About the role

As a proposal writer you will play a critical role in growing Reach for Change’s (RfC) funding to help us achieve our vision of a world where all children and youth reach their full potential. You will be responsible for identifying and securing funds from a diverse range of donors and partners, such as governments and public institutions, international organizations, multi-donor funds, and large foundations. You will be part of a smart, brave and passionate team working toward Reach for Change’s ambitious 2030 strategy to empower entrepreneurs to develop and scale innovative solutions that help children, youth and women to better lives. You will be part of the Partnership Team and work closely with our central program team to craft compelling concept notes and grant proposals. Your primary responsibility will be to develop and write high-quality proposals to secure funding from donors, foundations, and other partners. Your ability to communicate the impact of our work and align our programs with the priorities of funders will be crucial to this role.

Who we are & what we offer

Reach for Change is a global non-profit founded in Sweden. Our vision is a world where all children and youth reach their full potential. We're working towards this vision by unleashing the power of local social entrepreneurs and enabling them to go from ideas to innovative solutions and sustainable organizations. We were co-founded by successful entrepreneurs in the non-profit and business sectors in 2010, and since then we have supported more than 1,500 social entrepreneurs in 18 countries across three continents. Working with RfC, you will be part of a smart, brave and passionate international team of welcoming co-workers and get an opportunity to work with a global team of dedicated professionals. We offer both hard and soft benefits such as flexible hybrid work arrangements and a supportive, collaborative work environment, paid vacation days, health insurance, and covered telecommunication services. The HR team focus on work life balance and well being, learning and growth opportunities (e.g. LinkedIn courses, internal and external training) as well as giving you opportunities to take part in events organized by RfC and partners etc. Read more about us at reachforchange.org/en/

Main Responsibilities:

• Research, identify, and evaluate potential funding opportunities in terms of their alignment with RfC's vision.

• Conduct research on donors and implementing partners aligned with RfC’s 2030 strategic plan.

• Develop well-structured, detailed proposals that align with Reach for Change’s mission, goals, and objectives.

• Write high quality clear and persuasive proposals, concept notes, and pitches.

• Work closely with internal teams to ensure proposals are submitted on time and meet all submission requirements.

• Edit and proofread proposals to ensure accuracy, clarity, and adherence to funder guidelines.

• Track and report on the status of ongoing proposals and funding opportunities.

• Help in building and maintaining relationships with current and potential donors through impactful communication and follow-up.

• Support the global and local teams to develop applications and pitch materials as needed.

• Project management of complex proposals, including coordinating others’ contributions on developing budgets, log frames, etc.

• Participate in account management, including handing over won proposals to the relevant implementation teams and ensuring reporting occurs to donor expectations.

• As needed, support key internal processes, e.g. quarterly reporting of the OKRs to Management and the Board.

• Share knowledge to help us to build skills in proposal development and writing, develop effective systems and contribute to other areas of fundraising as needed.

Other responsibilities:

• Contribute to efforts to share best practice, ideas and experience regarding successful fundraising and partner collaborations.

• Contribute to ‘One Reach for Change’ by promoting a collaborative culture and efficient sharing of resources across all Reach for Change teams.

• Responsibility to build and retrain your own knowledge about the field of social entrepreneurship and innovation.

• If necessary, and under periods of intense workload; help and support the rest of the organization to achieve team and organizational objectives.

Competencies & skills we are looking for:

Ability to:

• analyze, interpret and evaluate complex information arriving at logical deductions and conclusions.

• produce text in a well- organized, well-structured and grammatically correct manner.

• receive and convey information from and between different target groups.

• leverage different forms of communication to clearly convey messages in a manner well adapted to the receiver and for different target groups.

• project manage and drive processes with multiple stakeholders.

• work sensitively with diverse people, cultures, and communities.

• show passion or interest in social entrepreneurship and innovation.

• approach work with a collaborative “can do” attitude and a desire for continuous improvement.

• Independently manage multiple projects simultaneously and work under tight deadlines.

• Commit to the mission and values of Reach for Change, including equity, inclusion, and social impact.

Qualifications, experience & education needed for the role:

• Proven experience in proposal writing, grant writing, or fundraising in the non-profit sector (minimum of 3 years).

• Proven experience of project management.

• Specific experience within EU funding is considered an advantage.

• Strong knowledge and experience of the donor landscape, including foundations, government agencies, and corporate giving programs.

• Exceptional writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with the ability to craft engaging narratives and clearly communicate complex ideas.

• Excellent research skills and the ability to analyze and tailor proposals to fit funders' guidelines and priorities.

• A university degree in a relevant field.

• Experience from work within the philanthropic/non-profit or business sector.

• Experience in overseeing development of logframes and project budgets, for example through coordination of inputs from relevant colleagues.

• Experienced user of Microsoft Office/Google Suite and ability to quickly understand and use web based applications and platforms.

Reach for Change recognizes that creating the change we want to see around us starts with ourselves, in our own organization. That is why it is important for us to strive to represent the change we want to see in the world. As a team, we strive to be diverse along many dimensions such as ethnicity, gender, language, age, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, beliefs, socio-economic status, physical and mental ability, thinking styles, experience, and education. We believe that the wide array of perspectives results from such diversity and promotes innovation and success. We therefore invite every candidate to bring their unique individual strengths.