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Verdict: Five copy-and-paste nonprofit marketing job description templates, honest fit-tags by org size, and 2026 salary ranges so you know what to budget before you post.
What works: Using these templates to shrink your JD to what your org actually needs, subtracting the work a free fundraising platform already does for you.
What doesn't: Copying a big-org template with five specialist roles when you're a $300K nonprofit with one staff member who does everything.
Best for: Nonprofit leaders writing a marketing hire's JD for the first time, or rewriting one copied from a larger org.
Worth considering if: Your budget is under $250K and you're wondering whether to hire at all. The honest answer is usually no, read the team-structure section first.
Most small nonprofits will never hire a marketing team. One person, often the founder, runs fundraising, comms, donor management, and reporting at once. The "marketing job" is whatever didn't get done that week.
So before you copy a job description off a big-org template, decide which work actually needs a hire and which work a free all-in-one platform like Zeffy already does for you. The right marketing JD for a 30-hour executive director isn't a copy-paste of a 4-person team's roles. It's a smaller, sharper JD written after you've subtracted the tool work, like donor lists, segmented emails, donation pages, and event promotion.
This guide gives you five ready-to-use job description templates, fresh 2026 salary ranges, role-by-role skills, and a clear answer to the two questions hiring managers ask most: how much does a nonprofit marketing manager make? and what's the difference between marketing and communications?
Nonprofit marketing job description templates (copy and customize)
Each template below uses bracketed [placeholders] you can fill in. Above each one, we've added a one-line fit-tag so you know whether this role is realistic for your org size before you start writing.
For a small nonprofit: if your annual budget is under $250K, don't write five JDs. Pick the one role that gets you the most leverage (usually Marketing Coordinator), or merge marketing and development into one hybrid JD.
1. Marketing Coordinator job description template
Fit-tag: ✅ Realistic for orgs $500K+. ❌ Skip if you're under $250K and absorb the tool work into the ED role plus a free fundraising platform.
📋 Copy & customize
Organization Overview
[Introduce your nonprofit. Highlight your mission, the community you serve, and what makes your culture different.]
Job Brief
We're hiring a Marketing Coordinator to support brand awareness, fundraising campaigns, and supporter communications. You'll work closely with the Executive Director and program staff to keep our message consistent across email, social, and our website.
Responsibilities
Maintain the marketing and communications calendar across email, social, and website.
Draft and schedule donor emails, appeals, and newsletter content.
Update website pages and donation forms for active campaigns.
Coordinate the production of flyers, social graphics, and event collateral.
Track campaign performance and share simple monthly reports.
Support event promotion, including registration pages and reminder emails.
Manage the shared inbox for general communications inquiries.
Assist with donor segmentation and list hygiene in our fundraising platform.
Qualifications
1-3 years of marketing, communications, or nonprofit experience.
Strong writing and editing skills.
Comfort using a CRM or fundraising platform, email tool, and basic design software (Canva is fine).
Organized, deadline-driven, and comfortable juggling several campaigns at once.
Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, or related field, or equivalent experience.
Genuine interest in our mission area: [insert].
Benefits
[List salary range, PTO, health benefits, remote/hybrid setup, professional development budget.]
Application Process
Send a resume and a short cover letter to [email] by [date]. Use "Marketing Coordinator Application" in the subject line.
2. Social Media Manager job description template
Fit-tag: ✅ Realistic for orgs $750K+ with a clear audience-building goal. ❌ Skip if social isn't already driving donations or volunteer signups; a Marketing Coordinator can own social as part of the role.
📋 Copy & customize
Organization Overview
[Introduce your nonprofit, your mission, and the supporter community you're building online.]
Job Brief
We're hiring a Social Media Manager to grow our presence on the platforms where our supporters spend time. You'll plan content, write captions, engage with our community, and report on what's working.
Responsibilities
Build and maintain a monthly content calendar across our active social platforms.
Write captions and produce or commission visual assets (photos, short video, graphics).
Engage daily with comments, DMs, and tags from supporters and partners.
Run paid social campaigns tied to fundraising appeals and events.
Coordinate with program staff to source stories, testimonials, and photos.
Track follower growth, engagement, and conversions; report monthly.
Stay current on platform updates, trends, and best practices.
Qualifications
2-4 years of social media experience, ideally in nonprofit or mission-driven brands.
