Fundraising & Communications Officer at Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association (MMWCA)

Reporting To: Chief Executive Officer
Job Grade: G
Job Location: Aitong, Maasai Mara, Narok County

Overall Purpose:

The Fundraising and Communications Officer is expected to provide leadership in enhancing and protecting the reputation of MMWCA by influencing the opinions, alignment and understanding of key stakeholder groups by identifying and sharing communication best practice scaled at country, regional and global levels. This will be achieved by contributing towards the development of appropriate organizational internal and external communications infrastructure; fundraising activities, reputation surveying and management, stakeholder relationship management; digital strategy and content development to support conservation ambition and impact. The officer shall manage and implement MMWCA’s fundraising and communication strategy for achieving results in building the profile and brand of MMWCA and the greater Mara region, priorities relating to behavioral change and advocacy initiatives, coordination of information sharing and distribution, member relations and raising funds. The Officer will also be responsible for our existing funding base and expanding our network further into potential new areas of support.

The Fundraising and Communications officer shall:

• Lead the development and implementation of a fundraising and communication strategy for MMWCA that supports the organization to advance its goals and achieve its mission.
• Ensure that MMWCA has a clear, consistent and recognizable brand and external profile which reflects its mission, objectives, value and purpose.
• Oversee the development and distribution of all communication and fundraising materials, ensuring that they are timely, strategic and consistent with MMWCA’s overall messaging.
• Strengthen MMWCA’s communications to its members to improve information sharing, networking and build advocacy.
• Build the profile of MMWCA, the Greater Maasai Mara region and its needs to assist in fund raising.
• Develop and work with the Programs team to implement project based communications and key messaging
• Develop behavioral change campaigns and work with the related project personnel towards the successful implementation.
• Build capacity for MMWCA team on communications
• Advise MMWCA CEO on communication needs.
• Upgrade of MMWCA’s website, develop e-newsletters, impact reports, voice of the Mara and other communication publication as required by the organization.

Scope of Work:

• Fundraising
  • Lead the development and implementation of a fundraising strategy that underpins strategic goals to accelerate income growth in a sustainable manner across a diverse range of income streams and embed a culture of fundraising across the organisation
  • Lead the development and implementation of a fundraising plan, which includes key activities, areas of required investment, KPIs and milestones as well as the projected growth of fundraising income
  • Work closely with the CEO to develop a KPI framework and reporting systems which provides the basis for performance to be managed across Fundraising in line with the achievement of the fundraising plans
  • In consultation with the Senior Management Team (SMT), develop strategic plans, policies and practices that maximise the effectiveness and financial return of fundraising events activity and other fundraising income streams.
  • In consultation with the SMT, identify and secure partnerships in the donor, corporate and community sectors to support events and activities via donations, sponsorship, gifts or services in kind which minimise expenditure and maximise income.
  • Establish a range of new income streams for MMWCA, including online fundraising campaigns and grow effectiveness of MMWCA’s digital fundraising tools
  • Develop fundraising budgets with SMT and Finance team, including detailed expense budgets and event task lists and timelines.
  • Organise and promote fundraising events in line with organisational values and principles
  • Research funding opportunities and prepare and submit grant applications in liaison with the programs team
  • Arrange and promote speaking events to raise awareness and funds for MMWCA
  • Assist with capacity building and training management colleagues in grant writing skills, social media, marketing, donor relations
• Communications
  • Review and modify MMWCA’s communication strategy, ensuring it supports MMWCA’s strategic framework
  • Develop an annual communication work plan that includes detailed activities, budget, monitoring and evaluation, incorporating the multiple communication needs of MMWCA, ensuring all communication plans are aligned with the operational work plans
  • Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for communications around fundraising and engagement, targeting individual giving, corporate partnerships and high value donors (current and prospective) in conjunction with the SMT.
  • Lead in communication that promotes conservation impact to inspire action by the identified MMWCA target audiences
  • Lead on the coordination, development and production of all communication materials, such as website content, social media development, written materials (e.g. fundraising proposals, brochures, reports, newsletters, press releases etc.).
  • In collaboration with the M&E Officer, develop communications and information sharing activities for MMWCA’s members, offering opportunities for members to engage with MMWCA and each other.
  • Develop and support advocacy and behavioral change campaigns, including developing strategies, coordinating key stakeholders, implementing action plans and overseeing the production of related materials
  • Participate in networking, partnership relations and overall planning for the organization
  • Update MMWCA’s contact database
  • Advise the senior management team on fundraising, communications and brand issues.
  • Responsible for the day-to-day supervision and management of the Communications Assistant, interns and any consultants hired to support communications efforts.

Minimum Qualifications

• A Master’s degree in Communications, Public Relations
• Minimum 10 years’ experience working in communications with highly developed communication skills
• Minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience in developing communications strategies for conservation and environmental issues preferably in Kenya
• Minimum five (5) years’ experience in successfully managing fundraising campaigns and events for conservation organisations in Kenya
• Proven record of developing effective audience tailored messages at various levels.
• Experience in developing and successfully delivering fundraising campaigns and the relevant messaging, ensuring they are targeted accurately.
• Knowledge of fundraising payment platforms and the methodology of integrating payment platforms into campaigns.
• Knowledge and passion for digital technologies and the web marketing (including SEO, SEM, Google AdWords / AdGrant, Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Linkedin Ads, HTML, CMS, web and social analytics); Knowledge in the use of photo editing tools (eg. Adobe Photoshop), and basic graphical management for text and graphics.
• Self-confident and well rounded, with the capacity to understand multiple perspectives and cultural diversity and deal with those differences diplomatically
• Experience of working with pastoralist communities and ability/willingness to work in Aitong.