Communications and Development Manager

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Since 2009, The Action Foundation (TAF) has delivered health and inclusive education services to over 20,000 children and youth with disabilities at our outreach centers and through partnerships with public and community-level schools and health facilities. With 15 years of demonstrated success in delivering impactful programs, we are dedicated to championing a movement for disability-inclusive service delivery across Kenya and Africa.
Our experience has revealed that children and youth with disabilities experience severe marginalization, poverty, violence, social exclusion, and unequal access to opportunities and that girls and women with disabilities disproportionately face socio-economic exclusion, barriers to education, and heightened risk of GBV.
Our mission is to improve the quality of life of Children and Youth with Disabilities (CYWDs) through programs that cover their entire lifecycle, from early years to adolescence and adulthood. We envision a fully inclusive Africa where CYWDs can thrive. We are dedicated to empowering CYWDs to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
Our programs, spanning Child Health and Development, Foundational Learning, Adolescent and Youth Empowerment, and Adolescent Girls and Young Women’s Mentorship, create pathways for CYWDs to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to their communities. Through strategic collaborations with national and subnational government agencies, local leaders, and organizations, we advocate for inclusive policies and practices that prioritize disability inclusion and address gender disparities.

JOB SUMMARY

About The Action FoundationSince 2009, The Action Foundation (TAF) has delivered health and inclusive education services to over 20,000 children and youth with disabilities through our outreach centers and partnerships with public and community-level schools and health facilities. We are dedicated to improving the quality of life for Children and Youth with Disabilities (CYWDs) through programs that cover their entire lifecycle—from early years to adolescence and adulthood.Our mission is to champion disability-inclusive service delivery and create pathways for CYWDs to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to their communities.Job SummaryThe Development and Partnerships team mobilizes resources and builds strategic partnerships in Kenya and internationally. Together, the team drives funding growth for TAF’s program portfolios and secures funds for large, multi-year initiatives. The team manages relationships and resourcing across trusts and foundations, statutory donors, high-net-worth individuals, corporates, and social enterprises. While the Communications and Development Manager will primarily focus on foundation, corporate, statutory, and trust funding, the role demands versatility and the ability to engage a broad range of partners and donors as opportunities arise. The role also requires demonstrated experience in designing and delivering high-impact digital fundraising campaigns and leading the planning and execution of flagship public fundraising events (such as walks, runs, or community challenges) that mobilize supporters, raise unrestricted income, and strengthen TAF’s public profile.Reporting to the Director of Development and Partnerships, the Manager plays a critical role in advancing TAF’s fundraising and visibility objectives. This includes implementing strategic fundraising initiatives, cultivating long-term donor relationships, and delivering powerful communications that amplify TAF’s impact. Working collaboratively with program and leadership teams, the postholder will craft compelling proposals, reports, and stories that strengthen TAF’s profile among local and international stakeholders. This position calls for a creative, diplomatic, and strategic professional with strong relationship-building skills and a deep commitment to TAF’s mission of disability inclusion and social impact.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Purpose:To identify, create, develop, and maintain strategic partnerships and communication initiatives that strengthen TAF’s visibility, credibility, and financial sustainability. The role focuses on cultivating and stewarding relationships with statutory funders, trusts, foundations, corporates, and media partners to mobilize resources, raise awareness, and amplify TAF’s impact.At TAF, every team member contributes to building our reputation, expanding our reach, and advocating for inclusion. Our values guide how we work, internally and externally, ensuring that every message and partnership reflects excellence, compassion, and integrity.Everyone at TAF is an ambassador, advocate, and fundraiser, working together to advance our mission to create a fully inclusive Africa where children and youth with disabilities can thrive.Accountabilities:1. Fundraising and Partnership DevelopmentIdentify, attract, and secure new funding partnerships with foundations, corporates, and statutory funders in Kenya and internationally.Complete compelling partnership proposals, presentations, and donor pitches in alignment with TAF’s strategy and values.Develop and manage technical proposals and complex project budgets in collaboration with program and finance teams.Build and manage strategic relationships with funders, networks, and influencers to grow TAF’s portfolio of partnerships and funding opportunities.Support the Director of Development and Partnerships in leading and coordinating the Partnerships and Investments function to achieve personal and team fundraising targets.Contribute to internal workstreams to shape programmatic portfolios and maintain a robust funding pipeline.Respond to donor queries and revise proposals, budgets, and reports as required.2. Communications and Brand VisibilityLead the implementation of communications strategies that elevate TAF’s profile and showcase the impact of its