Strong copywriting voice; comfort writing for multiple platforms.
Hands-on experience with a scheduling tool and platform analytics.
Basic video and graphic editing skills.
Comfort with paid social (Meta Ads Manager at minimum).
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
Benefits
[Salary range, PTO, health, remote/hybrid setup, professional development.]
Application Process
Send a resume, two writing samples, and links to social accounts you've managed to [email] by [date].
3. Digital Marketing Communications Manager job description template
Fit-tag: ✅ Realistic for orgs $1M+ with multi-channel campaigns and a real digital ad budget. ❌ Skip if you're under $500K; you don't need a 3-in-1 manager, you need a coordinator.
📋 Copy & customize
Organization Overview
[Introduce your nonprofit, mission, and the supporters and donors you're trying to reach.]
Job Brief
We're hiring a Digital Marketing Communications Manager to lead our owned and paid digital channels, including website, email, social, and search/display advertising. You'll own the strategy and the calendar, and you'll partner with program and development teams to translate impact into compelling stories.
Responsibilities
Set digital marketing objectives tied to fundraising, awareness, and program goals.
Own the editorial calendar across email, social, website, and blog.
Manage paid digital campaigns (Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn) and the Google Ad Grant.
Lead website updates and conversion-rate improvements on donation pages.
Coordinate email strategy, segmentation, automation, and reporting.
Partner with development on year-end and recurring giving campaigns.
Build relationships with influencers, partners, and aligned organizations.
Report on channel performance against goals; recommend course corrections.
Qualifications
4-7 years of digital marketing experience, with at least 2 in nonprofit or cause-driven work.
Hands-on experience running paid digital campaigns and managing a Google Ad Grant.
Strong analytics fluency (GA4 at minimum) and comfort presenting data to a board.
Excellent writing and editing skills across short-form and long-form.
Comfort managing freelancers, designers, or an agency.
Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, or related field, or equivalent experience.
Benefits
[Salary range, PTO, health, remote/hybrid setup, professional development.]
Application Process
Send a resume, cover letter, and one campaign case study to [email] by [date].
4. Content Manager job description template
Fit-tag: ✅ Realistic for orgs $750K+ where storytelling is a core fundraising driver. ❌ Skip if you're under $500K; a Marketing Coordinator with strong writing will do this work part-time.
📋 Copy & customize
Organization Overview
[Introduce your nonprofit and the stories you tell about impact.]
Job Brief
We're hiring a Content Manager to plan, produce, and edit the stories, articles, and assets that connect supporters to our mission. You'll own the editorial calendar for our blog, newsletter, and major reports.
Responsibilities
Plan and produce blog posts, newsletter articles, donor reports, and grant copy.
Interview program staff and beneficiaries (with consent) to surface impact stories.
Edit work from other team members, freelancers, and volunteer contributors.
Apply basic SEO best practices to website and blog content.
Maintain a content style guide and brand voice.
Coordinate visual assets (photo, video, design) with internal or freelance support.
Repurpose long-form content into social, email, and short-form formats.
Qualifications
3-5 years of content, journalism, or editorial experience.
Portfolio of published work; comfort writing in multiple formats.
Working knowledge of SEO fundamentals and a CMS (WordPress, Webflow, or similar).
Sensitivity to ethical storytelling in nonprofit and community settings.
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
Benefits
[Salary range, PTO, health, remote/hybrid setup, professional development.]
Application Process
Send a resume and three writing samples to [email] by [date].
5. PR Manager job description template
Fit-tag: ✅ Realistic for orgs $1M+ that need earned media to drive policy, scale, or major-donor visibility. ❌ Skip if you're under $750K; press hits rarely pay back the salary for smaller orgs.
📋 Copy & customize
Organization Overview
[Introduce your nonprofit and the public conversations you want to shape.]
Job Brief
We're hiring a PR Manager to lead media relations, public statements, and crisis communications. You'll build relationships with reporters, place stories, and protect the organization's reputation across channels.
Responsibilities
Develop and execute a media relations strategy aligned to mission priorities.
Build and maintain relationships with reporters, editors, and producers.
Draft press releases, op-eds, talking points, and executive briefings.
Lead crisis communications planning and response.
Coordinate spokesperson training and interview prep.
Promote fundraising events and program milestones to media outlets.
Track coverage and report on share of voice and sentiment.
