Marketing, Communications & Fundraising Officer

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Role Purpose

The Marketing, Communications & Fundraising Officer will help increase Kahawatu Foundation’s profile, strengthen relationships with donors, and support resource mobilization efforts. The position will transform programme results and field experiences into engaging communications and fundraising content while coordinating with Programme, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL), Finance, and leadership teams.

Key Responsibilities

Communications, Storytelling & Publications

• Develop and maintain a communications schedule that reflects programme activities, fundraising priorities, donor timelines, and relevant development and coffee industry events.

• Create compelling impact stories, case studies, newsletters, reports, presentations, and promotional materials that effectively showcase the Foundation’s work.

• Collaborate with programme and MEL teams to turn technical information and evidence into clear content suitable for donors, partners, and wider audiences.

• Maintain consistent organizational messaging, branding, accuracy, and editorial standards across communications and fundraising materials.

Website, Social Media & Field Content

• Manage and regularly update Kahawatu.org, LinkedIn, and other approved digital platforms with relevant and engaging content.

• Use SEO techniques, digital communication practices, website data, and social media analytics to strengthen online performance.

• Visit programme locations to collect interviews, photographs, videos, and stories from producers in collaboration with field teams and partners.

• Maintain a well-organized content library together with the necessary consent documentation while ensuring stories are collected and presented ethically and respectfully.

• Apply appropriate safeguards when handling personal and sensitive information gathered during field activities.

Fundraising, Resource Mobilization & Donor Engagement

• Identify potential institutional donors, foundations, companies, and other funding partners whose priorities align with the Foundation’s objectives.

• Keep a detailed funding and donor pipeline containing opportunity requirements, eligibility criteria, contacts, deadlines, funding periods, and follow-up actions.

• Coordinate contributions from Programme, MEL, Finance, and leadership teams when preparing concept notes, grant proposals, applications, and related documents.

• Develop donor updates, briefing materials, and stewardship communications while supporting fundraising campaigns, partner engagements, and visibility activities.

• Maintain a collection of approved organizational information, impact evidence, case studies, and due-diligence materials that can be reused in future proposals.

Coordination & Delivery

• Coordinate communications and fundraising activities across teams and countries, ensuring deadlines, approvals, and review processes are properly managed.

• Prepare communications materials required for governance processes, partner commitments, and organizational reports.

• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with donors, partners, producers, cooperatives, field teams, and external service providers.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, Public Relations, International Development, Business Administration, or a related discipline.

• 4–6 years of relevant professional experience in communications, fundraising, business development, donor engagement, or a comparable area, preferably with an NGO or development organization.

• Proven ability to develop external communications and contribute to donor research, proposal preparation, and fundraising activities.

• Experience managing digital communications and working with teams from different cultural backgrounds is preferred.

• Previous experience in East Africa is highly desirable.

• Familiarity with coffee value chains, sustainable development, responsible sourcing, or rural livelihoods will be an added advantage.

Skills & Competencies

• Excellent English writing, editing, interviewing, presentation, and storytelling abilities.

• Ability to simplify technical information and communicate it effectively to different audiences.

• Strong proposal development, donor research, planning, coordination, and information management skills.

• Excellent attention to detail and ability to consistently meet deadlines.

• Proficiency in website content management systems, social media publishing platforms, Microsoft 365, digital analytics, and SEO.

• Ability to work independently and operate effectively in field-based environments.

• Photography, videography, or graphic design skills will be an advantage.

• Strong organizational, interpersonal, relationship-building, judgment, and problem-solving abilities.

• Ability to work effectively across different teams, countries, and cultures.

• Fluency in Swahili or another language relevant to the Foundation’s operating countries is an advantage.

Key Performance Indicators

• Communications plans are maintained effectively and scheduled activities are completed within agreed timelines.

• Produce 2–4 quality impact stories or case studies each month and four newsletters annually.

• Review the website monthly, publish substantial digital content at least twice each month, and assess digital performance quarterly.

• Research or support 10–15 relevant funding opportunities annually while keeping the donor pipeline accurate and updated.

• Deliver proposal and donor communication materials according to agreed quality standards and deadlines.

• Ensure field content, permissions, and consent documentation are properly recorded, organized, and readily accessible.

Application

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