Full-Time
Communications Manager
Media and Public Relations
The Heritage Foundation
501-1,000 employees
Conservative public policy think tank
Compensation Overview
$78k - $97k/yr
Washington, DC, USA
In Person
 Growth & Marketing (1) |
|---|
- At least 4 years of related experience.
- Demonstrated proficiency in writing and editing, with strong interpersonal and communications skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Suite.
- Understanding and support for the Heritage mission and vision for America, and the department’s goals and objectives.
- Promotion of policies consistent with Heritage’s priorities and ability to speak with one voice.
- Ability to be aggressive, detail-oriented, and highly creative.
- Develop messaging and communications strategies for issues within the portfolio, working with policy experts to maximize their impact in the media and use public relations tactics to drive Heritage’s policy message.
- Contribute to Heritage’s media strategy by generating daily pitches on relevant issues across print, broadcast, and digital platforms, and draft news releases, web content, and talking points.
- Build and maintain relationships with media covering relevant issues, including print, television, radio, and digital media.
- Book and prepare Heritage policy experts for national media appearances and high-profile interviews by securing opportunities and providing guidance on messaging and media skills.
- Work proactively with the Government Relations team and policy experts to identify key legislation to drive media coverage.
- Coordinate with other communications departments within the Heritage enterprise to ensure unified messaging on policy priorities.
- Monitor media for experts through various means and brief the Director on Heritage media coverage.
- Maintain and share media lists on relevant issues for institutional use.
- Work closely with campaign leads and Heritage management to leverage the media and accomplish policy goals.
- College-level experience is encouraged.
- Existing contacts among print reporters and broadcast producers.
- Knowledge of daily newspaper operations and needs.
- General knowledge of policies related to economics, energy, tax, and spending.
- Ability to create compelling messaging across a wide variety of issue areas.
The Heritage Foundation is a nonprofit research organization that develops conservative public policy proposals. The company publishes research, analysis, commentary, and policy recommendations across domestic, economic, national-security, and foreign-policy issues. It serves policymakers, media, researchers, supporters, civic organizations, and the public. Its operating model centers on research and advocacy teams supported by communications, government relations, development, and institutional operations. Teams work across policy research, legal analysis, communications, government relations, fundraising, events, and administration.
Company Size
501-1,000
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Washington DC, District of Columbia
Founded
1973
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Heritage claimed in June 2026 that Trump implemented 53% of Project 2025.
- Its fundraising email shows a monetizable victory narrative for donors and activists.
- The White House still echoes Heritage priorities on DEI, education, immigration, and family policy.
What critics are saying
- July 2026 antisemitism accusations and resignations threaten donor trust and staff retention.
- Heritage faces lawsuits tying it to anti-Palestinian targeting and state-civil-rights abuse.
- If Trump allies stop needing Heritage's personnel machine, its influence collapses fast.
What makes The Heritage Foundation unique
- Heritage turned Project 2025 into a ready-made governing pipeline for Trump.
- Its 2026 priorities span policy, staffing, media, and education, not just research.
- The May 2026 board additions, Hemingway and Hazony, sharpen its populist conservative brand.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Vision Insurance
Dental Insurance
401(k) Retirement Plan
Unlimited Paid Time Off
Paid Sick Leave
Parental Leave
Company News
Mahmoud Khalil files suit alleging a 'public-private' conspiracy to target Israel's critics. Mahmoud Khalil is suing the federal government and several private groups for allegedly conspiring to suppress criticism of Israel. * By JAKE OFFENHARTZ - Associated Press * Jul 14, 2026 Updated 2 hrs ago NEW YORK (AP) - Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil is suing the federal government and several private groups, alleging they were part of a conspiracy to suppress criticism of Israel through a coordinated campaign to dox, jail and ultimately deport student activists. The civil rights suit, filed in federal court Tuesday, names the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, as the architect of what it describes as an ongoing conspiracy to silence members of the pro-Palestinian movement by smearing them as antisemites. Those efforts were aided by Canary Mission and Betar, two pro-Israel groups that maintain online lists of Israel's critics, often alongside unsubstantiated claims that they are affiliated with Hamas, according to the lawsuit. Activists placed on those lists "were nearly automatically targeted by the Federal Defendants for arrest and removal," the suit claims, adding that the "process of nomination to punishment was frictionless." Lawyers for Khalil argue this "public-private partnership" could violate the Ku Klux Klan Act, a Reconstruction-era law that sought to restrict government coordination with vigilante groups. The suit, led by the Center for Constitutional Rights, seeks unspecified damages and a judicial order to end the alleged conspiracy. Inquiries to the Heritage Foundation, Canary Mission and Betar were not immediately returned on Tuesday. Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, did not comment on the lawsuit, but said in an email that the executive branch "has the lawful authority to take actions that will protect the public and to ensure the integrity of our immigration system." The suit comes as Khalil's deportation case appears headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. At a news conference on Tuesday, Khalil described the purpose of the latest filing as "exposing the network of organizations, particular actors and institutions that work together to criminalize solidarity with Palestine and to make an example of those who refuse to stay silent." "If constitutional protections can be cast aside under political pressure today, they can be cast aside tomorrow against anyone," he added. A former graduate student at Columbia University, Khalil gained prominence as a spokesperson and leader for student activists protesting against Israel and its actions in Gaza. He was arrested in March 2025 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in his campus apartment and quickly became the face of the Trump administration crackdown on pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Khalil then spent 104 days in a Louisiana immigration jail, missing the birth of his first child, before a federal judge in New Jersey ordered his release. Soon after his arrest, both Canary Mission and Betar boasted of their role in flagging Khalil's noncitizen status to the government. Betar - an Israeli company that claimed to use facial recognition software to identify masked protesters - also claimed it had compiled a longer list of names and given it to the Trump administration. The group has since agreed to dissolve its nonprofit status, following a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James accusing its members of harassing Palestinians. Khalil's lawsuit traces the origins of the alleged conspiracy to a blueprint from the Heritage Foundation, entitled "Project Esther," which called for the expulsion of noncitizens who joined protests against Israel. The report also suggested, without evidence, that participants in those protests should be seen as part of a "highly organized, global Hamas Support Network." In May, as the Trump administration ramped up its crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists, one of the report's authors, Robert Greenway, appeared to acknowledge the foundation's influence, saying that it was "no coincidence that we called for a series of actions to take place privately and publicly, and they are now happening," according to the suit. Greenway, a former adviser to Trump, did not reply to a request for comment. Khalil, meanwhile, has forcefully denied that his criticism of Israel amounts to antisemitism. While government officials - along with Canary Mission and Betar - have linked him to Hamas, they have offered no evidence to support the claim. "My beliefs are not wanting my tax money or tuition going toward investments in weapons manufacturers for a genocide," Khalil previously told The Associated Press. "It's as simple as that."
Mahmoud Khalil files suit alleging Trump admin, advocacy groups conspired to deport anti-Israel activists. A U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesman told JNS that the administration "acted well within its statutory and constitutional authority" in Khalil's case, "as it does with any alien who advocates for violence, glorifies and supports terrorists, harasses Jews and damages property." (July 14, 2026 / JNS) Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student facing deportation over his anti-Israel activism, filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday accusing the Trump administration, the Heritage Foundation, Canary Mission and Betar of conspiring to target him and other pro-Palestinian activists for arrest, detention and deportation. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York under the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, alleges that administration officials and the three organizations coordinated to "single out Mr. Khalil and other non-citizen Palestinians and their supporters for arrest, detention and deportation, as punishment for their support of Palestinian rights." "The Trump administration acted well within its statutory and constitutional authority with respect to Khalil, as it does with any alien who advocates for violence, glorifies and supports terrorists, harasses Jews and damages property," a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security told JNS. "We would encourage him to use the CBP Home app and self-deport now before he is arrested, deported and never given a chance to return." According to the complaint, the Heritage Foundation's Project Esther served as the blueprint for the alleged effort, with Canary Mission and Betar identifying activists for the administration to target. The suit alleges the groups publicly labeled those activists as terrorists or antisemites and warned they faced arrest and deportation before federal authorities detained or sought to remove them. "This lawsuit is about far more than what was done to me. It is about a coordinated, ongoing plot to punish, silence and intimidate everyone who dares to dissent and speak out for Palestinian liberation," Khalil stated. "We will hold them accountable." Aaron Bandler is an award-winning national reporter at JNS based in Los Angeles. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, he worked for nearly eight years at the Jewish Journal, and before that, at the Daily Wire.
Washington and Lee grad receives promotion at DC-based public affairs firm. Washington, D.C.-based public affairs firm DCI Group announced the promotion of Washington and Lee University graduate Julia McGann to the position of account manager. A native of Westfield, N.J., McGann is a 2026 graduate of Washington and Lee with a bachelor's degree in political science and art history. DCI announced McGann's promotion, along with two other team members, Julia Jacobsen and Jacques McFadden, in a LinkedIn post. Jacobson previously interned at The Heritage Foundation, the Notre Dame Exoneration Justice Clinic, and Greenspring Media before joining DCI. She earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Notre Dame and is originally from Minnesota. McFadden joined DCI after interning at Fortyseven Communications. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. "One of the strengths of our firm is the caliber of people who come here, work hard, and grow," DCI Managing Partner Brian McCabe said. "These three individuals have consistently delivered for clients and earned the trust of colleagues across the firm. We are excited to recognize their accomplishments and look forward to their continued success at DCI." Founded in 1996, DCI is a Washington-based public affairs firm that provides public affairs, government relations, communications, research, digital advocacy, and grassroots engagement services for corporate, nonprofit, and association clients.