Qualifications
5+ years of public relations, journalism, or media-facing communications experience.
Existing relationships with reporters in your sector or region.
Strong writing skills under deadline pressure.
Experience with crisis communications.
Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, or related field, or equivalent experience.
Benefits
[Salary range, PTO, health, remote/hybrid setup, professional development.]
Application Process
Send a resume, cover letter, and two examples of placed coverage you led to [email] by [date].
For a small nonprofit: if you read all five templates and felt overwhelmed, that's the right reaction. Most orgs under $500K won't hire any of these. Skip ahead to How to structure your nonprofit marketing team for the honest version.
How much does a nonprofit marketing manager make?
A nonprofit marketing manager in the US typically earns between roughly $54,000 and $98,000 per year, based on Glassdoor and Zippia data pulled in June 2026. Entry-level marketing coordinators start lower (around $34,000-$50,000) and senior digital marketing communications managers can earn $100,000 or more at larger organizations. Verify the current range on each source before you set your budget.
What moves the number most:
Experience level. Entry-level roles (0-2 years) sit at the bottom of the range. Mid-level (3-5 years) lands in the middle. Senior (5+ years, with management responsibility) tops it out.
Organization size. A marketing manager at a $500K org will earn meaningfully less than one at a $5M org, even with the same job title.
Location and remote/on-site. Salaries in major metros (NYC, SF, DC, Boston) run higher; fully remote roles often anchor closer to the national median.
Cause area. Health, education, and large social-service orgs tend to pay above the median. Arts, advocacy, and grassroots community orgs often pay below it.
For a small nonprofit: if you're choosing between hiring a $55K marketing coordinator and routing that money to programs plus a free fundraising platform, the second option almost always serves the mission better. See the full breakdown in 2026 salary ranges by role below.
Marketing vs communications in nonprofits: what's the difference?
The short answer: marketing is about acquisition (new donors, new volunteers, new awareness) and communications is about stewardship (the people you already have, brand consistency, and how the org sounds in public). In most small nonprofits, one person does both.
Marketing focuses on growth. Campaigns, donor acquisition, paid ads, SEO, event promotion, and the metrics that go with them (cost per donor, conversion rate, channel ROI). It overlaps heavily with fundraising.
Communications focuses on the relationship. Donor stewardship emails, the annual report, board updates, media relations, internal staff communications, and brand voice across every touchpoint. It overlaps heavily with development and program teams.
When the roles split:
Under $500K budget: one person owns both, usually titled something like Communications Coordinator or Development and Communications Coordinator.
$500K-$2M: still one combined role, but with seniority (Director of Marketing and Communications).
$2M+: the functions split. A Marketing Manager owns acquisition; a Communications Manager owns stewardship and brand.
For a small nonprofit: don't write two JDs. Write one hybrid Development and Communications JD and route the saved salary to programs.
Types of nonprofit marketing roles explained
Below is a quick orientation to the five roles covered in the templates above. Each links to its template if you're ready to copy and customize.
1. Marketing Coordinator
The generalist. Owns the calendar, drafts the emails, updates the website, and keeps campaigns on schedule. Typically reports to the Executive Director or Director of Development. Key difference from a Marketing Manager: coordinators execute the plan; managers set it. Copy the Marketing Coordinator template.
2. Social Media Manager
Owns the org's voice on social platforms: content calendar, captions, community engagement, paid social. Reports to a marketing or comms lead. Key difference from a Content Manager: social managers think in posts and engagement; content managers think in articles and assets.
3. Digital Marketing Communications Manager
A 3-in-1 role that combines digital marketing strategy, communications, and a chunk of the tech stack. Owns paid digital, email strategy, website conversions, and channel reporting. Reports to a Director of Marketing or Executive Director. Key difference from a Marketing Coordinator: this role owns strategy, budget, and channels (not just execution). See more on digital marketing strategy for nonprofits.
4. Content Manager
Owns the long-form story output: blog, newsletter, donor reports, grant narratives. Often partners with a Development Director on case statements and major appeals. Key difference from a Marketing Coordinator: the content manager goes deep on storytelling; the coordinator goes wide across channels.
5. PR Manager
Owns earned media and external positioning: press releases, reporter relationships, crisis comms, and op-eds. Reports to a Director of Communications or the ED. Key difference from a Social Media Manager: PR builds third-party credibility (other people talking about you); social builds owned audience (you talking to them).
