We are a young media organization transitioning into a phase of sustainable growth

The John Brown Project is a nonprofit media organization that exists to correct the record. We produce documentary film, music, journalism, and live programming that surface truths buried in American history: the systemic racism, implicit bias, and gender inequality that have shaped this country and continue to shape it. We honor John Brown's steadfast commitment to equality and work in his spirit.

We launched as a community art project in 2021 and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 2024. While we are very much a scrappy startup, we are maturing into a national organization that can rise to the challenges in today's world.

In our short existence, we have built a solid foundation: a digital infrastructure, a growing financial base, an award-winning documentary film, a 400+ subscriber email list, an online store, and strong national partnerships.

The current crises engulfing the world create a vacuum of truth and a unique opportunity. Public media has been upended, trust in legacy media is withering, and history is actively under attack. We intend to fight back with scholarship, media professionalism, and by linking arms with like-minded individuals and organizations. To do that, we are recruiting a world-class leadership team.

Where We Are Right Now

The last year has brought real momentum:

• CT Humanities grant: A recent $4,554 award supporting our work, with a second, larger CTH proposal currently in review.

• National coalition leadership: We are a founding partner, and member of the leadership team in John Brown: America250, a national coalition that is raising our visibility, bringing our work to new audiences, and raising money privately and institutionally.

• Crowdfunding base: A successful end-of-2025 campaign raised $7,000 from individual donors, giving us a real (not just nominal) supporter list to build on.

• Coalition-driven fundraising: $2,500 in donations have come in through that partnership so far.

• 2025 AASLH Leadership in History Award: National recognition from the American Association for State and Local History for our first film, His Truth Is Marching On.

• Festival recognition: Official selections at the Black History Film Festival, the Ridgefield Independent Film Festival.

• Platinum Transparency rating from Candid, the highest level available.

You would be joining at a moment when the organization has wind in its sails.

Where we are going

Looking ahead, our priorities over the next two to three years include completing and distributing the Pushing the Rock documentary series, building out our America 250 roundtable programming during the national bicentennial window, making our first paid hire to scale beyond founder-led operations, and growing the operating budget to support a small permanent staff and a national footprint.

OPEN POSITIONS

We are looking for dedicated professionals to fill vital officer, committee, and skills-based roles as we scale our impact:

• Treasurer (Financial Expertise): Looking for an accounting professional, CPA, or financial executive, ideally with nonprofit accounting experience, to oversee our annual budget, ensure audit readiness, and help transition our startup bookkeeping into sustainable financial forecasting.

• Secretary (Legal & Compliance): Looking for an attorney with corporate, contract, or nonprofit experience to manage our official records, review partnership agreements, advise on organizational risk, and ensure our governance and bylaws evolve with our scale.

• Fundraising Chair (Development Expertise): Looking for a development professional to help us diversify our revenue streams by identifying grant opportunities, cultivating private donations, and building corporate sponsorship packages. You would be stepping into existing momentum, including a national coalition partnership that is already driving donations and an active grant pipeline.

• Skills-Based Volunteers & Committee Members: Not ready for a Board seat, but fired up by our mission? We still want you in our corner. As a growing media organization, we are always looking for skilled professionals (writers, researchers, marketers, video editors, and community organizers) to join our working committees or help with specific projects. If you have a specific skill you want to contribute, email us at the address below and let us know how you'd like to help us build.

The Commitment

• Time: We expect you'll need to invest 8-10 hours per month in order to build the organization into a world-class media brand. This includes preparing for and attending one 90-minute virtual board meeting per quarter.

• Term: Board members serve three-year terms and may be reappointed.

• Board context: You would be joining a founding board of three members at a formative moment in the organization's life.

• Culture of shared investment: The John Brown Project thrives because of the deep commitment of its leadership. To ensure we all share a sense of ownership and stewardship over our mission, we ask for 100% board participation in our annual resourcing efforts through a combination of the following:

  • An annual financial contribution: We ask every board member to make a personal financial contribution that feels meaningful and comfortable within their own budget. As a founder-stage organization, contributions at this stage are modest and scaled to where we are. These gifts are typically used to seed our annual crowdfunding campaigns, providing vital early momentum.

  • Professional in-kind services: We highly value specialized professional skills. Pro bono legal, financial, or technical services that directly offset our operating costs are recognized as major contributions to the organization's health.

  • Network advocacy: We ask board members to act as ambassadors, leveraging their personal and professional networks to share our annual campaigns, secure partnerships, or attract in-kind resources.

Our commitment to inclusive leadership: The John Brown Project is actively committed to building a Board of Directors that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We believe that lived experience is just as valuable as professional accolades. We intentionally and enthusiastically encourage women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, young professionals stepping into their first executive board roles, and folks from non-traditional leadership backgrounds to apply. If you have the skills to build and a passion for our mission, there may be a seat at the table for you here.

How to apply: If you are interested in exploring one of these roles, we would love to hear from you.

Please email Dan Morrison directly at dan(at)johnbrownproject.org with a brief note about your background, a copy of your resume or LinkedIn profile, which area of expertise you would bring to the board, and why you want to serve.

What happens next: Dan will follow up to schedule a 30-minute conversation, typically within two weeks. Candidates who feel like a strong fit are then invited to meet additional board members and receive our Board Prospectus before any final decision.

We look forward to connecting!