programs.Develop compelling donor-facing and public communication materials, including success stories, digital content, press releases, campaign assets, and fundraising materials.Oversee the development and delivery of TAF’s social media, digital platforms, and marketing initiatives.Design, lead, and deliver integrated online and digital fundraising campaigns, leveraging social media, email marketing, websites, peer-to-peer tools, and online giving platforms.Plan, coordinate, and execute flagship public fundraising events (e.g., disability inclusion walks, runs, or community challenges), including concept development, budgeting, partner engagement, marketing, logistics, and post-event stewardship.Demonstrate the ability to translate campaigns and events into measurable income, participation, and long-term supporter engagement.Strengthen TAF’s presence across local and international media, digital platforms, and events to enhance visibility, credibility, and stakeholder engagement.Ensure consistency, accuracy, creativity, and accessibility across all brand and communication outputs.Produce content for newsletters, annual reports, websites, social media, and media articles to reach diverse audiences.Align communications with fundraising objectives, including appeals, donor thank-you letters, campaign follow-up, and supporter engagement initiatives.Initiate and manage strategic communications campaigns to generate awareness, support, and participation in TAF’s programs.3. Donor Stewardship and ReportingContribute to the design and delivery of TAF’s donor reporting structure, ensuring transparency and timely submissions.Produce periodic progress and impact reports for donors, leadership, and other stakeholders.Organize high-level networking, cultivation, and stewardship events that strengthen relationships and inspire continued support.Promote effective and efficient working practices that enhance collaboration and accountability across teams.4. Strategy and LearningSupport the development and delivery of an innovative and diversified resourcing strategy aligned with TAF’s thematic portfolios.Track, analyze, and report on fundraising campaign and event performance metrics to inform decision-making and continuous improvement.Build and maintain a network of public- and private-sector partners to leverage their expertise and resources for greater impact.Seek opportunities for personal and team development, modeling a culture of learning, innovation, and collaboration.5. Cross-Team CollaborationWork closely with country, program, and MEAL teams to align resource mobilization and communication priorities.Support capacity strengthening across teams on proposal development, storytelling, and partnership management.Actively contribute to a unified, values-driven organizational culture where everyone is an ambassador, advocate, and fundraiser for TAF.You will be:An experienced, dynamic, and skilled fundraiser and networker with a proven track record in generating income within at least one of the following fundraising disciplines; trusts/foundations/statutoryExperience of working in both local and international settings, focused on either disability inclusion, development, policy, or human rights.Experienced in developing new trusts/foundations/statutory resourcing strategies and securing new income.A detail person, skilled at research and persuasive writing, with the ability to liaise confidently, persuasively, and diplomatically with donors, partners, and colleagues.A self-starter who is capable of self-management and motivation, and someone who can efficiently and effectively manage their timeAbility to work differently, innovatively, creatively, and flexibly with colleagues with diverse skills and backgrounds.Ready, willing, and able to represent TAF’s mission, our values, and our uniqueness in every part of your tasks.Prepared to embrace challenges you may not naturally find easy.Be open to reflecting on and understanding your own position of power, privilege, and bias.Promote a culture of continuous improvementYou will have:Demonstrable recent and relevant trust, foundations, or corporate partnerships or statutory fundraising experience 5 years+Demonstrable track record of leading successful digital/online fundraising campaigns, with evidence of income raised and/or audience growth.Proven experience in planning and delivering large-scale public fundraising events, such as walks or community activations, including income and participation resultsA proven track record of securing significant new business (six figures+) and stewarding a healthy portfolio of funders.A proven track record of shaping resourcing strategies and developing pipelines of well-positioned funding opportunities.Effective networkerExcellent organization, research, and planning skillsExcellent verbal (including public speaking) and written communication skillsThe ability to prioritize tasks and manage time effectivelyA team-player approach, making decisions for the best of the organization rather than for individual or section targetsHigh level of computer literacyRelevant fundraising and communication qualification or a degree in a relevant subjectWillingness to travel within Kenya and overseasPersonal commitment to disability inclusion, justice, fairness, and TAF’s mission and values.You may have:Major donor/corporate fundraising experienceSpecific knowledge on gender equity, youth empowerment, social enterprise development, or related social justice issues.Ability to link program priorities with funding opportunities and contribute to innovative fundraising and communications strategies.Fundraising/CRM systems experience

REQUIRED SKILLS

Content management, Feature and article writing, Bidding and proposal generation, Partnerships, Digital content development and editing (social media, blogs, etc.), Stakeholder communication, Corporate communications, Brand management, Public, corporate relations, Concepting and ideation

REQUIRED EDUCATION

Diploma, Associate's degree