Job Summary We are seeking an outgoing, proactive, and community minded Community Outreach Coordinator to help build the Deaf Inclusion & Arts Fest from the ground up. The Deaf Inclusion & Arts Fest is a community driven festival bringing Deaf, hard of hearing, disabled, and hearing people together through arts, culture, accessibility, and connection . The festival is an initiative of The Blindspot , a Deaf inclusion venture focused on identifying and addressing communication and accessibility gaps that affect Deaf consumers and communities. As our Community Outreach Coordinator, you'll help turn the festival from an idea into a thriving community event. You'll build relationships and conduct outreach to potential vendors, artists, donors, sponsors, local businesses, nonprofits, organizations, and community members while helping expand the festival's visibility and network throughout Northeast Ohio. This is a great opportunity for someone who is outgoing, creative, resourceful, and comfortable taking initiative. Professional outreach experience is not required, we care more about your ability to connect with people, communicate effectively, follow through, and build relationships. Responsibilities Conduct grassroots outreach to recruit vendors, artists, donors, sponsors, businesses, organizations, volunteers, and community members for the Deaf Inclusion & Arts Fest. Identify new businesses, artists, organizations, community groups, and individuals who may be interested in participating or supporting the festival. Contact prospective vendors and explain the festival, participation opportunities, and benefits of getting involved. Identify and approach potential donors and sponsors who may be interested in supporting the festival. Build and maintain relationships with local businesses, artists, vendors, nonprofits, Deaf/HH organizations, disability organizations, schools, and community groups. Expand the festival's community network by identifying new outreach channels and partnership opportunities. Follow up consistently with potential vendors, donors, sponsors, and partners. Track outreach efforts, contacts, responses, confirmed vendors, and confirmed donors. Use social media, community groups, networking, direct outreach, and word-of-mouth strategies to increase festival visibility. Represent the Deaf Inclusion & Arts Fest professionally when communicating with prospective partners and participants. Help identify new ways to reach people when initial outreach channels become exhausted. Collaborate with festival leadership to develop and improve outreach strategies. Bring forward new ideas for vendors, artists, programming, partnerships, sponsors, and community engagement. Help create a welcoming, inclusive festival environment that reflects the needs and voices of the communities being served. What You'll Be Doing This position is fundamentally about building relationships . You might spend one day reaching out to local artists, another contacting businesses about becoming vendors, another identifying potential donors, and another connecting with a Deaf or disability organization that could help us reach more people. You will work closely with the Founder of The Blindspot , alongside fellow staff members, volunteers, vendors, artists, community partners, and other festival stakeholders. You will not simply be handing out flyers or posting on social media. You'll be actively helping build the network behind the festival. The goal is to turn conversations into connections and connections into confirmed vendors, donors, artists, sponsors, partners, volunteers, and attendees. Experience Experience in community outreach, recruiting, fundraising, sales, event planning, marketing, customer service, or community organizing is a plus. Experience working with artists, vendors, businesses, nonprofits, or community organizations is highly desirable. Connections to local businesses, artists, vendors, nonprofits, Deaf/HOH communities, disability organizations, schools, community groups, donors, or potential sponsors are a strong advantage. Strong communication and interpersonal skills. Comfortable initiating conversations with people you don't already know. Able to confidently explain an idea, opportunity, or event to a potential partner. Strong follow-through and ability to keep track of multiple conversations and contacts. Comfortable working independently and taking initiative without constant supervision. Creative and resourceful when looking for new people, organizations, and outreach opportunities. Familiarity with Deaf culture, ASL, disability inclusion, accessibility, or Deaf/HOH communities is a plus. Social media and digital communication experience is a plus. No formal outreach experience is required. If you're good with people, willing to learn, and know how to make connections, we want to hear from you. Compensation $50 hired-in bonus Paid after the Coordinator completes their first 15 days and remains in good standing. $10 biweekly base +$5 per confirmed vendor +$10 per confirmed donor Good standing means consistently communicating, completing agreed-upon outreach responsibilities, and remaining engaged in the role. This is a commission-based outreach position . The more you successfully bring into the festival, the more you can earn.

Example:

10 confirmed vendors + 5 confirmed donors = $100 in commissions + $20 biweekly base = $120/month Ideal Candidate We're looking for someone who sees a blank contact list and thinks, "Okay, who can I reach out to?" You don't need to have a huge professional network. You don't need a degree. You don't need years of nonprofit experience. You do need to be willing to pick up the phone, send the message, introduce yourself, follow up, ask questions, build relationships, and keep going when someone says no. If you're passionate about community, arts, accessibility, Deaf inclusion, and helping build something meaningful from the ground up, this could be a great fit.

Pay:

$40.00 - $200.00 per week

Benefits:

Employee discount Professional development assistance Referral program

Education:

High school or equivalent (Preferred)

Location:

Akron, OH 44313 (Preferred)

Work Location:

Hybrid remote in Akron, OH 44313