All Danbury children, families, and young adults have full and equitable access to opportunities to be successful and thrive in life.
Danbury Collective Mission
Led by the community, we work collectively to foster positive, measurable, and sustainable outcomes for Danbury children and families.
The Danbury Collective is a Collective Impact, community-led partnership that works to achieve our goals through cross-sector collaboration. We are guided by the nationally recognized StriveTogether framework for creating a community-wide partnership. The Danbury Collective brings together a diverse group of more than 50 community members, parents, educators, nonprofit organizations, Danbury Public Schools leadership, and City of Danbury leadership to explore the systems that benefit the children, families, and young adults of the Danbury community. We are a movement of people impacted by and impacting a challenge, who share power, trust, resources, and effort to achieve a common purpose.
Position Summary
The Initiatives and Community Engagement Manager is a full-time (37.5 hours/week) position reporting to the Executive Director of Danbury Collective. Collective Impact work hinges on cross-sector collaboration, community voice, and evidence-based and shared decision-making. The Initiatives and Community Engagement Manager will oversee community engagement functions and manage our initiative-based Working Groups. Expected start date is February 19, 2026 and is funded through a one-year grant. Continuation beyond the initial term is a possibility but not guaranteed. The position will be adaptive as the Danbury Collective grows and evolves based on community needs and available resources.
The Initiatives and Community Engagement Manager will play an integral role in the growth of the Danbury Collective, serving as the manager of our initiative-based Working Groups and the leader of meaningful community engagement and relationship building. The manager will ensure that our initiatives align with our community’s needs and aspirations. Our current initiative-based Working Groups organize community stakeholders around topics of most importance and impact for children and families in Danbury: Civic Engagement, Chronic Absenteeism and Learner Engagement, Early Childhood Education, and Youth Mental Health. The manager will also ensure that we are nurturing our existing relationships and building new relationships with a diversity of community stakeholders.
This person will work to propel equity forward through collaborative action. They will maintain a deep commitment to racial equity and work towards systemic change that ensures every Danbury child can succeed and thrive in school and life, from cradle to career. This person will build and maintain strong and meaningful relationships with a variety of stakeholders – including staff at the Danbury Collective, United Way of Coastal and Western CT (our backbone organization), the CT Cradle to Career Coalition, Danbury Public Schools, childcare partners, government officials, community members, parents, youth, and other partner organizations – to improve outcomes for every child, putting Danbury residents on a path towards economic mobility.
The Danbury Collective has backbone support from United Way Coastal and Western Connecticut (UWCWC), which serves as the employer of record. UWCWC serves 27 towns, including the Cities of Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, and Stamford, and the Towns of Bethel, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Darien, Easton, Fairfield, Kent, Monroe, New Canaan, New Fairfield, New Milford, Newtown, Redding, Ridgefield, Roxbury, Sherman, Stratford, Trumbull, Warren, Washington, Westport, Wilton, and Weston. Three Collective Impact organizations work within three of these communities and are called Danbury Collective, Bridgeport Prospers, and Stamford Cradle to Career.
Essential Functions
1. Community Outreach and Engagement: Foster connections between our organization and the community, actively participating in events and cultivating authentic relationships with parents and families across Danbury.
Develop and implement community engagement strategies to enhance visibility and participation in Danbury Collective initiatives, leveraging ideas from the Advisory Council.
Coordinate and attend community events, meetings, and gatherings to establish and maintain relationships with stakeholders, including some evening and weekend events.
Collaborate with internal teams to ensure alignment of community engagement efforts with organizational goals and objectives, including Danbury Collective and United Way Coastal and Western CT staff.
Track and analyze engagement metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of outreach efforts and make data-driven recommendations for improvement.
Serve as a liaison between Danbury Collective and community organizations, advocating for the needs and interests of families within the community.
2. Partnership Development: Collaborate with community nonprofit partners, schools, faith-based organizations, and other civic entities to share information about the Danbury Collective. They identify opportunities for family engagement and seamlessly integrate their participation into our initiatives.
3. Civic Engagement: Promote civic participation among community members, encouraging them to actively engage in local decision-making processes and advocacy efforts. This includes:
Facilitate connections between our organization and local government bodies, empowering families to have a voice in shaping policies that impact their lives.
Build out and manage the new youth Civic Influencers Program, including logistics, participant recruitment, speaker liaising, program design, and direct engagement with youth.
4. Working Group Management: Manage most aspects of Danbury Collective’s three Working Groups (Chronic Absenteeism & Learner Engagement; Early Childhood Education; Youth Mental Health), including but not limited to:
Coordinate logistics for monthly meetings (scheduling, communications, agenda-setting)
Manage Working Group meeting and member logistics
Recruit new members and support existing members
Partner with Working Group Co-Chairs to co-facilitate monthly meetings
Meet with Co-Chairs regularly to move forward goals of each Working Group
In partnership with Co-Chairs and the Executive Director – and with StriveTogether’s support – contribute to strategy and policy design for Working Groups
Incorporate feedback into organizational plans
5. Communication Management: Oversee Danbury Collective’s direct communications with parents and community members through various channels. Work closely with the Communications Manager to ensure consistent messaging and engagement.
Required Experience and Education
Bachelor’s Degree or Associate’s Degree and equivalent work and life experience.
Experience working or volunteering in a collective impact, coalition, nonprofit, foundation, education, or network-building organization is highly desirable.
Candidates must understand the challenges and barriers faced by marginalized communities, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, class, ability, immigration status, gender and their intersections, and have experience engaging with and working alongside communities of color.
A commitment to equity, respect, and dignity for all humans.
Demonstrated ability to communicate with multiple audiences in a culturally competent manner.?
Superior communication skills (oral and written).
Bilingual (English and Spanish or Portuguese) strongly preferred AND an ability to work closely with translators for both oral and written translations.
Experience building relationships within your local community. Experience living, working, or volunteering in Danbury, CT is highly desirable.
Experience discussing and leading conversations around community identified issues is preferred.
Content knowledge of civic engagement, learner engagement, early childhood education, and/or youth mental health is preferred.
Demonstrated experience in project facilitation and management.
Demonstrated ability to engage a diverse set of partners from all sectors of the community and build relationships.
Organized with the ability to create and implement systems and follow-up processes.
Demonstrated capacity to work well with others.
Evidence of organizational ability and ability to successfully complete assigned projects.
Motivated self-starter with the ability to work collaboratively and independently with purpose and accuracy in a fast-paced environment.
Excellent technology skills including MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, Sharepoint); Google Suite (Forms, Drive); and familiarity and/or skills in graphic design and social media are a plus.
United Way is an equal-opportunity employer and seeks to hire staff members who reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. All positions are filled without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, employment status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If much of this job describes you, please apply. Research shows that women and people from underrepresented groups often apply to jobs only if they meet all qualifications. We recognize this and encourage those with relevant skills and experience to apply.
Statements in this Job Description are intended to describe the general nature of work being performed. They are not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required for the position.
