Rights, Licensing & Permissions Manager (Volunteer)

Mentor A Promise is a New York City–based nonprofit serving children and youth (ages 5–18) experiencing housing instability, grounded in the belief that every child is a Promise—full of potential, dignity, and possibility. We deliver consistent, high-quality programming across mentorship, literacy, social-emotional learning, and creative expression in shelters, schools, and community spaces, creating structured environments where students can grow, be seen, and build lasting skills. Through signature experiences like The Imagination Studio, The Kitchen Table, The Sound Lab, and The Story Space, we nurture academic development, emotional well-being, and creative voice, all within a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and accessibility-centered framework. Our work prioritizes dignity-protective storytelling, consent-driven engagement, and deep community partnership, ensuring that how we serve is as intentional as whom we serve. We are not only addressing immediate needs - we are building pathways to confidence, belonging, and long-term opportunity, so every child has the support and foundation to carry their promise forward.

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Rights, Licensing & Permissions Manager (Volunteer)

Organization Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Division Storytelling, Literacy & Publishing (PromisePress)

Location Remote via Google Meet and/or New York City

Type Volunteer (Unpaid)

About Mentor A Promise

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City–based nonprofit dedicated to supporting children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability. Through mentorship, literacy development, academic enrichment, social-emotional learning, creative expression, and community-centered storytelling, MAP creates safe, consistent, and empowering spaces where young people and families can thrive.

PromisePress is MAP’s publishing and storytelling division, producing children’s books, educational materials, blogs, multimedia content, and curriculum-aligned resources. Our work requires rigorous attention to intellectual property, ethical permissions, and rights stewardship—especially when working with youth voices, illustrators, writers, photographers, and community collaborators.

The Opportunity

The Rights, Licensing & Permissions Manager is a senior, trust-based role responsible for safeguarding MAP’s intellectual property practices while ensuring ethical, transparent, and compliant use of content across print, digital, educational, and multimedia platforms.

This role exists to ensure that creators are respected, permissions are clear, and MAP’s publishing and media work is protected—legally, ethically, and reputationally.

This is not a clerical role. It is a strategic stewardship and risk-management position at the intersection of publishing, law, ethics, and creative collaboration.

Core Responsibilities

Rights & Permissions Management

• Manage rights, licenses, and permissions for all PromisePress and multimedia content (text, illustrations, photography, video, audio).
• Review and track contributor agreements, releases, and permissions (writers, illustrators, photographers, youth contributors, partners).
• Ensure proper consent and usage rights, especially for youth-centered or community-based content.
• Maintain clear records of rights ownership, usage scope, and expiration terms.
  
  

Licensing & Intellectual Property Strategy

• Advise on licensing models for print, digital, educational, and multimedia distribution.
• Support decisions related to reuse, adaptation, translation, and derivative works.
• Collaborate with Editorial, Multimedia, and Publishing leadership to ensure rights alignment before release.
• Flag potential rights conflicts or risks early in the publishing process.
  
  

Policy, Compliance & Risk Mitigation

• Support development and refinement of rights, licensing, and permissions policies.
• Ensure compliance with copyright law, fair use considerations, and nonprofit best practices.
• Coordinate with legal counsel or advisors when necessary.
• Educate internal teams on rights-sensitive workflows and documentation.
  
  

Systems & Collaboration

• Maintain organized rights-tracking systems and documentation.
• Participate in cross-functional planning with Editorial, Publishing, Development, and Media teams.
• Check and respond to emails daily, with responses within 48 hours.
• Take responsibility for continuous improvement of rights management systems and practices.
  
  

How MAP Supports Rights & Licensing Leaders

MAP treats rights stewardship as essential to ethical storytelling. In this role, you can expect

• Clear scope, authority, and trust
• Respect for professional judgment and discretion
• Collaboration with editorial, legal, and executive leadership
• Transparency around goals and risk tolerance
• Professional references and letters of recommendation
• Recognition of rights management as mission-protective leadership work
  
  

Ideal Background & Expertise

• Experience in rights management, licensing, publishing operations, legal administration, or intellectual property.
• Strong understanding of copyright, permissions, and licensing frameworks.
• Ability to manage complex documentation with precision and clarity.
• Excellent communication skills, especially when explaining rights issues to non-legal teams.
• High ethical standards and attention to detail.
• Comfort working across creative, educational, and operational teams.
  
  

Valued But Not Required

• Background in publishing, media, or entertainment law
• Experience working with children’s content or educational materials
• Familiarity with nonprofit intellectual property considerations
• Bilingual or multilingual abilities (Spanish or Haitian Creole a plus)
  
  

Commitment

• Volunteer role, approximately 5–10 hours per week
• Minimum 6–12 month commitment preferred
• Remote collaboration via Google Meet, with optional NYC-based meetings
• MAP prioritizes clarity, care, and risk prevention over urgency
  
  

What You’ll Gain

• Senior-level experience managing rights and licensing for mission-driven publishing
• Portfolio-worthy accomplishments in ethical IP stewardship
• Collaboration with writers, illustrators, filmmakers, and nonprofit leaders
• Professional references and letters of recommendation
• The opportunity to protect stories, creators, and the communities they represent
  
  

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist.

For any additional questions or concerns, please email us directly at hr@mentorapromise.org

Protect the work. Honor the creators. Safeguard stories so they can be shared responsibly, ethically, and with lasting impact.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, our volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals who are based in the United States. This limitation is due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, and programmatic requirements associated with our work. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.