Career Guide
About This Role
A Community Relations Manager connects a sport organization with the communities around it. They run youth and education programs, coordinate player and mascot appearances, manage donations and charity partnerships, organize community events, and increasingly lead social impact work in areas such as inclusion, health and education. Many teams run this work through an affiliated foundation or charity.
The role exists at professional and junior teams, leagues, university athletics and national sport organizations. In large organizations, community relations may be a department with several coordinators; in smaller ones, it is often combined with marketing, events or even merchandise.
What a community relations manager does day to day
Program delivery is a large part of the job. When SPMA interviewed Aaron Gray, Community Relations Coordinator for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers (2020), his focus areas included military programming, a character education program teaching middle school students positive face-to-face and online interactions, and supporting players on the team’s Social Justice Committee. Off-season days were for reviewing the past season and planning new ways to have impact.
New franchises can build community work from the ground up. Mari Horita, VP of Community Engagement and Social Impact for the Seattle Kraken (2022), was one of the NHL club’s first hires, before it had a name or a team. Her work included building and operating a public charity, developing impact pillars, fundraising, leading public art selection, supporting nonprofit partners and developing diversity, equity and inclusion work.
At junior level, community work often overlaps with sales and events. Rochelle Thiel of the Kitchener Rangers (2020) led community events and coordinated player and mascot appearances with community groups and sponsors, while also running the team store. Cori Burke of the Niagara IceDogs (2020) stressed the importance of a visible community presence across the region.
Aaron Gray, Community Relations Coordinator for the Carolina Panthers, told SPMA in 2020: “In my role as a Community Relations Coordinator here with the Panthers, along with helping my coworkers, I get to work on multiple programs and/or initiatives.” In junior hockey, community work also builds the business. Cori Burke of the Niagara IceDogs said: “I am constantly building relationships with businesses across the Region, as you never know when they may be interested in partnering with the Niagara IceDogs.”
What a community relations manager decides, and what sits with others
The community relations manager owns program design and delivery, the appearance schedule, donation processes and reporting on community impact, within budget and strategy set by leadership or the foundation board.
Players’ participation in appearances is often governed by collective agreements and coordinated with team operations. Charitable fundraising and grants must follow charity law and the foundation’s governance. Sponsored community programs follow partnership contracts. Programs involving young people must follow safeguarding policies, with support from a Sport Safeguarding Coordinator.
Skills employers look for in a community relations manager
- Program management with measurable outcomes.
- Community partnerships with schools, nonprofits and local leaders.
- Event coordination and appearance logistics.
- Communication and storytelling about impact.
- Cultural awareness and inclusion knowledge.
- Fundraising and grant basics for foundation roles.
How to become a community relations manager
Many community relations staff start as volunteers, interns or coordinators with team foundations, nonprofits or community sport organizations. Experience in education, social work, nonprofit management or event coordination transfers well, as Horita’s move into sport from outside the industry shows. Team foundations such as Jays Care, profiled through Alex Mohamed (2019), are another entry point.
When interviewing, ask whether the role sits in the team or its foundation, what the community priorities are, how impact is measured, and how player appearances are arranged.
Programs, appearances and impact reports
Community relations staff manage three main types of work. First, programs: youth sport clinics, school visits, reading and health initiatives, and charity partnerships, often run through the team’s foundation. Second, appearances: requests for players, mascots and staff at community events, which have to be scheduled around games and travel. Third, giving: ticket donations, auction items and grants.
Community work is increasingly measured. Foundations and partners expect impact reports showing how many people were reached, what changed for them, and how money was spent. That makes data collection and reporting part of the job, not an afterthought.
Community relations often overlaps with partnerships, because many community programs have a presenting sponsor. Candidates with volunteer program experience, event coordination and strong writing skills are well suited to the role.
Community relations manager jobs on SPMA: what the postings show
Since late 2023, SPMA has listed 23 jobs that match this role, including 8 in Canada and 15 in the United States. Employers used titles such as “Community Impact Intern”, “Community Relations Coordinator”, “Community Relations/Promotions Internship” and “Community Relations Internship”. Organizations that posted them include Canada Basketball, Beloit Snappers, Green Bay Booyah, Lionsbridge Football Club and Queen’s University, Athletics & Recreation.
Examples of posted pay: Manager, Active Living and Community Programs, York University (Toronto): C$92,231–C$100,127 a year. With so few postings listing pay, treat these as examples rather than a market rate.
Source: SPMA’s database of 3,289 sport job postings in Canada and the U.S., late 2023 to November 2026, matched by job title. Pay figures use the midpoint of each posted range and exclude postings without pay. See current community relations manager openings on SPMA.
Community relations manager salary and job outlook
Pay for Community Relations Manager positions depends heavily on the level of sport, the size of the organization and the region. The closest occupation tracked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is social and community service managers, which had a median annual wage of $80,390 in May 2025 across all industries, with employment projected to grow by 7% from 2025 to 2035.
Treat any national figure as a broad benchmark rather than a sport-specific salary. Jobs with junior, minor-league, university and nonprofit sport organizations often pay below all-industry figures, while senior roles at major professional teams and leagues can pay more. In Canada, use Job Bank’s wage search to check current wages for the closest occupation in your province, and compare with pay ranges in live postings on SPMA’s jobs board.
Common career questions
How much does a community relations manager make?
Pay varies widely by level of sport and organization. The closest U.S. government occupation category, social and community service managers, had a median annual wage of $80,390 in May 2025 across all industries, but many sport jobs pay less, especially at junior, minor-league, university and nonprofit organizations.
What does a community relations manager do for a sports team?
They run community programs, coordinate player and mascot appearances, manage donations and charity partnerships, organize events and measure the team’s community impact.
Is community relations the same as a team foundation?
They are related. Many teams run community work through a separate charitable foundation, while community relations staff may work for the team, the foundation or both.
How do you get into community relations in sport?
Volunteer or intern with team foundations or community sport organizations, build event and program experience, and develop strong partnership skills.
Do community relations roles involve evenings and weekends?
Yes. Events, appearances and game-day activities often happen outside office hours.
Further reading and qualification checks
Related SPMA guides: Athletics Development Officer, Sports Volunteer Coordinator and Marketing Manager.