For a small nonprofit: most orgs under $500K only ever fill role #1, and they call it "Communications Coordinator" instead of "Marketing Coordinator" because the work tilts more toward stewardship than acquisition.
Nonprofit marketing salaries by role (2026 data)
Ranges below were re-pulled from Zippia and Glassdoor in June 2026. SERP results vary by user and location, so confirm the current range on each source before you set a budget or post a JD.
Geographic variation matters: salaries in NYC, SF, DC, and Boston run 15-25% above the national figures; fully remote roles cluster closer to the median. On-site roles in large metros sit at the top of each range.
For a small nonprofit: if any of these ranges feels like the majority of your fundraising hire's first-year impact, the role isn't worth filling yet.
Essential skills to include in your job description
Skills shift by role. Below is a simple matrix: hard skills (specific tools) and soft skills (the human work) that matter most for each of the five roles.
Skill
Coordinator
Social
Digital Comms
Content
PR
Writing and editing
★★★
★★
★★★
★★★
★★★
CRM and email tool
★★★
★
★★★
★★
★
Paid digital ads
★
★★
★★★
-
-
Social platform fluency
★★
★★★
★★
★
★★
Analytics (GA4, platform)
★★
★★
★★★
★
★
Design basics (Canva)
★★
★★★
★★
★★
★
Donor communication voice
★★★
★★
★★★
★★★
★★
Media relations
-
★
★
★
★★★
Crisis comms
-
★
★
-
★★★
Storytelling and interviewing
★★
★★
★★
★★★
★★
A note on the CRM and email tool row: when you write the JD, list the actual tool the hire will use, not a generic category. If your donor segmentation and email lives inside the donor record on Zeffy, you don't need to require "Mailchimp experience" or "HubSpot experience" on top of that. One platform, one skill to learn. For a deeper look at what nonprofit email strategy actually involves, see nonprofit email marketing for small orgs.
The same logic applies to a Marketing Coordinator or Digital Marketing Communications Manager JD: if you can send newsletters and campaigns with unlimited contacts on the same platform that holds your donor list, you don't need to staff against two separate tools.
For a small nonprofit: every required tool on a JD is a learning curve your hire has to climb before they do useful work. Cut the list to the tools that actually run your fundraising. Everything else is optional.
How to structure your nonprofit marketing team
The right team structure isn't a fixed org chart. It scales with budget and what the org is trying to do this year. Three tiers cover most of the picture.
Solo marketer (under $500K budget)
There is no marketing team. There is the Executive Director, sometimes a part-time Development and Communications Coordinator, and a handful of volunteers. Reality check from real conversations with small-org leaders: most don't have a dedicated marketing person, and when they do, that person is usually six months in and still figuring out donor stewardship.
Before you write a JD, subtract these tasks:
Donor CRM and segmentation. Lives inside your fundraising platform. No standalone CRM hire required.
Donor emails and newsletters. Same platform, same supporter record. No separate email tool to staff against.
Event ticketing and promotion. Built into the same platform as registration and follow-up.
Peer-to-peer campaigns. Supporters fundraise on your behalf, which distributes the marketing load off your one staff member.
Zeffy is used by 100,000+ nonprofits to handle exactly this kind of tool consolidation, with $2B+ raised at $0 in platform fees. When those tasks are handled, the role you actually need to write is closer to: Communications and Development Coordinator: storytelling, donor stewardship, event coordination, and supporter engagement. Not Marketing Coordinator: manage 12 tools and build a brand.
Small team (2-3 people, $500K-$2M budget)
Usually a Director of Development and Communications plus a Marketing or Communications Coordinator. Sometimes a part-time designer or freelance contractor for campaigns. The split is functional: the director owns strategy and major-donor work; the coordinator owns execution across email, social, and the website.
Hire the coordinator first. The director role can stay combined with development for longer than most orgs think.
Full department (4+ people, $2M+ budget)
Now the roles in the templates above actually fit. A Director of Marketing oversees acquisition; a Director of Communications oversees stewardship and brand. Specialists (Social Media Manager, Content Manager, PR Manager, Digital Marketing Communications Manager) report up. Even at this size, most orgs don't fill all five specialist roles; they pick the two or three that match this year's strategy.
