Bylines Network exists because readers care. At their most engaged, they’re a community amplifying citizen voices, offering resources to enable more and better journalism, and instigating positive social change.
We are a national grassroots network, powered by 2,500 volunteers who create 100s of written articles a month, and a host of digital, audio, and visual content. In our best months, we engage 500,000 readers and over 300,000 people on social media. We don’t have billionaire owners or corporate owners. We are supported by people who believe in independent, progressive, fact-based journalism.
Since our launch in 2020, we’ve grown fast. Now we want to make the move from content consumption to active community support, and we need someone to help design that transition.
This is more than a social media manager role. This is a growth architecture commission.
We’re looking for a contractor who can:
- Develop our approach to turning readers into supporters without being transactional
- Build conversion pathways that respect editorial integrity
- Create an engine for multimedia and short-form content that volunteers can realistically deliver
- Use our CRM (Donorfy) intelligently to deliver meaningful supporter benefits
- Increase engagement, recurring income and supporter trust
If you can help us build sustainable systems, not one-off campaigns, then get in touch.
Over six months, you could help us:
- Design reader-to-supporter conversion journeys
- Systematise our Friends of Bylines Network scheme and embed benefits through Donorfy
- Create a roadmap for audiovisual and short-form growth
- Build dashboards that make engagement and revenue visible
- Help us reach £2,700 in monthly recurring income by month six
How you do this is up to you. We’re looking for someone who can set up replicable structures and mechanisms, not just make more content.
Who this might suit:
- A digital growth strategist who prefers building systems over chasing trends
- A membership or supporter-scheme specialist
- A CRM and automation thinker with community instincts
- A portfolio consultant who enjoys helping mission-driven organisations scale sustainably
You are comfortable working alongside a small core team and a passionate volunteer community. You understand that growth in a values-driven organisation is about alignment, not manipulation.
Practicalities
- Six-month commission (April–September 2026)
- Remote and flexible
- £6,000 (negotiable depending on approach and scope)
We expect this to be delivered flexibly alongside your other commitments. We are interested in your thinking, your frameworks, and your ability to leave something behind that works.
If this sounds interesting, send us the following to info@bylinesnetworks.co.uk no later than 5 pm, Friday, 17 April:
- A short outline of how you would approach the commission
- Relevant experience or case studies
- Your proposed milestones
- A budget breakdown
- Two referees
- A note on why this work appeals to you
For full details and/or an informal conversation about the tender, please email our Manager Director, Ben Dickenson at ben@bylinesnetworks.co.uk
