Contract Opportunity – Capital Rainbow Refuge: Communications Consultant
Shaheen Lotun
Contract Opportunity – Communications Consultant
About Capital Rainbow Refuge
Capital Rainbow Refuge/Refuge arc-en-ciel de la capitale (CRR) is a volunteer-based organization engaged in leveraging a safe haven for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex (LGBTQ) refugees who are fleeing persecution due to sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or HIV+ status. Since 2010, CRR has provided income and community support to help settle hundreds of LGBTQ refugees in Ottawa.
In the past decade, CRR has supported LGBTQ refugees through Canada’s private sponsorship of refugees program. CRR has successfully identified and resettled LGBTQ refugees, often at imminent risk of losing their lives because of life-threatening homophobia/transphobia in their home countries. Additionally, through the joint assistance sponsorship program, which requires a two-year commitment rather than one, we have sponsored LGBTQ refugees with additional vulnerabilities due to trauma, torture, lack of English language skills, illiteracy, and disability.
After arriving in Canada, LGBTQ refugees often feel unsafe within their own ethnocultural communities and may experience heightened mental health challenges. Though globally Canada has a solid reputation for upholding human rights, LGBTQ refugees may experience homophobia, transphobia, and xenophobia after resettling. CRR aims to provide them with space and opportunity to heal from trauma, rebuild their confidence, and empower them to carry out their lives in safety and with dignity. Many LGBTQ refugees consider CRR as their lifeline and the volunteers as their family.
As a newly incorporated not-for-profit organization, Capital Rainbow Refuge would like to ensure that we have an internal and external communications plan that is best suited to meet the needs of LGBTQ refugees, newcomers, and our private sponsorship groups.
Scope of Work
Communications Outreach
- Expand outreach through methods of external communications, going beyond our quarterly Mailchimp newsletter
- Integrate consistent Look & Feel and key messages
- Recommend platforms for communications
- Develop templates for communications on several platforms
Internal Communications
- Develop plans for internal communications
- Recommend platforms for communications, including website hosting of group settlement plans
Amplifying technical sector capacity
- Research and recommend internal (Board, staff, volunteers & sponsorship groups), and external (donors, potential donors, potential volunteers, private and government funding agencies), communications strategies to engage current membership, and expand our reach within Ottawa, and regionally
Branding
- Developing a Look & Feel, including CRR’s existing bilingual logo, which can be utilized on multiple platforms: web, email, video, letterhead
Supporting sustainable fundraising models
- Develop branding for Capital Rainbow Refuge’s annual fundraiser (typically held in November)
Website Design
- In collaboration with a CRR team, draft content for the CRR website, taking care to ensure that imagery is inclusive and diverse, which centres BIPOC, trans, lesbian and refugee experiences
- Design for Capital Rainbow Refuge’s website, to be executed by another contractor on Bubble
- Oversee website contractor, with consultation and approvals from CRR
- Ensuring integration of Look & Feel CRR, linking to other social media platforms
Video for Website
- Content design for testimonials for CRR’s website, ensuring BIPOC, trans, lesbian refugee content
- Developing consistent Look & Feel for video materials, communicating with video producer
- Content plan for “How to” videos for the Queer Refugee Hearings Project (QRHP), an application background project, to be recorded with audio in 4 languages
- Oversee website production, with consultation and approvals from CRR
Media Strategy
- In collaboration with CRR staff, develop a social media strategy, calendar and specific content strategies of key audiences: CRR’s external supporters/donors and internal members/volunteers
Timeline
- Start date – April 5, 2021
- Consultations with Capital Rainbow Refuge communications team – April 5, 2021
- Submission of draft strategic planning report to CRR’s communications team, developing External, Internal proposals – April 16, 2021
- Integration of feedback to CRR’s Communications team – April 23
- Submission of draft Strategic plan to CRR’s communications team – May 7
- Implement feedback on Strategic plan and deliver final report May 21th
- Submit recommendations to CRRs communications team, for Branding Look & Feel, key messages, proposing 3 drafts – Jun 4
- Submit Look & Feel, key messages, implementing any changes; propose rollout on other platforms (video, website, report letterhead, signage, email template) – Jun 30
- Implementation of plans as first template on multiple platforms: external and internal communications– Jul 9
- Propose mock-ups for Fundraising content utilizing Branding (Facebook header, ticket, poster) – Jul 23
- Finalize Fundraising content utilizing Branding (Facebook header, ticket, poster) delivered as a TIFF – Aug 6
- Propose plans for CRR’s website video platforms in web developer & in collaboration CRR Communications and QRHP team – Aug 20
- Finalize content for website pages– Sept 3
- Story plans/concepts for Video – to be executed by Video contractor – Sept 17
- Finalize video content for how to, & testimonials – Oct 1
- Screen video: how to, testimonials as drafts – Oct 15
Remuneration
The total budget for this project is $5,000.
How to Apply
Send Cover letter and Resume to ad...@capitalrainbow.ca by March 26th, 2021