Communications 2023 Fellowship Position

Overview:

Friends of the Earth is a hard-hitting, progressive, environmental organization that pulls no punches and speaks sometimes uncomfortable truth to power. It’s an approach that has worked for five decades to produce important victories that help protect our planet and its people. We’re part of Friends of the Earth International, the world’s largest federation of grassroots environmental groups, working in more than 70 countries on today’s most urgent environmental and social issues.

FOE envisions a world where we live within the ability of the planet to sustain life, and in which all people live with dignity, health, and equity. We believe that both environmental crises, as well as widespread social injustice, are intertwined symptoms of flawed ideological, economic, and political systems that are violating peoples’ rights, perpetuating oppression, failing to meet the needs of people, and destroying the planet.

We believe that increasing racial diversity within environmental organizations is critical to the future success of our movement. Our Fellowship program is designed to increase the long-term effectiveness of FOE and the environmental movement by operating an inspiring and fulfilling fellowship program that builds skills and relevant job experience for people of color and members of underrepresented communities.

Arlie W. Schardt was a pioneering voice for the environment and witness to some of the most seminal events in American history as a Time magazine correspondent traveling with Martin Luther King while covering the civil rights movement. Throughout his peripatetic 50-year career, Schardt reported on and acted on behalf of social justice. Al Gore states, “Through his remarkably diverse career, Arlie Schardt lived a life of purpose and impact,” said the former Vice President. “He was a champion for civil rights and an early pioneer of the environmental movement. I valued greatly his commitment to public service and will always be grateful for the invaluable roles he played on my Presidential campaign.” Schardt joined Friends of the Earth (FOE), serving as Chairman of the Board from 2009 until June 2019 when he was named chair emeritus in honor of his service. According to Erich Pica, president of FOE, “Arlie was instrumental in tripling the size of the organization and broadening its mandate to combine his concerns for social and racial justice with environmentalism.”

About the Fellowship:

Each year, we welcome a cohort of five Fellows to work with us full-time for six months. This year the Fellowship program will be a remote position, with the possibility of and in-person retreat in the DC office if/when the offices re-open. Fellows are paid $20/hour and will receive a one-time stipend of $1,000.

Fellows are placed with our Communications, Food & Agriculture, Oceans & Vessels, or Political & Legislative teams. In addition to substantive work with the teams, the Fellowship program also includes networking and career development opportunities.

The fellowship begins in March 2023 and ends in September 2023.

About our Communications Team and Fellowship Position:

The Communications team works with all programs at Friends of the Earth to manage external communications for the organization, overseeing press coverage, social media, websites, video, art, and design. The Communications Fellow will work with the Department and the supervising Senior Press Officer to create and maintain day-to-day media strategy, analyze traditional media trends, assist with the drafting of press materials and journalist outreach, and support the digital media team as needed. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who wants to learn more about how a national advocacy organization uses traditional media, journalist outreach and pitching to help achieve organizational goals and fight for systemic change. In addition to traditional media support, the Fellow will also support the Department’s social/digital media team, including helping draft content and videos for the organization’s Twitter and Instagram pages. We are looking for individuals who are interested in learning about nonprofit and/or environmental communications, can juggle multiple projects simultaneously, and have a working knowledge of politics and the progressive media landscape.

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities for each Fellowship varies, but typically Fellows:

• Assist with drafting press statements and releases and posting them to Friends of the Earth’s website
• Assist with press pitching and strategy
• Assist with drafting and pitching letters to the editor (LTEs)
• Collect and present news clips to the Communications Department and analyze media metrics and trends, as needed
• Create and maintain media lists
• Research, monitor and track key journalists
• With the assistance of the Senior Press Officer and other communications staff, help maintain the Communications Department’s tracker of incoming project requests
• Coordinate with digital communications team on drafting and/or filming social media content as needed (and as directed by the Digital Media Manager)
• Research content to share on Twitter feeds (ex: news articles)
• Generate ideas for social media content for the organization’s Twitter and Instagram feeds (ex: videos, graphics, Twitter threads)
• Participate in regular social media brainstorming meetings
• Participate in weekly team meetings, in addition to strategy, planning and campaign meetings
• Other duties as assigned by the Senior Press Officer who is overseeing this Fellowship

Qualifications:

No specific academic or professional experience is required, but we are looking for people who are passionate about the environment and/or social justice. An environmental background, and previous (volunteer or paid) experience in non-profit organizations, advocacy, political campaigns are pluses.

Qualified applicants must be:

• At least 18 years of age
• Eligible to work in the U.S.
• Committed to environmental and social justice
• Able to work well in team setting
• Motivated, and willing to learn and take initiative
• Able to use Microsoft Office suite products such as Excel and Word, and Google applications

Friends of the Earth is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups who will contribute to the diversity of our staff and our movement.