Job Purpose:

To identify and apply for grants to enable So They Can to deliver and expand our impact in East Africa and to report on this impact to the grant donors.

A little about us

So They Can is an international NGO that partners with governments and vulnerable communities in East Africa to deliver projects that improve education and empower the whole community to break the poverty cycle and thrive. We have been operating since 2009 and have a strong focus on sustainable development, working in a 7-10 year development cycle with communities, allowing us to gradually exit and assume a governance role, which means we can continue to expand into new communities. We are preparing to exit our first community now and have learnt a huge amount along the way.

The majority of our team is based on the ground in Kenya and Tanzania and is composed 100% of locals with a real understanding of the communities they work with and deep expertise in their fields. Our small team in Australia and New Zealand is responsible for fundraising and advocating for the work that we do. As the team is small, we are also agile, flexible and collaborative. Everyone is happy to roll up their sleeves and support each other whenever we need. We also have a passionate board of directors who are always looking for ways to be more involved in our work.

A big portion of our funding comes from High Impact Donors and Foundations, and we have a small but growing database of long term, loyal supporters. As a DFAT accredited organisation with excellent MEL processes, we take pride in being able to demonstrate that our work is making a significant difference to the communities we work with. What’s more, we have hundreds of stories from the ground that will help you inspire the partners you work with.

A little about you

You’re a passionate team player who cares deeply about changing the future for those less fortunate than ourselves. You thrive off building authentic relationships and delivering a clear value exchange for our partners. You love to get out and meet people, whether that’s over coffee or presenting So They Can’s case for support more formally. You’re a strategic thinker but you’re able to roll up your sleeves to make magic happen. You genuinely want to leave the world in a better place.

Scope of the Position:

The role will be responsible for:

• Managing our current grants, including reapplying and acquitting to the foundations and donors who have supported us;
• Researching new grant opportunities and applying for these new grants;
• Building relationships with relevant people to create opportunities to be invited to apply for grants;
• Working closely with our Compliance Manager and Partnerships Manager and the rest of the International So They Can team.

Specific Responsibilities

The Grants Manager will make an impact by:

• Working closely with the So They Can team in Australia, Kenya and Tanzania to develop a deep understanding of our work, projects and approach
• Working with the Partnerships Manager and Compliance Manager to discuss grants strategy for So They Can Australia
• Writing grant applications and acquittal reports
• Ensuring that grant applications and acquittal reports are submitted on time.
• Researching and updating the database with leads and status of grants and acquittals reports

2022 KPIs

1. Fundraising target – AUD $120,000
2. Timely submissions of grant applications and acquittal reports to existing donors
3. Grants / in kind support from 3 newly identified foundations
4. Applying for at least 20 new grant applications

So They Can is a child-safe organisation.

• The safety and wellbeing of children is a priority of our organisation.
• So They Can provides a child-safe environment in all our programs and our activities.
• We are committed to providing a safe place for all children to learn and have fun.
• We have strong recruitment procedures to make sure the safest and most suitable people work with the children in our programs.
• We provide our staff and volunteers with ongoing supervision and support in their work with children

So They Can is an inclusive employer.