Fundraising and Communications Officer

People with albinism are being marginalised, mutilated and murdered across Africa simply for the colour of their skin. Join Standing Voice and raise life-saving funds and awareness to defend people with albinism against this horrific discrimination and violence.

About Standing Voice

Albinism is a recessive genetic condition that impairs the body’s production of melanin, reducing or eliminating pigmentation in the skin, eyes and hair. This melanin deficiency causes people with albinism to be visually impaired and, in hot climates, uniquely vulnerable to UV radiation and skin cancer. Markedly paler than their dark-skinned peers and families, people with albinism are a highly visible minority in many African countries, where their condition remains poorly understood and highly stigmatised due to erroneous beliefs and myths. Many people with albinism are shut out of civil participation and unable to access the most basic opportunities and services, including healthcare, education, justice, housing and employment. Some have even been targeted for their body parts, used in witchcraft charms thought to bring wealth and fortune: 231 people with albinism have been killed, and 806 in total attacked, across 30 African countries since 2006. These are just the reported figures.

Standing Voice is the leading international organisation dedicated to defending the rights of people with albinism in Africa. Working across Tanzania and Malawi, where the violence and discrmination has been most extreme, Standing Voice delivers programmes in health, education, welfare, advocacy and economic empowerment. Our charity has established clinical networks to treat visual impairment and prevent skin cancer; relocated children with albinism from segregated camps to inclusive schools and universities; and supported hundreds of adults to recover from trauma and rebuild their lives through therapy, apprenticeships and training. Above all, we have worked to amplify the voices of people with albinism from grassroots community contexts through to the halls of the United Nations.

About the Role

Standing Voice is seeking an ambitious and capable individual to join our growing team and provide essential support across a range of fundraising and communications functions. This is a fantastic opportunity for a motivated individual with fundraising and communications experience to take the next step in their career with an exciting and dynamic international development charity.

The Fundraising and Communications Officer will be responsible for raising essential funds and awareness to ensure the continued delivery of Standing Voice’s life-changing programmes on the ground in Tanzania and Malawi. The main responsibilities of this role are to manage and develop new and existing relationships with a diverse portfolio of donors (including trust, statutory and multilateral sources, as well as individual givers), while supporting the production of a range of communications materials spanning our website, social media platforms, newsletters and campaigns.

The successful candidate will report directly to the Head of Fundraising and Communications, and will have the opportunity to work closely with colleagues across the UK, Tanzania and Malawi. Although international travel is not essential for this role, there are likely to be opportunities to visit Standing Voice’s country offices in Tanzania and Malawi, and to represent the charity at external events across the globe.

Important Details

Title

Fundraising and Communications Officer

Salary

£25,000-28,000 depending on experience

Hours

35 hours per week (7 hours x 5 days). Flexible working around core hours 10am-4pm

Location

London Fields, London, UK 

Remote and hybrid working arrangements will also be considered

Contract Type

Full-time, permanent

Reporting to

Head of Fundraising and Communications

Closing Date

Wednesday 31st August 2022 (at 23:30)

Start Date

October 2022

Key Responsibilities

• Fundraising

  • Secure restricted and unrestricted funding from a diverse portfolio of new and existing donors, including trusts and foundations, statutory and multilateral sources, high-net-worth individuals, individual giving and the private sector

  • Support the development of concept notes, proposals, pitches and capability statements

  • Provide timely and effective stewardship of donor gifts, including through the production of impact reports and case studies

  • Work closely with colleagues in the Programmes Team to monitor project pipelines and ensure compliance with donor targets and budgets

  • Provide input and support across a range of fundraising activities including event design and delivery and project visits by donors, partners and volunteers

  • Cultivate and steward individual-giving income through direct email marketing campaigns

  • Identify and explore innovative funding mechanisms to diversify and strengthen Standing Voice’s income base

  • Support the ongoing development and review of Standing Voice’s fundraising strategy

• Communications

  • Support the maintenance and development of the Standing Voice website, including through copywriting and design and production of visual assets

  • Lead the operation of Standing Voice’s social media channels including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter

  • Support the production of newsletters, annual reports and tailored fundraising or programme resources (including leaflets, banners, posters, prints, etc.)

  • Support the design and delivery of social media and direct marketing awareness campaigns

  • Work closely with colleagues in the Data Team to extract and disseminate relevant insights demonstrating the evidence base for Standing Voice’s interventions

  • Support the ongoing development and review of Standing Voice’s communications strategy

Your Skills and Experience

• Essential
  • At least two years’ experience working in a fundraising or communications role for a charity
  • Experience of writing and stewarding five or six-figure grants and above – particularly from trust, statutory and multilateral sources – through production of proposals and donor reports
  • Experience of copywriting, especially web copy, newsletters, press releases
  • Experience of relationship-building with funders, partners, volunteers and supporters
  • Undergraduate degree
  • Fluency in English
  • Demonstrably outstanding written communication skills with the ability to write compelling copy tailored to range of audiences and platforms
  • Excellent oral communication skills with the ability to present and repackage complex information in succinct and digestible formats
  • Excellent comprehension skills with the ability to quickly assimilate and evaluate large quantities of text and explain it to others
  • Outstanding planning and time-management skills with the ability to set priorities and navigate competing demands 
  • Excellent interpersonal, networking and relationship-building skills with the ability to engage and encourage a range of internal and external stakeholders
  • Excellent teamwork skills but with the ability to work independently
  • Knowledge of the fundraising landscape for UK international development charities, particularly with respect to multilateral and statutory donors
  • Good IT skills including proficiency in Microsoft Office
  • Empower and inspire; be passionate and dedicated; treat others with respect, dignity and compassion
  • Be dynamic and motivated to develop professionally 
  • Act at all times with a high degree of integrity and transparency
• Desirable
  • Experience of representing an organisation externally, e.g. presentations, events, conferences
  • Experience in the planning, execution and evaluation of awareness-raising and fundraising campaigns, including direct email marketing
  • Experience in the management of social media channels such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter
  • Familiarity with project budgets and expenditure reporting
  • Experience of planning and delivering fundraising events (e.g. galas, challenge events, film screenings, etc.)
  • Understanding of regulatory environment and relevant compliance issues, e.g. GDPR, fundraising regulations and best practices
  • Understanding of global advocacy landscape and mechanisms for NGO engagement, e.g. United Nations Human Rights Council
  • Proficiency in French
  • Proficiency in use of popular web CMS platforms such as Squarespace
  • Proficiency in use of image and video-editing software such as Adobe Photoshop and PremierePro 
  • Proficiency in use of email marketing services such as Mailchimp
  • Proficiency in use of publishing and design software such as InDesign and Pages
  • Proficiency in use of data visualisation software such as Tableau

Equal Opportunities

Standing Voice considers gender, sexual orientation, race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, religious belief, disability (or former disability) and age to be irrelevant to our recruitment processes and we do not take those factors into account when selecting candidates.