Heart of Sumter is contracting with a warm, persuasive, and community-minded individual to serve as a representative of Count Me In, a signature program of our nonprofit organization. (Did we say charming?)

This role focuses on building relationships with Sumter County businesses and inviting their employees to support local children in need, through a simple payroll deduction program. Enrolling employees (with the optional addition of the employer offering a donation or match of their design) in Count Me In is the essence of this work.

Program Enrollment Guide blends relationship-based outreach with mission-driven marketing. As the face and voice of Count Me In—Enrollment Guide helps people understand the value of the program, the heart behind the work, and the real impact their regular support can make for children, and be extension, families, in our county. Data shows us children who feel noticed and cared for grow up to be caring members of society. Law enforcement can predict what youth will get in trouble.

Key Responsibilities

• Working with Board members, create clear Count Me In promotional materials and a simple enrollment process for local businesses

• Serve as Social Media manager of HoS website, Facebook and Instagram

• Represent Count Me In, a project of Heart of Sumter, with site visits to local businesses and their employees

• Identify and approach local businesses to introduce the payroll deduction giving program

• Build trusting relationships with business owners, managers, and HR representatives

• Clearly and compellingly communicate the mission and impact of the Heart of Sumter Count Me In model

• Recruit employees to enroll in voluntary payroll deduction giving

• As the face of Count me In, serve as a positive, professional ambassador for Heart of Sumter in the community

• Track outreach activity and report progress and outcomes

• Collaborate closely with Board leadership to refine messaging and outreach strategies

Qualifications and Ideal Skills

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills

• Comfort with outreach, relationship-building, and asking for support

• Ability to convey the mission and its impact with clarity and authenticity, in person and online; strong digital skills preferred

• Self-motivated and comfortable working independently

• Organized, dependable, and attentive to follow-through

• Experience in sales, fundraising, marketing, or community outreach is a plus

• Genuine commitment to funding community-based programs and services offered to local children and their families

Preferred Contractor

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys connecting with people, believes in community responsibility, and can speak persuasively—without pressure—about why supporting our children matters.

The ideal candidate also brings an understanding of—and respect for—the realities of the Sumter County workforce, including the varied financial capacities of local employees. Able to communicate that participation matters at every level, the Enrollment Guide understands no regular pledge is too small and that meaningful impact is built through collective, voluntary generosity. (Yes, this approach is very similar to how churches ask members to tithe, and the old model used nationally by the United Way.)

Why Count Me In Matters

Every successful payroll deduction agreement helps provide essential support and opportunities for children in our community—sustaining an established giving program that funds the best cost-effective ways to serve the well-being of children, as selected by Heart of Sumter. Programs will be selected, when funds are available, throughout the year. A Stitch At A Time is an established example of the ideal programming Count Me In funds.

Count Me In addresses unmet needs of children—recreational, educational, social, and material—often overlooked by existing systems. Essentially, the county’s interest in children is limited to funding the public schools and an age limited recreation program. Currently, no public swimming pools are operational. The Boys and Girls Club is long gone. Many churches do have youth programs, typically only for their member families.