Proposal Writer

Duties/Pligte

Reporting to the manager of Alumni and Donor Engagement, this exciting position is meant for an energetic, highly motivated and experienced writer and communicator.

The incumbent will join a small team who supports the Development and Alumni Engagement function in the Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) Division of Stellenbosch University (SU) by developing quality written proposals, concept notes and appeals to existing and potential SU donors.

By providing proposal writing services to DAR, the incumbent will play a critical part in SU's efforts to cultivate strong private philanthropic support with a particular focus on major gifts. Specific responsibilities include conceptualising, researching, writing and editing gift proposals for individual donors, case statements, concept papers, templates and boilerplate text for key fundraising priorities, donor presentation materials and stewardship communications.

The incumbent's functional role is to develop quality fundraising communication materials to support the activities of the broader fundraising team in SU's DAR Division, with a particular focus on bursary funding.
- Conceptualising, developing and producing quality proposal-related documents that are appropriately pitched for different funder audiences, both nationally and

internationally;Ensuring effective execution of proposal development activities, including through strong project management skills and a solid understanding of how proposal

development ties into the fundraising effort;Contributing to the establishment, review and improvement of systems and processes for proposal development by participating in team meetings and sharing

information, tools and skills that strengthen the proposal development team and DAR as a whole;Expanding capacity in DAR and University projects by providing proposal-related technical guidance to project leaders, with a strong focus on bursary support

proposals;Building and maintaining productive working relationships with University stakeholders;- Planning, scoping and developing specific asks for specific funders with a particular strength in terms of bursary funding;- Conducting own research on societal needs, possible impacts, strategic differences and the like;- Producing various draft iterations for review, adjustment and finalisation;- Forecasting operational expenses, and producing itemised budgets in line with organisational guidelines and strategies;- Implementing feedback based on proposal outcomes;- Responding to DAR indicators and key objectives so as to develop consistent evaluation and monitoring as part of a culture of continuous improvement.

Job Requirements/Pos Vereistes- Bachelor's degree and appropriate, relevant experience;- Three to five years' work experience in a fundraising, research or writing environment, with some experience in developing proposals;- The ability to process, analyse and logically structure project-related information in language that is clear to different funding audiences;- Demonstrable capacity in interpreting analytical reports, strategic plans, evaluations and desktop research;- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, and preferably also a second official South African language;- The ability to multitask and work under pressure with speed, structure and accuracy;- Proven skills in using proposal writing to develop existing markets and successfully reach out to untapped markets;- Exceptional interpersonal skills and a strong customer service orientation towards internal and external stakeholders;- The ability to manage and develop fundraising communications to a range of targeted audiences on various topics, with a particular emphasis on bursaries;- Proven success in working with cross-functional teams;- The ability to innovate and solve problems in a creative manner, and proven flexibility in terms of new programmes and/or ideas and their evaluation.

Please note that the incumbent will serve the University's main focus areas of learning and teaching, research as well as social impact through focused activities to raise maximum funds among donors and other interest groups. The incumbent will also work with academic and research staff to design causes for support from projects and programmes that require fundraising to be sustainable. In the course of his/her duties, the incumbent will be expected to gain an understanding of the various interests of the donor community, and how to harness these, as well as to develop a nuanced understanding of the South African higher education environment.

Recommendation/Aanbeveling
- None