Business Development 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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Business Development Manager (Volunteer)
PromiseBrands | Business Development, Brand Partnerships & Commercial Growth
Organization Mentor A Promise (MAP)
Division PromiseBrands
Location Fully Remote — United States, with NYC collaboration as needed
Type Volunteer Management Role
Commitment Approximately 5–10 hours per week
Minimum Commitment 6 months
Reports To Chief of Brands / PromiseBrands Leadership
Works Closely With Creative Director, PromiseBrands; PromiseGiving; PromiseBridge; PromiseVoice; PromiseStudios; PromisePages; PromiseFinance; PromiseTrust; PromiseMeasure; and Executive Leadership
About Mentor A Promise
Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City–based nonprofit supporting children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability through mentorship, education, enrichment, creative expression, career development, advocacy, and community-centered opportunity.
MAP is also building creative brands, products, stories, experiences, and intellectual property capable of extending the mission into new audiences and responsible sources of organizational sustainability.
PromiseBrands is where brand strategy, creative expression, product development, and business opportunity come together.
About PromiseBrands
PromiseBrands leads MAP's brand strategy, brand expression, fashion and apparel, products and merchandise, creative campaigns, branded experiences, and related commercial opportunities.
Business Development within PromiseBrands focuses on identifying how MAP's creative assets and brands can responsibly create economic and strategic value.
The central question is
How can MAP turn strong ideas, brands, products, creative assets, and audiences into responsible opportunities that strengthen the mission?
Role Overview
MAP is seeking a Business Development Manager to help identify, evaluate, develop, and advance business opportunities connected to PromiseBrands.
This role will explore opportunities involving products, licensing, collaborations, retail, e-commerce, brand partnerships, sponsorship opportunities, intellectual property, creative ventures, and other mission-aligned revenue opportunities.
The Manager will help move opportunities from idea to evaluation to execution.
Opportunity → Research → Qualification → Business Case → Internal Review → Development → Approval → Launch → Measurement → Learning
Business development at MAP should not mean pursuing every opportunity capable of generating revenue.
It means determining which opportunities make strategic, financial, creative, legal, and mission sense.
Business Opportunity Development
Identify and develop opportunities involving
Products and merchandise
Fashion and apparel
Brand collaborations
Licensing
Intellectual property
Retail opportunities
E-commerce
Creative products
Publishing-related opportunities
Media and content opportunities
Branded experiences
Cause-related collaborations
Sponsorship opportunities
Corporate brand collaborations
Limited-edition products
Creative campaigns
Social-enterprise concepts
New distribution channels
Evaluate each opportunity beyond its immediate revenue potential.
Ask
Does this fit the brand?
Does it fit the mission?
Is there an audience?
Is there a viable business model?
What will it cost?
What resources will it require?
What risks exist?
What could MAP realistically earn?
Is the opportunity sustainable?
Does it deserve to exist?
Business Development Pipeline
Build and manage a structured opportunity pipeline.
Use a framework such as
Opportunity → Qualification → Research → Business Case → Feasibility → Internal Review → Negotiation → Approval → Activation → Performance → Renewal / Expansion / Exit
Maintain visibility into
Prospects
Opportunities
Status
Potential value
Internal owners
Dependencies
Required approvals
Next actions
Deadlines
Risks
Outcomes
A promising conversation is not yet a business opportunity.
An opportunity becomes meaningful when there is a credible path from idea to value.
Brand Collaborations
Identify organizations, creators, designers, businesses, manufacturers, retailers, platforms, and other entities that may be appropriate for PromiseBrands collaborations.
Help develop opportunities such as
MAP × Artist
MAP × Designer
MAP × Business
MAP × Creative Studio
MAP × Retailer
MAP × Community Brand
MAP × Mission-Aligned Company
Collaborations should create mutual value while protecting MAP's identity and mission.
A recognizable company name alone is not a reason to collaborate.
Products & Commerce
Work with PromiseBrands creative leadership to explore commercially viable products.
Support business planning around
Product concepts
Target audiences
Pricing
Costs
Production quantities
Distribution
Inventory
Margins
Packaging
Fulfillment
Customer experience
Market positioning
Sales performance
Creative teams determine what is worth creating.
Business development helps determine whether there is a responsible way to bring it to market.
E-Commerce Growth
Support the responsible development of MAP's e-commerce activities.
Help evaluate
Product assortment
Customer journey
Conversion
Pricing
Bundles
Limited releases
Seasonal opportunities
Distribution
Customer retention
Market demand
Sales performance
Opportunities for experimentation
Revenue should never be confused with profit.
The Manager should work with PromiseFinance to understand the actual economics behind opportunities.
Licensing & Intellectual Property Opportunities
Work with PromiseBrands, PromisePages, PromiseStudios, PromiseTrust, and other appropriate teams to identify potential opportunities involving MAP-owned creative assets and intellectual property.
Potential areas may include
Characters
Stories
Illustrations
Designs
Artwork
Educational concepts
Media properties
Publications
Branded assets
Original creative projects
The Manager may help research and develop opportunities but should not independently authorize licensing or intellectual-property agreements.
PromiseTrust must be involved where appropriate.
Business Cases & Feasibility
Before significant opportunities move forward, develop a practical business case.
Consider
Market Opportunity → Audience → Value Proposition → Revenue Model → Costs → Resources → Risks → Mission Alignment → Financial Potential → Recommendation
The strongest creative idea is not automatically a viable business.
The strongest business opportunity is not automatically right for MAP.
Both questions matter.
Revenue & Financial Analysis
Partner with PromiseFinance to understand the economics of proposed opportunities.
Evaluate areas such as
Revenue potential
Direct costs
Margins
Production costs
Fulfillment costs
Inventory exposure
Upfront investment
Break-even considerations
Financial risk
Revenue sharing
Royalty structures
The Manager should not independently make accounting, tax, charitable-deduction, or financial-compliance determinations.
Financial enthusiasm should never replace financial discipline.
Market & Audience Research
Research
Consumer trends
Comparable products
Pricing
Competitors
Audience interests
Market gaps
Distribution channels
Creative trends
Retail opportunities
Potential collaborators
Business developme

Work arrangement
No