Writer wanted (homelessness) | $2,400 to $4,000 for 4 blog posts/reports

COMPANY/PUBLICATION: COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS

Deadline: 27 February 2023

Community Solutions is a national nonprofit that leads Built for Zero, a movement of more than 100 communities dedicated to measurably and equitably ending homelessness. We are working to fundamentally shift people’s understanding of homelessness from one that is often misunderstood as tragic but intractable, into what it truly is: a solvable, systems problem. Our written content is a critical vehicle for capturing this proof, and sharing learning being generated by communities across the country working on making homelessness rare and brief.

The audience of our content ranges across various groups, but often includes leaders and individuals operating within and or close to homeless response systems, as well as other sector leaders that have the power to help reduce homelessness.

We seek for our outputs to be clear, accessible, and informative and respectfully amplify the experiences of communities on the frontlines of ending homelessness.

TIME FRAME

• Dates: Starting no later than March 13 through April 13, with potential for more monthly contracts
• Working hours: Flexible, can be set together

SCOPE OF WORK

Deliverables/outputs expected from this work include:

• Four reported case studies or blog posts assigned by Community Solutions, which will range from 600 to 1,000 words. Length deadlines, sourcing information, and editing process will be specified in the assigning memo.

Expected activities from this partner include:

• Reviewing an assigning memo from Community Solutions staff member and ensuring there is clarity on intended focus and output
• Coordinating and conducting interviews with internal and external stakeholders, in a way that gleans all the necessary information to deliver the desired output while promoting a respectful, positive experience for the participants
• Using an online service to automatically transcribe interviews (CS will pay for transcription service)
• Drafting stories
• Coordinating review and fact-checking from internal and external stakeholders
• Reviewing and responding to feedback to finalize outputs
• Coordinating with external stakeholders to secure photos, if handout art is needed
• Writing to be submitted in Google docs, which is also used to communicate edits.

TYPICAL STORY PROCESS:

• Assigning: Community Solutions send an assigning memo, which includes the focus of the story, deadlines, and sourcing.
• Reporting: Writer reports and returns a first draft by the specified deadline.
• Review:Community Solutions editor edits and communicates feedback.
  Writer revises and resubmits draft to editor, who returns draft with feedback.
  Writer makes any necessary revisions, then sends final draft to editor.
  Editor approves final draft, or communicates necessary edits to writer
  
• Fact-checking: Writer completes fact checking with sources to confirm accuracy.
• Publishing: Writer returns final, fact-checked copy and editor publishes to website.

GOALS THAT THIS POSITION IS INTENDED TO HELP US MEET INCLUDE:

• As an organization, we’re working toward creating a tipping point in which the conditions are primed for any U.S. community to create a lasting end to homelessness, which is recognized as a crucial public health issue
• Having a steady stream of well-written content helps us ensure thatThe methodology, solution, and proof of solvability well documented and reaching key audiences
  Key audiences taking actions and influencing peers to create accountability for population-level outcomes
  

EDITORIAL STYLE

• Through communications, we aim to create public accountability for ending homelessness and shift the public discourse so homelessness is widely understood as solvable.
• Our writing covers complex topics related to systems change, and strives to be informative and accessible to people outside of the homeless sector.
• We report on stories within Built for Zero communities, a movement of 105 U.S. cities and counties all working to end homelessness.
• The topics we cover explain issues that shifts discourse about homelessness to reflect that it is a solvable, systems problem and a matter of racial equity.

BUDGET

We have budgeted $2,400-4,000 for this work.

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Vendors should respond to this request by Feb. 27 with a brief proposal that includes your resume, writing samples, scope of activities, and budget. Please include access to relevant examples of your work. Send your proposal to Kristin Kellogg at kkellogg@community.solutions.

We are looking for people who have experience writing about complex systems issues in a clear, understandable way. Experience with trauma-informed interviewing practices is a plus. Strong candidates would include people who have experience writing for think tanks, research institutions, media outlets, or other related writing experience.

Community Solutions strives for inclusivity and diversity by attracting extraordinary people from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences. We seek to work with an all-star team of people who vary by their race and ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, age, culture, religion, veteran status, physical and mental abilities. We promote equal opportunity in the recruitment and selection of all employees, including contractors.

CONTACT INFORMATION (please do not share the email address publicly):

Questions/applications: kkellogg@community.solutions

Website: https://community.solutions/

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