CO Comms Lead

Terms of Reference (ToR): Communication Lead: Community Action Collab (CAC)

1. Background & Context

Community Action Collab (CAC) engages with over 7 coalitions and 400+ partners across sectors to co-create resilience and scalable social impact. To truly harness this network’s energy, we need storytelling and communications that inspire action, demonstrate value, and activate the collective.

We’re looking for a dynamic Communication Lead who can take CAC’s communications from traditional to transformative — integrating strategy, creativity, and analytics to shape narratives that strengthen our brand, deepen partner engagement, attract member investment, and open new avenues for donor funding.



2. Role Purpose

The Communication Lead will shape and drive CAC’s strategic, high-impact communications — blending storytelling, digital innovation, and data-led insights to amplify CAC’s mission and reinforce our value to members, coalitions, and donors.

This role is both strategic and hands-on: building the communication architecture, executing compelling content, and ensuring consistent, measurable visibility and engagement across internal and external touchpoints.

3. Key Responsibilities

A. Strategic Leadership & Planning

Develop and implement a comprehensive communication strategy aligned with CAC’s multi-coalition mission and enterprise goals.

Position CAC as a thought leader in resilience and collaboration through powerful strategic messaging and brand storytelling.

Create an annual communication roadmap with KPIs tied to engagement, member retention, fundraising, and influence metrics.

Build cross-functional alignment with programme, partnerships, and MEL teams to ensure communication supports all archetype outcomes.

B. Member & Partner Engagement

Design campaigns and communication flows that energize coalition members, celebrate partner achievements, and make collaboration feel valuable and visible.

Build communication products that articulate member value, prompting both sustained involvement and conversions to paid membership.

Support coalitions in telling their own stories — offering editorial guidance, content frameworks, and storytelling platforms.

C. Fundraising & Donor Communication

Shape messaging and materials that position CAC as a strategic partner of choice for donors and investors.

Develop compelling donor communication packs — from impact briefs to microsites and multimedia content — demonstrating measurable outcomes and return on collaboration.

Collaborate with partnerships and finance teams to align storytelling with donor priorities and social investment trends.

D. Content & Product Development

Lead the creation of dynamic content in new-age formats — video series, short-form reels, interactive dashboards, podcasts, live digital events, and opinion pieces.

Ensure tone, design, and visual identity remain consistent with CAC’s evolving brand.

Curate high-quality, data-informed impact stories from across coalitions and turn insights into influential communication products.

E. Digital Ecosystem & Community Building

Oversee CAC’s digital presence — from website and newsletters to multi-platform social media — designing and executing an engagement strategy that expands reach and deepens interactions.

Harness digital analytics and user insights to adapt and evolve storytelling approaches.

Build and grow online communities (e.g., LinkedIn groups, WhatsApp clusters) focused on themes like resilience, collaboration, and innovation.

F. Brand & Media Management

Serve as guardian of CAC’s brand strategy, ensuring coherent, values-based narratives and visual consistency across all coalitions.

Lead media relations — cultivating journalist connections, securing positioning stories, and proactively managing reputational risks or opportunities.

Collaborate with enterprise Marcomms to ensure CAC’s voice contributes to larger institutional impact storytelling.

G. Systems, Data & Partners

Manage communication vendors (agencies, designers, production houses) and ensure accountability and ROI.

Integrate communication metrics into the CAC MEL framework for continuous learning and optimisation.

4. Deliverables & Performance Indicators

Approved Communication Strategy & Annual Work Plan with measurable outcomes and performance KPIs.

Quarterly content dashboards: engagement analytics, membership conversion insights, and donor reach data.

Digital growth targets: e.g., 25% increase in social engagement, 15% growth in high-value followers.

Content production: X flagship campaigns, Y blogs/features, Z social assets per quarter.

Partner satisfaction: measured through periodic feedback and collaboration pulse surveys.

Positive media traction: Q features or mentions annually in sector-relevant outlets.

5. Qualifications & Competencies

5-8 years of communication experience, ideally in social impact, networked or innovation-driven organizations.

Proven track record in strategic communication design, audience engagement, and brand-building.

Fluent in digital storytelling, social analytics, and new media ecosystems.

Exceptional writing, editing, and presentation skills; ability to translate complex ideas into compelling human stories.

Experience managing creative vendors and working across diverse, multicultural teams.

Strategic, creative, and data-literate — able to test, learn, and adapt communication for outcomes.

6. Nature of Engagement

Reports to: Co-Lead, Collaborative Orchestration

Team: Works closely with Partnerships, MEL, Secretariat support, and coalition teams.

Location: Hybrid / India-based with travel as required.

Type: Full-time, one-year renewable contract.