We’re Hiring!

Full Time/Salary/Non-Exempt
Salary range: $58 – 61k

Agency Overview
Page Ahead Children’s Literacy Program works to increase the reading achievement of students from low-income communities in Washington. A child who is not reading proficiently at the end of third grade is FOUR times more likely to drop-out of school before graduating than one who is. Starting with improving book access in the home, Page Ahead works to break down barriers to achievement and provides reading interventions that support children and families.

The Position
Do you love the idea of helping children become strong readers? Have you ever been complimented on your organization skills? Do you have a heart for people and enjoy providing great customer service? If so, Page Ahead’s Community Outreach Specialist position might be the right fit for you!
The Community Outreach Specialist is the glue that binds the Page Ahead team together. The position works with every member of the team, as well as all of our volunteers, board members, supporters and school partners. You will enjoy this position the most if you are the kind of person who likes being in the center of everything.
Primary Responsibilities
Volunteer Coordination (40%)

  • Work with program and development managers to determine current needs, then manage all aspects of volunteer recruitment, from creating posts and marketing on social media to running background checks on new volunteers
  • Utilize our database to identify and schedule volunteers for office, event and/or program activities
  • Provide training, encouragement and abundant appreciation. Plan volunteer appreciation party, recognize birthdays and milestones, etc
  • Manage all volunteer communication, including producing the quarterly volunteer newsletter
  • Work with corporate groups to support team volunteering. Prepare materials and provide instructions, share the ‘why’ what they are doing is important, and recognize achievement in person and in public (via social media)
  • Greet and welcome all volunteers, book drive coordinators/donors, and visitors
    Development Support (40%)
  • Assist in planning and overseeing fundraising activities and events
  • Utilize design software to create flyers, sponsorship packets, invitations, postcards, etc
  • Responsible for all aspects of the donor acknowledgement experience, from opening the mail to recording donations in our database, to generating thank you letters. Works with board members to recognize supporters as appropriate.
  • Run reports in database to support development manager in planning and tracking results from fundraising events and campaigns
  • Order print materials, t-shirts and supplies for events, appeals and book drives
    Program Coordination (10%)
  • Support our school partners by verifying volunteer needs and creating/posting volunteer shifts online
  • Order all supplies and materials (book bags, labels, etc)
  • Manage the packing and shipping process for all programs – including packing and scheduling UPS shipments, providing tracking information to school partners, etc
  • Communicate program activities through social media, Page Ahead newsletter, and website
  • Create and update program documents, forms and spreadsheets
  • Coordinate closely with program manager to ensure each program’s volunteer needs are met
    Administrative/Communication Tasks (10%)
  • Update website content on monthly basis
  • Manage Page Ahead’s social media accounts
  • Provide bookkeeping support: batch and prepare invoices for payment, prepare cash receipts for deposit, etc.
  • Assume primary responsibility for maintaining office and printer networks, office machines and phones. Troubleshoot problems and provide support and training to other staff. Coordinate with IT vendor to solve problems/schedule maintenance.
  • Assist Executive Director with board administration, including assembling board packets, and coordinating communication and calendars
    Minimum Qualifications
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, as well as the ability to organize and share complex information clearly and concisely. (We are a literacy organization after all!)
  • Related employment or educational experience, which may include customer service, data entry, relationship management, and public outreach.
  • You must be detail-oriented and have strong organizational skills to manage a high volume of volunteer/donor interactions and accurate database entry. Experience managing ongoing customer relationships and/or accounts preferred.
  • Demonstrated commitment to racial equity and social justice
  • Strong customer service orientation, and passion for direct engagement with donors, volunteers and our school partners.
  • Competency or willingness to learn WordPress, Google Suite, Bloomerang (or another customer relationship management platform).
  • Competency in and/or a willingness to learn Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, or similar creative products.
  • Desirable Qualifications
  • Previous experience working with volunteers
  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Ability to connect with a diverse group of people
  • Ability to successfully prioritize tasks to meet deadlines and reach goals
  • Experience developing visuals, marketing collateral, etc
  • Effective at working on a small, collaborative team as well as independently
  • Ability to organize others and contribute to team’s ability to stay on track
    This is a 40 hour per week position, and very occasional evening and weekend work is sometimes required. Page Ahead is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. All interested individuals are encouraged to apply, particularly people of color, women, and persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary, and/or intersex.
    Page Ahead offers a competitive benefits package that includes: health/dental/vision insurance, retirement matching, vacation/sick leave, and 12 paid holidays. From our book-filled, accessible office in the Crown Hill neighborhood of Seattle, we serve all of Washington state. Some local travel will be expected.
    As part of our partnership agreement with schools, employment with Page Ahead will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check. Page Ahead is a scent-free office.

    To Apply
    Email your resume AND cover letter to: jobs@pageahead.org

    Please no phone calls.

December 2023 newsletter

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First Tech’s Season of Giving: You did it!

Your nominations helped power us to victory in the First Tech Season of Giving contest. Hooray! Because of your stellar efforts, Page Ahead will be receiving a $10,000 grant from our friends at First Tech Federal Credit Union.

This grant will build home libraries of 12 books each for 200 students—that’s 2,400 brand-new books on kids’ shelves that weren’t there before. That’s the equivalent of building home libraries for every single kindergartner, first grader, and second grader at a school like Madrona Elementary in Sea-Tac!

Thank you to our community of supporters and champions of children’s literacy! And, especially to First Tech!


What your support makes possible: preschool reading

We recently shipped copies of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, The Snowy Day, and Giraffes Can’t Dance to 1,778 preschoolers across Washington as part of our Story Leaders program. Teachers read each book using shared-reading techniques we train them in, and kids get copies of each book to take home! Learn more here.


No child should have to grow up without a bedtime story

Books are learning’s most important tool. They are also one of life’s great pleasures. No child should have to grow up without books to read at bedtime. With your help, they don’t have to. Please make a gift today. Students like Stephanie are counting on you!


Holiday book shopping

During this giving season, we are delighted that our friends at Edmonds Bookshop are making it extra simple for anyone to put new books in the hands of kids who need them. Stop by Edmonds Bookshop between December 18 – 22 to complete your holiday shopping and support their efforts to give kids in need the chance to read!


Airway Heights Reading Event

A huge round of applause to the wonderful volunteers who read to the 100+ kids at Sunset Elementary. We had a fantastic crew of volunteers from AgWest Farm Credit, who had also decorated bookmarks for each student. These fantastic adults brought the magic of storytelling to life. Thank you for turning reading into a super fun adventure for the students! They loved selecting a new book to keep, and they especially loved reading with you all.  You’re all superheroes in our book!


All of us at Page Ahead send warm holiday wishes to you – heroes!

Thanks to your advocacy, financial support, and volunteering, thousands of kids in need across Washington experienced the joy of choosing great new books to read and building their home libraries in 2023. What a wonderful gift—thank you!

Page Ahead staff, clockwise from top left: Stacey, Susan and Lisa.