Job - DC

Partners for the Common Good is seeking a Public Policy and Communications Associate and a summer Social Enterprise Intern.

Public Policy and Communications Associate Position Description

Partners for the Common Good (PCG) is a national loan fund that supports nonprofit organizations and others promoting economic opportunity to low income people and communities. We operate as a wholesale loan participation network. We partner with Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) across the nation by making loans to promote affordable housing, neighborhood revitalization and healthy communities through support of day care, education, community health centers, human service providers or other community needs. We also lend approximately 10-15% of our portfolio internationally to promote microfinance and fair trade.

Position Summary

PCG seeks a creative and dynamic candidate for the position of Public Policy and Communications Associate. The Associate will support our public policy agenda and online communications strategies. This position reports to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), but works with all members of the PCG team. This is a full time 40 hour per week position. The position is located at PCG’s offices in Washington DC.

Our most significant public policy initiative is hosting the Community Development Bankers Association (CDBA), a small trade association of mission focused financial institutions dedicated to serving low income communities. Approximately 50% of the Associate’s time will be dedicated to supporting our partnership with CDBA. PCG is also active among industry advocacy groups in educating stakeholders and increasing resources for the CDFI industry.

Approximately 50% of the Associate’s time will be dedicated to supporting our program activities. PCG’s core program activities are focused on providing lending to borrowers providing direct benefits to low income communities. To complement and enhance our lending and CDFI partnerships, PCG recently began the soft launch of a web-based service called CapNexus (www.capnexus.org). It is an online database that matches money and partners to community development finance opportunities. The service is intended to build networks across the community development financial field that will bring more capital more efficiently to communities that need it most. The Associate’s program support duties will have an emphasis on assisting with the development and implementation of online content including social media strategies and daily administration of the CapNexus site.

Responsibilities:

Public Policy: PCG’s public policy goal is to advocate for greater access to capital within low income communities by engaging in public policy education and initiatives that advance the work of CDFIs and achieve economic justice outcomes. The Associate will:

• Support our strong partnership with the CDBA by providing direct staff support including: (a) quantitative and qualitative research; (b) coordinating meetings, conference calls and events; and (c) responding to member requests and processing new member applications.
• Monitor activities and developments of relevant Congressional committees and Executive branch agencies that affect CDFIs and access to credit for low income communities. 
• Staff advocacy and education efforts that increase the visibility of the CDFI sector through intra-industry collaboration that secures greater access to Federal resources (e.g. letter campaigns, public comments).

Communications: Developing effective websites and integrating a successful online communication strategy is critical to supporting our public policy and program efforts. The Associate will assist with the development and implementation of online communication strategies with an emphasis on integration of social media tools. Duties include:

• Coordinating online advocacy (e.g. letter writing campaigns) and weekly electronic newsblasts to CDBA membership and CapNexus users, supporting marketing to prospective CapNexus users, and outreach with stakeholders to promote network building efforts.
• Maintaining websites and CRM database; Working with consultants/web programmers on website and database refinements including optimizing search engine presence.
• Ensuring that all forms of interactive content/social media are relevant, accurate, and up to date including LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other similar community sites; Posting on relevant blogs; Seeding content into social applications as needed.
• Working with internal staff, external constituencies, and analytical tools to gather feedback on social media effectiveness to encourage successful adoption.

Qualifications:

This position requires an interest in public policy, finance, social media, and a passion for improving the lives of underserved communities. Other experience or skills which are highly desirable:

• Interest or experience in public policy or advocacy with a particular focus on community development and/or financial services;
• A passion for and experience creating website content and using social media tools to build networks; ability to learn new technology quickly
• A proactive self starter with the ability to multi-task, excellent time management and organizational skills and attention to detail;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; good networking, relationship management, and customer skills.
• Experience using Salesforce customer relationship management (CRM) solutions and/or Drupal content management software (CMS) are a definite PLUS.
• Basic computer and research skills along with familiarity with MS Office (Excel, Word, Powerpoint) and the internet is a MUST.
• A bachelors degree in public policy, political science, communications, information systems, economics or business administration is required.

