Communications Team

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Communications Team

Goals & Purpose

The purpose of this team is to create a group that will manage internal and external communications at Pumping Station: One. They will function as both an internal relations and a public relations team. The Communications Team will perform all duties related to member notifications and updates, communicate with individuals and organizations interested in working with Pumping Station: One, and increase awareness about PS1. The goal of this team is ultimately to increase the sense of community at PS1 and to foster relationships between our organization and others. The team is being established to create positions solely for handling these communication tasks, rather than splitting time between multiple, differing jobs.

Action Items in order of Priority

1. Newsletters

  • Issue a monthly newsletter to all current members
  • Include important announcements and upcoming events
  • Include at least one member project or feature in each newsletter
  • Create a way for members to easily submit items to the newsletter

2. Social Media Presence

  • Maintain an active Facebook, Instagram and Twitter with at least one post per platform per week
  • Create a reasonable schedule for posting to these accounts
  • Retweet and repost member projects
  • Photograph events around the space to create content for the accounts
  • Write about PS1 to create content and share relevant content from other accounts
  • Monitor the accounts for inappropriate activity and immediately delete or notify the DRC if needed

3. Website

  • Keep up our website with at least monthly blog posts
  • Clean up the calendar and add all events to it
  • Update the website style and content- host a town hall style meeting in March 2020 so that all interested members can participate
  • Link to our wikipedia page and highlight the new member FAQ
  • Update and maintain a tour outline for anyone to use and access

4. Internal Relations

  • At least one team member must attend weekly member meetings to make announcements about upcoming events and find out what the membership is making
  • Consider including anything learned at member meetings in newsletters
  • Help promote member-led events to other members and the public if applicable
  • Go through all FreshDesk tickets to make sure to respond to any emails regarding members hosting events
  • Share information and announcements on Slack regarding anything needed (board news, upcoming events, opportunities for member points, upcoming meetings, etc)

5. Meetup.com account

  • Work with the membership to keep our meetup.com profile and dates current
  • Include all PS1 events that are open to the public
  • Manage any messages or inquiries we receive through that platform

6. Public Relations

  • Answer all FreshDesk tickets from outside organizations
  • Assess whether the organizations should be allowed to partner with us and facilitate if so
  • Collect contacts from other organizations and keep a list for the Board
  • Reach out to facilitate partner-events such as Open House Chicago (though we do not need to participate in this particular event every year)

7. General Tasks for Everyone

  • Help improve public and internal relations at PS1
  • Brainstorm ways to foster and encourage community
  • Help with sorting and triage in FreshDesk
  • Think up fun content for our website and social media accounts

Powers & Limitations

The Communications team will have the power to determine the best ways to fulfill their tasks and to make day-to-day decisions in order to do so. If they desire to make major changes to any of the accounts or otherwise critical systems, then the team manager must present a plan to and get approval from the board.

Powers

  • This team has the power to:
  • Determine when, where, and how often to meet
  • Hold meetings
  • Create documents in a google drive folder shared with the board
  • Review current documents and processes pertaining to their job descriptions
  • Seek member input on pertinent issues
  • Submit content to our social media and meetup.com accounts
  • Delete inappropriate content from our accounts as needed
  • Make suggestions to the board if new positions on the team are necessary
  • Make suggestions for changes to website

Limitations This team does not have the power to implement major changes without Board approval. The team does not have the power to take any actions that are contrary to the wishes of the Board, the purposes of the organization, or that would otherwise conflict with the governing documents of the organization. They do not have the power to take any of the actions prohibited by article 108.40-teams in the General Not-for-Profit Corporation Act of 1986 805 ILCS 105/108.40. These prohibited actions include, but are not limited to, distributing assets without Board approval, dissolving the corporation, removing Board members, taking any action that requires a Board or membership vote, determining their own compensation, and performing any other important functions that are normally reserved for the Board. According to paragraph D of 805 ILCS 105/108.40, this team may not act on behalf of the corporation or bind it to any action, but may make recommendations to the board of directors or officers.

Job Descriptions

Social Media Agent

  • manage our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and meetup.com accounts
  • reach out to membership for content and repost appropriate member-created content
  • attend member-led events, meetings, and parties to take pictures and generate content
  • find appropriate content or news from similar organizations to repost on our accounts
  • answer any messages or inquiries on these platforms
  • flag and immediately report any serious issues related to our social media accounts to the Board

Internal Relations Agent

  • create an easy way for members and volunteers to submit content for the monthly newsletter
  • send out a monthly newsletter
  • manage a reporting system for members to submit events to you
  • promote any upcoming member led events on our primary communication channels
  • contact members hosting events and help provide resources and support to ensure that member events run smoothly
  • create a blog post on our website at least once per month
  • oversee the community project to redesign and improve PS1’s website
  • answer any Freshdesk inquires or Google Group messages that apply to your role
  • flag and immediately report any serious issues related to our internal communications to the Board
  • attend one board meeting per month and be in communication with the board for the purpose of promoting news on a newsletter or through google groups to the general public

Advisory Position / Historical Knowledge (no work in lieu of dues)

  • work with the volunteers to divide up and complete the action items above
  • ensure that the other members of this team are performing their duties and assist them as needed
  • flag and immediately report any serious issues
  • determine the most important issues & address them as needed
  • help the Communications Manager by documenting all tasks you currently perform and training others how to do them
  • take on action items as needed to assist the team

Communications Team Lead

  • work on compiling a list of outside organizations to partner with in terms of events and learning opportunities
  • run any partnership events at PS1
  • give tours to outside organizations and schools as requested
  • look into organizations that would be open to sponsoring PS1
  • attend different meetings outside of PS1 at different organizations to build a larger ecosystem of connections to the Chicago land community
  • represent PS1 in a public settings
  • answer freshdesk prompts in regards to outside organizations contacting us to do collaborations
  • keeping track a calendar of events within the Chicago community that seem fitting for PS1 to attend
  • work with the volunteers to divide up and complete the action items above

Appointment and Dismissal

The members of Pumping Station: One will be notified of the establishment of the new team. The Communications Manager position will be posted to the primary means of communication at the time, and all members in good standing will be given 2 weeks to apply for the position. The applications will be reviewed by the board, and the team lead will be appointed. Then the remaining volunteer positions on the team will be posted to the primary means of communication at the time, and the Communications Manager will make recommendations to the Board relating to the appointment of the members of the team. The Board will appoint the volunteers to the team. The volunteers on this team will serve a one year term unless the Board receives a complaint and/or determines that a volunteer is unfit for the role. At the end of the one working year, the Board will conduct a performance review for the Team Lead. The Board will provide a performance review form and a questionnaire to the Communications Manager, who will distribute it to each of the people on the team. Each person must complete the form and return it directly to the Board. The Communications Manager will meet with each of the volunteers on the team and provide a summary of performance review meetings to the Board. All of the team members serve at the pleasure of the Board. Should any issues arise, the Board will determine the best course of action at that time. If a member of the team is not fulfilling the duties of their role to the satisfaction of the Board, then that member may be removed by the Board at any time without prior notice. All members of the team are still bound by the member agreement, code of conduct, and dispute resolution or discipline by the DRC.

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