Institutional Fundraiser / Grant Writer

BirdLife South Africa (BLSA), based in Johannesburg, South Africa, is one of the largest, most active, nongovernmental conservation organisations in South Africa.

BLSA is the South African Partner of BirdLife International, which operates through partners in 120 countries and territories worldwide. The BirdLife Partnership is the leading and internationally-acclaimed authority on the status of birds, their habitats, and the issues affecting birds. BLSA has special links with the BirdLife partners in Africa, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in the UK.

BLSA is looking for a qualified, dedicated and dynamic Institutional Fundraiser/Grant Writer to help diversify BLSA’s funding streams in order to secure funding for BLSA’s conservation work. The Institutional Fundraiser/Grant Writer will identify funding opportunities, develop and submit grant applications, and identify new donors from a range of sources. The focus of this role will be to secure grants from international financing facilities, charitable trusts, foundations and corporate businesses. The Institutional Fundraiser/Grant Writer will be highly-organised, strategic, proactive, innovative, self-motivated, and hardworking S/he will be able to meet deadlines, have good administrative skills and be a team player. Preferably, s/he will be a keen naturalist, and have a passion for conservation. The Institutional Fundraiser/Grant Writer will be committed to BLSA’s vision and
mission (available at https://www.birdlife.org.za/who-we-are/about/).

The primary responsibilities of the Institutional Fundraiser/Grant Writer will include, but not be limited to, securing grant funding for BLSA’s conservation projects.

The fundraiser’s responsibilities will include:

Researching and identifying potential funding opportunities and matching these to agreed priority
conservation projects, and cross-programme collaborations.
Writing international and national grant applications.
Liaising with colleagues to gather relevant and accurate information for funding applications.
Collating relevant financial information.
Reporting to funders and gathering invoices and evidence for grant claims.
Developing relationships with funders.
Identifying potential donors through prospect research.
Accurately recording information on a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.
Communicating with project partners and other charities to share knowledge and experiences.

Inherent Requirements

A tertiary degree and relevant professional experience.
A proven track record in successful fundraising, including grant applications.
Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English.

Recommendations

‍‍Excellent organisational and time management skills, meticulous attention to detail, a strong work ethic, the
ability to work calmly under pressure, and the ability to prioritise work and meet tight deadlines.
Persuasive and succinct writing skills.
Strong IT skills.
Good numeracy skills.
Ability to develop good working relationships with colleagues and funders.
A team player.
Experience with a CRM system.
Knowledge of South Africa’s birds and the main threats to birds and their habitats.

General

The successful candidate will report to BLSA’s Head of Conservation.
The position will be based at BLSA’s Head Office, Isdell House, Johannesburg.
The nature of the position requires the incumbent to sometimes work afterhours and over weekends.

Salary‍

BLSA offers a salary which is commensurate with the position and responsibilities. The salary information is available on request. For any further enquiries, please feel free to contact the HR Manager, Dr Isabel Human, at isabel.human@birdlife.org.za or 011-7891122.

Fringe benefits‍

BLSA provides comprehensive group life insurance.