Resume

WORK EXPERIENCE

Director of Communications, Community Foundation Sonoma County

10/2017 – present

  • Major Projects: Talented storyteller, fundraiser, and explainer of complex projects. Lead communications for the Sonoma County Resilience Fund, the foundation’s long-term disaster recovery fund, raising over $25 million, and sharing powerful stories of impact.
  • Executive Communications and Speechwriting: Draft speeches, articles, and a book foreword for CEO. Prepare talking points for media interviews. Coach CEO ahead of public speaking engagements. Lead CEO transition communications.
  • Media Relations: Develop and maintain media relationships, pitch stories on foundation news, serve as media spokesperson in radio and print interviews.
  • Public Speaking: Serve as spokesperson at public events and speaking engagements, represent the foundation with corporate donors (e.g., Facebook, Genentech, Goldman Sachs), facilitate Zoom events for donors, nonprofits..
  • Marketing & Design: Design, photograph, write, and produce annual reports and all marketing materials. Manage all digital media. Redesigned website using stakeholder feedback process. 
  • Internal Communications: Lead internal communications for staff, including a weekly update news email. Facilitate learning, reflection, and strategic planning sessions to set department and org-wide goals, reflect on stakeholder survey feedback, plan events.
  • Management: Directly manage communications interns. Draft annual communications plans and marketing budgets. Manage creative and marketing contractors, including a re-branding project.

Communications & Marketing Manager, Social Advocates for Youth

08/2009 – 07/2017

  • Major Projects: Planned and executed communications for $10 million capital campaign for the SAY Dream Center – a project to build 63-units of affordable housing for homeless youth at the site of an unused 69-bed hospital in Santa Rosa.
  • Crisis Communications: Led crisis communications during construction and pre-construction phase of project, in face of neighbors’ concerns for having a youth housing program in their neighborhood.
  • Executive Communications and Speechwriting: Drafted speeches, developed policy positions, wrote op-eds for CEO and executive team.
  • Media Relations & Public Speaking: Developed relationships with key media. Sought and received regular press mentions for organization and programs. Served as spokesperson at public events, speaking engagements, tours.
  • Marketing & Design: Promoted fundraising events, bringing in over $400,000 annually. Managed photography, design and production of collateral. Managed all digital channels.
  • Management: Supported team of 10 colleagues, directly managing one graphic designer. Led $125,000 signage design project for the Dream Center Campus, managing multiple contractors. Stewarded agency rebrand. 

Freelance Design & Photography caitlinchilds.com

2008- present

  • Visual storytelling: portrait, wedding, and documentary photography, with featured work on CNN and KTVU, print newspapers, magazines. 

  • Graphic design: web and print design for nonprofit clients based in Sonoma County, San Francisco.

     

ACTIVISM & COMMUNITY SERVICE

 

EDUCATION

San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA

B.A. in Political Science. Graduated Cum Laude. 

 

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

  • Graphic Design: Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Lightroom)

  • Web Design: WordPress, HTML, CSS

  • Photography: Optimistic photojournalism-style imagery and portraiture

  • Public speaking: for large and small groups, both formal and informal, with routinely excellent feedback 

  • Writing: outstanding interviewer, writer, and storyteller