Strategic Partnerships Associate

Position Overview

The Strategic Partnerships Associate will serve as a member of the Partnerships team and support AVFund’s overall mission and partnerships & fundraising efforts.

Reporting to the Strategic Partnerships Manager, the Associate will contribute to effective donor communications and engagement by writing donor-facing materials, assisting in event planning, and engaging with external networks to enhance our visibility & impact. The Strategic Partnerships Associate will also support fundraising operations and grants management by helping to maintain AVFund’s fundraising database (Salesforce) and supporting prospect research & tracking to ensure efficiency within the Partnerships team.

This is an exciting role for someone who has a strong knack for writing, a love for systems and processes, and is eager to explore the broad landscape of Africa-focused philanthropy. If you’re eager to apply your skills to decolonize development, reimage philanthropy, and center equity alongside a fun & passionate team with lots of opportunities for growth, we encourage you to apply!

Responsibilities

Development Communications & Donor Engagement (60%)

• Write and edit grant concept notes, proposals, reports and other materials tailored to prospective & current donors, in partnership with the Strategic Partnerships Manager.
• Work closely with the Programs team and other colleagues to gather information needed for reporting and donor materials.
• Assist in managing follow-up and diligence requests from donors regarding pending or submitted grant proposals.
• Support the Partnerships team in streamlining systems and processes to make reporting and information sourcing more efficient.
• Collaborate with Strategic Partnerships Manager and other team members as needed to plan and execute virtual & in-person donor cultivation and stewardship events.
• Actively engage with various external networks to enhance visibility.

Fundraising Operations & Grants Management (40%)

• Work with Strategic Partnerships Manager to coordinate fundraising systems and processes to ensure proactive follow-up and stewardship of funding and sector partner relationships.
• Update and maintain the Partnerships team’s work plans and fundraising dashboards to ensure accurate and timely updates.
• Ensure accurate and timely tracking of gift and prospect activity, grant-related materials, donor data entry, and gift processing in Salesforce and Google Drive.
• Assist the Partnerships Manager in researching and identifying new prospects, analyzing their giving histories, and supporting cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts.

Qualifications

• You are a strong writer and communicator with 2-4 years of work experience, ideally in roles focused on writing communication materials for external audiences.
• You have a proven ability to transform ideas into compelling materials - whether that be a grant proposal, a sales pitch, a concept note, or a presentation. You can whip up a memo quickly to cover key topics and ideas tailored for different external audiences.
• You take initiative and work proactively, with a reputation for being extremely organized, detail-oriented, and effective at managing multiple tasks and projects. You have a proven ability to work independently and have follow-through on all initiatives.
• You are technologically savvy and well-versed in Salesforce, Slack, MailChimp, Google Suite, and other project management, fundraising, and communications tools - or a quick study with new systems.
• You are open-minded and have worked collaboratively across teams and departments with people from a variety of backgrounds and demonstrate intercultural competence.
• You know the potency and power of impact when it is driven by local changemakers and want to be a part of changing philanthropic systems to make that the norm rather than the exception.
• You are a fast learner who is excited to try new things and build new skills on the job.
• You are excited to practice community-centric fundraising and center equity in all relationships and projects.
• You maintain a positive attitude, energy, and flexibility, especially in a nimble, fast-paced, start-up environment.

Additional Information

• This is a US-based full-time remote role of 40 hours per week, with a preference for candidates based on the East Coast.
• While there is some autonomy and flexibility of work schedule during the week, the typical hours for this role are 8am-4pm EST.
• AVFund believes our team is better and stronger with a diversity of perspectives and experiences. We welcome applications from candidates historically underrepresented in the nonprofit sector, especially within the international development sector. AVFund is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment.

• This role requires some travel, including 1-2 trips per year for team planning retreats and attending conferences alongside our Co-CEOs and Strategic Partnerships Manager as needed.
• Generous PTO, health insurance, retirement savings, professional development, and communications stipends.

• Please fill out this form by Sunday, June 2, 2024 at 11:59pm EST.
• You will be asked to upload your resume/CV and a writing sample as part of the application form. Please ensure your resume/CV is in PDF format, tailored to this role, and no more than 4 pages.
• Applications will be shortlisted on a rolling basis with the first round of interviews beginning the week of June 4, 2024.
• The recruitment process is run in partnership with edge. All emails regarding this role will come from email accounts in the domains @edgeperformance.co.ke and @africanvisionary.org. If you have any questions, please reach out to jobs@africanvisionary.org.