Commissioner Luke Farley announces Sara Grace Todd as Deputy Communications Director for N.C. Department of Labor. RALEIGH, NC North Carolina Labor Commissioner Luke Farley announces the appointment of Sara Grace Todd as Deputy Communications Director for the North Carolina Department of Labor. Todd brings extensive experience in journalism, media production, and public policy communications to the department. In her new role, she will help lead strategic communications efforts, support public outreach initiatives, and promote the department's mission of protecting workers, employers, and the public across North Carolina. "Sara Grace's experience in both broadcast journalism and public policy communications makes her a tremendous addition to our team," said Commissioner Farley. "She understands how to communicate complex issues clearly and effectively, and her dedication to public service will help us better reach North Carolinians across the state." Prior to joining the Department of Labor, Todd served as an Editorial Associate at The Heritage Foundation, where she supported content development and communications initiatives. Before entering the public policy arena, she built a successful career in television news, serving as a news producer at WBTV in Charlotte and as an executive producer at WSET-TV in Virginia. Todd earned her degree from Liberty University, where she developed a strong foundation in communications and media. "I'm honored to join Commissioner Farley's team and the North Carolina Department of Labor," said Todd. "I look forward to helping communicate the department's important work and serving the people of North Carolina." The North Carolina Department of Labor is dedicated to fostering a safe, healthy, and fair workplace environment for workers and employers throughout the state. Contact. John Wesley Waugh
DoorDash commits to remove SPLC 'hate list' as mandatory, default filter from employee gift-matching program. Change marks 55th win in past year secured through ADF's shareholder engagement coalition Published June 16, 2026 WASHINGTON - DoorDash, the nation's largest food delivery company, has agreed to instruct its third-party gift-matching administrator to remove the Southern Poverty Law Center's "hate list" as a mandatory and default screening mechanism in its employee gift-match program. The SPLC's "hate list," which screens out mainstream religious nonprofit organizations, is baked into screening programs throughout corporate America. But with this change, DoorDash is preserving employee choice for its gift-match program. The change at DoorDash, which commands 56% of the U.S. food delivery market, follows shareholder negotiations led by Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing IWP Capital and the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas. This marks ADF's and its shareholder allies' 55th policy or behavioral change promoting freedom of speech and religion at a publicly traded company in the past year. Similar steps have been taken at Mastercard, Texas Instruments, and Salesforce - all of which, like DoorDash, agreed to remove the SPLC as a default screening agent, and Nvidia, Bank of America, Verizon, and Wells Fargo, which have opened their gift-match programs to religious charities. "Freedom of speech and freedom of religion are foundational to the fabric of our free society. Corporations should respect and protect those freedoms," said Senior Counsel and Senior Vice President of ADF's Counter Censorship Task Force Jeremy Tedesco. "DoorDash is committed to preserving its employees' choice in its gift-match program, and we believe it has set an excellent example for other companies to follow. Many corporations that rely on third-party administrators like Benevity and Deed may not realize those platforms use the SPLC to screen out mainstream religious charities. That is viewpoint discrimination - and it is precisely the kind of injustice our shareholder engagement work exists to correct." "This is a great win for DoorDash's employees and shareholders. Our clients see themselves as stewards of their assets, thereby seeking to build relationships with the companies they own. We're very grateful to DoorDash for their willingness to find a solution which worked for both the company and our clients who are shareholders. We continue our year-round efforts to secure more changes like this for the shareholders we represent," said Pia de Solenni, vice president of corporate engagement at IWP Capital. Gift-matching programs are offered by approximately 65% of Fortune 500 companies and enable an estimated 26 million U.S. employees to amplify charitable giving. Because of the SPLC's gatekeeping role within these programs - often unknown to companies utilizing third-party administrators like Benevity and Deed - many employees at participating companies have been unable to fully exercise that benefit. The U.S. House Judiciary Committee recently held a hearing at which ADF Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Ryan Bangert testified about the SPLC's influence in corporate America - including its largely unnoticed role as a de facto gatekeeper of employee gift-matching programs. The hearing followed a federal grand jury indictment of the SPLC on charges of bank fraud involving more than $4 million in payments to white supremacist groups the SPLC publicly claims to oppose. ADF's shareholder engagement work is conducted in partnership with a coalition that includes Bowyer Research, Inspire Investing, IWP Capital, GuideStone, National Center for Public Policy Research, Ridgeline Research, 1792 Exchange, and The Heritage Foundation. This year, ADF supported 104 filed resolutions, resulting in 55 policy or behavioral changes at publicly traded companies. Those changes include debanking protections at Bank of America and Truist Bank - both of which continued a trend that started with JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, PNC Bank, and Regions Bank; a Microsoft policy change ensuring that pro-life pregnancy centers and faith-based nonprofits receive equal access to nonprofit benefits; and confirmation that Meta, PNC Bank, Delta, Capital One, and Lockheed Martin no longer participate in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index, which has maneuvered companies into supporting gender transitions for minor dependents of employees through their healthcare plans. "Threats to free speech and religious freedom don't just come from the government, but through powerful corporations we rely on every day," said ADF Legal Counsel Noah Nash. "It's essential that companies follow DoorDash's example and take meaningful steps that respect and protect fundamental freedoms of employees, shareholders, and customers." Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.