of anti-Asian violence and working together to create broad narrative change. In addition, APIs CAN is supporting work with young people and education equity, particularly after we passed the strongest data equity legislation in the country in 2023 (H.3115).

APIs CAN is a fiscally sponsored project of the Asian American Resource Workshop, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.

EEO Statement: AARW is committed to equal employment opportunity (EEO). We will not discriminate against team members or applicants for employment on any legally-recognized basis [“protected class”] including, but not limited to: race; color; religion; genetic information; national origin; sex; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age; disability; citizenship status; uniform service member status; or any other protected class under federal, state, or local law.

Asian Pacific Islanders Civic Action Network

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