At the Burke Foundation, we are focused on improving the health of mothers, babies, and
families through the all-important First 1,000 Days from pregnancy through a child’s second
birthday. Backed by data, we believe that relieving stress on families during this critical start
to life can build the foundation for a lifetime of physical and mental health and well-being.
High-quality birth-to-five programs for children can deliver a 13% per year return on
investment. As Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman puts it: Society improves
when we invest in early childhood education and development. The short- and long-term
impact on families, health, education, and our workforce is worth the investment.
Our home state of New Jersey suffers from some of the nation’s widest racial disparities in
maternal and infant health; our mission is to close these gaps and support families as they
navigate the challenges of early parenting.
Using an entrepreneurial, data-driven approach, we identify and support changemakers
whose early-childhood initiatives can transform communities and improve health and
achievement outcomes for children and families. Our grantmaking focuses on supporting
healthy pregnancies and births, healthy parent-child relationships, and high-quality early
care and education. We are committed to effecting systems-level change; to accomplish
this, we partner on shared priorities with peer foundations and government at the state and
local levels. Our funding supports statewide initiatives and place-based projects in Camden,
Newark, Trenton, and other communities. The Staff Writer/Communications Consultant will be
instrumental in communicating this work.
Overview of Staff Writer Role
This is a unique opportunity for a skilled writer and communications consultant with a strong
commitment to collaboration. The ideal candidate is someone who is excited by the
opportunity to communicate the Burke Foundation’s mission through the monthly Starting
Early e-newsletter, as well as social media posts and other networks.
The successful candidate will come to this role with a strong background in non-profit
communications and will bring strong relationship-building, interpersonal, and analytical
skills to the work.
Key Responsibilities
The Staff Writer/Communications Consultant will execute content and communications
strategies that engage and inform the Foundation’s audiences, including grantees, peer
funders, policymakers, and other influential leaders. The Foundation’s highly collaborative
and fast-paced work environment requires the Staff Writer/Communications Consultant to
work with Burke’s Program Team and also to develop relationships with external parties to
communicate Foundation goals and successes on a time-sensitive basis.
Starting Early Newsletter and Communications Planning
• Map out Starting Early e-newsletter strategy and editorial calendar for September - June
that reinforces the Foundation’s strategy and pillars and includes themes, goals, and
detailed outlines
• Maintain newsletter production schedule
• Write 2-3 articles per issue and additional copy as needed for our Axios HQ newsletter
platform
• Conduct first pass edit of newsletter; work with Burke’s copy editor on additional edits as
needed
• Draft Linked In/social media copy for 2 posts per newsletter issue
• Explore opportunities for growing Starting Early newsletter subscriptions
• Work with Foundation staff to identify Key Performance Indicators for the newsletter
• Build on the Foundation’s branding work to build a flexible, functional communications
framework that provides a roadmap for talking about and engaging others in Burke’s
strategy
• Act as sounding board for Foundation communications planning
Social Media, Publicity, and Website Content
• Develop 2-3 postings per week on Burke social media highlighting Starting Early
newsletter topics, relevant events, reports, and grantee updates
• Attend in-person check-in meetings once per week
• Write additional communications as needed
• Review Foundation website and develop content as needed
• Execute communications strategies for special initiatives as needed
Qualifications
• Minimum of 5-7 years of related experience in nonprofit, philanthropy, or government;
consulting experience a plus
• Professional background or expertise in communications, marketing, and/or public
relations
• Superb interpersonal skills, with an ability to work respectfully and efficiently with a
broad range of stakeholders
• Excellent writing, editing, and analytical skills: ability to identify, collect, organize and
synthesize information from various data sources
• Effective project management and organizational skills, including the ability to
coordinate, organize, prioritize, and execute multiple tasks; ability to meet deadlines
• Experience in delivering verbal and written communications (reports, memos, briefs
and decks) to senior leaders and Board members
• Solid technology and computer skills, including Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word,
Excel, PowerPoint); experience with WordPress and Axios platforms a plus
• Understanding of, and alignment with, the philanthropic mission and values of
The Burke Foundation
• Interest and ability to engage authentically and build trust with grantees, partners and
other diverse stakeholders; knowledge of the New Jersey philanthropic field a plus
• A collegial, curious spirit: ability to work well independently and as part of a team,
share ideas, ask questions and receive feedback
Application Process
Please send a resume and cover letter that thoughtfully explains how you will contribute to
the mission of the Burke Foundation, as well as 2 writing samples, as a single PDF attachment
(filename: LastName_FirstName.pdf) to Sandy Moskovitz at sandra@burkefoundation.org
with the email subject “Staff Writer/Communications Consultant.”
The number of hours/month will not exceed 80 hours, and we appreciate the opportunity to
meet with the consultant several times a month on-site in Princeton, NJ. The consultant will
be expected to submit a monthly invoice with a breakdown of hours/activities.
Applications will be accepted until May 15; qualified candidates will be contacted on a rolling
basis. The preferred start date is June 15.
The Burke Foundation celebrates the diversity of our nation and community, and we seek to
build a team that reflects that diversity. We welcome and encourage all qualified applicants
who share that vision, and we want to engage all those who can contribute to our work and
the mission. We encourage any individual to apply for this position, and we do not
discriminate based on ethnic, racial, gender, socioeconomic background, or on any other
basis prohibited by applicable law. The Foundation abides by all applicable rules and
regulations in its recruiting and employment practices, including the Americans with
Disabilities Act and state disability laws.
About the Burke Foundation
The Burke Foundation is a leading philanthropic institution in New Jersey, with a history of
supporting innovative programs that create equal opportunities for all families and children.
The Foundation was established in Princeton in 1989 by the late Jim E. Burke and his wife
Diane (“Didi”) Burke. During his 37 years with Johnson & Johnson, Jim Burke built a legacy of
visionary leadership and served as Chairman and CEO for the last 13 years of his tenure. Jim
received the highest civilian honor in the nation in 2000, the Presidential Medal of Freedom,
and was named one of history’s greatest CEOs by Fortune magazine.
In 2017, the Foundation reimagined our grantmaking focus and strategy, identifying prenatal
health and early childhood development as areas where our investments can achieve the
greatest good for New Jersey children and their communities.
Through grantmaking and intense collaboration, we work with nonprofits to identify,
rigorously evaluate, and help scale programs and policies that foster the healthy
development of children and families in New Jersey.
To learn more about our history and work, please visit our website, https://burkefoundation.org/
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