For a small nonprofit: if your honest answer is "we want a full department but we're a $400K org," skip the org chart and write one hybrid JD. The work that's left after you subtract platform tasks is real, but it's one job, not five.
Interview questions for nonprofit marketing candidates
Generic marketing interviews ask about funnels and ROI. Nonprofit marketing interviews should test for nonprofit-specific instincts: ethical storytelling, doing more with less, and respecting the supporter relationship. Below are 3-5 questions for each role.
Marketing Coordinator
Walk us through how you'd plan a 6-week year-end giving campaign with a $5,000 budget.
How do you decide what belongs in a donor newsletter vs. a general supporter newsletter?
Describe a campaign you ran where the result wasn't what you expected. What did you change?
How do you handle a deadline conflict when the ED, program lead, and major donor all want something different on Friday?
Social Media Manager
How would you communicate program impact to donors without using stock photography or generic gratitude posts?
Describe a content calendar you've built. How did you balance recurring content with reactive moments?
How do you handle a critical or hostile comment on a public post?
Which metric do you defend in a board meeting, and why?
Digital Marketing Communications Manager
How would you measure marketing ROI for mission-driven work where the "conversion" is sometimes a 10-year relationship?
Walk us through how you'd allocate a $50,000 annual digital budget across paid, owned, and earned.
How do you decide when to bring work in-house vs. hire a freelancer or agency?
Describe the worst-performing channel you've inherited. How did you turn it around (or kill it)?
Content Manager
Tell us about an impact story you wrote where you had to balance authenticity with the subject's dignity. How did you make the tradeoffs?
How do you keep a content calendar from drifting into "all fundraising appeals all the time"?
Describe your editing process when you're working with a program staffer who isn't a writer.
What's your point of view on AI-assisted writing for grant proposals and donor communications?
PR Manager
Walk us through a crisis communications scenario you've handled. What did you wish you'd done differently?
How do you build a relationship with a reporter who has never covered our sector?
Describe a pitch that landed and one that didn't. What was the difference?
How do you measure PR ROI when most of the value is reputational?
A coordinator executes the plan: writes emails, schedules posts, updates the calendar, reports on what shipped. A manager sets the plan: owns the budget, picks the channels, hires freelancers, and is accountable for outcomes. In small orgs, one person does both. In mid-to-large orgs, the manager runs the coordinator.
For most small nonprofits, neither option is the right first move. A full-time hire costs $50K-$100,000+ all-in; a nonprofit marketing agency typically starts around $3K-$10K/month for ongoing work. A third option: let supporters fundraise on your behalf with peer-to-peer. That distributes marketing work across your community instead of putting it on one staffer or one outside firm. Hire in-house when you have steady work that needs continuity. Use an agency for one-off projects (a rebrand, a campaign push). Use peer-to-peer when you have an engaged base that already tells your story.
Honestly, very few. Google Analytics certification, Google Ads certification, and HubSpot's free inbound marketing certification are common and inexpensive. A CFRE matters for development roles, not marketing roles. Nonprofit-specific marketing certificates (NTEN) are nice signals but won't move a hiring decision on their own. Prioritize portfolio over credentials.
Brand awareness (people know you exist and what you do), donor engagement (supporters feel connected enough to give, give again, and give more), and community engagement (the people you serve, your volunteers, and your partners feel part of the work). A good JD touches all three.
Start with the channels you already own: your supporter email list, your website, and the social platform where your existing audience already spends time. Don't try to be on every platform. Define one goal per quarter (new monthly donors, volunteer signups, attendance at one event), pick the two channels that serve it, and ignore the rest. Use a free all-in-one fundraising platform so the donation page, donor list, and email tool aren't three separate line items.
Three audiences, roughly: beneficiaries (the people you serve), volunteers (the people who help deliver programs), and donors (the people who fund the work). A good marketing plan speaks to each in a different voice and doesn't confuse them.
Email Marketing for Nonprofits - Top Tools and Best Practices in 2024
Email marketing for nonprofits can help you increase donations, share your mission, and engage with supporters. Explore best practices and top tools to for successful email campaigns.
Look for people who attend related events, follow relevant Facebook groups, or subscribe to aligned newsletters.These aren’t just potential donors—they’re your future advocates.
Look for people who attend related events, follow relevant Facebook groups, or subscribe to aligned newsletters.These aren’t just potential donors—they’re your future advocates.
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