Compensation:

Competitive nonprofit sector salary commensurate with experience. Collegial work environment. Good benefits package available.

The Application:

Interested individuals should send a resume, brief writing sample and references to: Partners for the Common Good, 1444 I Street NW, Suite 201. FAX: 202-689-8938 or pcg@pcgloanfund.org.

NO TELEPHONE CALLS PLEASE.

Additional information on PCG can be found here.

2012 Social Enterprise Internship Position Description

Partners for the Common Good (PCG) is a national loan fund that supports nonprofit organizations and others promoting economic opportunity for low income people and communities. Operating as a wholesale loan participation network, we partner with Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) across the nation by making loans to promote affordable housing, neighborhood revitalization and healthy communities through support of day care, education, community health centers, human service providers or other community needs. We also lend approximately 10-15% of our portfolio internationally to promote microfinance and fair trade.

Online Enterprise Product

CapNexus (www.capnexus.org) is a new PCG-sponsored online database that matches money and partners to community development finance opportunities. The service is intended to build networks across the community development financial field that will bring more capital more efficiently to communities that need it most. CapNexus will provide a one-stop-shop for originators and buyers to efficiently meet to source and finance deals with low income benefit; the platform will assist lenders in building partnerships and sharing resources more quickly and cost effectively. As partnerships grow, CapNexus will help build infrastructure that enhances industry collaboration, efficiency, asset aggregation and access to capital.

As a “user-content” driven site, PCG is focused on building a robust network of users in its first year and beyond. A “beta-2” version of the site was launched on the internet in late 2011 for the purpose of signing up early adopters. A “public launch” is planned for Q2 2012. To build participation and adoption rates, the service will be provided free-of-charge to users in 2012. Our goal, however, is to make the site self-supporting by year 5 and eliminate reliance on philanthropic support. Thus, the focus of the internship is to research revenue generation opportunities for CapNexus, including subscriptions, advertising or other strategies.

Internship Opportunity

We are seeking a creative and dynamic candidate(s) for summer 2012 internship opportunities related to launching this innovative online enterprise. This position reports to the Director of CapNexus, but works with all members of the PCG team. The Intern(s) will meet at least weekly with the Director of CapNexus and provide an update on work progress as well as address questions or concerns. Tasks include:

1. Analyzing pricing structures, business models, and adoption strategies of online enterprises operating in the financial services and/or social enterprise markets.
2. Identifying online enterprise industry best practices and benchmarks.
3. Researching and verifying anticipated costs for operating an online venture.
4. Analyzing historical and collecting new market research to better understand target market(s) and recommend a pricing methodology and structure that considers pricing sensitivity of diverse community development finance market segments.
5. Building financial spreadsheet models/analysis to drive pricing decisions for the CapNexus service.
6. Making recommendations based on identified target markets demand/need to enhance product development and/or offerings that will enhance CapNexus user satisfaction and adoption.
7. Making recommendations on marketing strategy (e.g. customer segmentation, targeting, product positioning, promotional tactics).
8. Identifying environmental factors that could influence user adoption rates (e.g. competitors, legal/regulatory issues).

The selected candidate(s) must have the necessary skills and background to perform the analysis. Intern(s) are expected to be highly motivated and self-directed.

Qualifications

This position requires an experience and/or interest in business, finance, online enterprise development, market research, and a passion for improving the lives of underserved communities. Other experience or skills which are highly desirable:

• MBA or equivalent masters’ candidate in community development and/or financial services;
• Experience and/or an understanding of online business ventures;
• Strong grounding in financial analysis with some experience in pricing strategy analysis preferred;
• Strong analytical rigor, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• A proactive self starter with the ability to multi-task, excellent time management and organizational skills and attention to detail;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
• Excellent presentation and teamwork skills;
• Basic computer and research skills along with familiarity with MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and the internet is a MUST.

Work Environment

The position is located at PCG’s offices in Washington DC. Collegial work environment. Office dress code is business casual unless otherwise notified.