Grant Writer & Funding Research Officer

AI summary

The World Literacy Foundation is hiring a Grant Writer & Funding Research Officer in Lagos, Nigeria. The role involves researching funding opportunities, writing grant applications, and managing a pipeline of donor prospects. The position offers a monthly salary of ₦400,000 - ₦500,000 and requires a BA/BSc/HND with at least 2 years of experience.

• Full-time role based in Lagos, Nigeria
• Salary range of ₦400,000 - ₦500,000 per month
• Requires BA/BSc/HND and 2 years of experience
• Focus on grant writing, research, and donor outreach
• Work with UK and Nigeria teams on fundraising

Original source description

About Us: The World Literacy Foundation, established in 2013, is dedicated to empowering communities worldwide through literacy and education. With a presence in countries including Australia, the US, the UK, Kenya, Colombia, and Uganda, we support children and young people by providing books, literacy resources, and educational tools. We believe every c... Read more about this company Grant Writer & Funding Research Officer Job Type Full Time Qualification BA/BSc/HND Experience: 2 years Location Lagos Job Field NGO/Non-Profit , Research and Development Salary Range ₦400,000 - ₦500,000/month The Role You will be responsible for researching and identifying potential funders, developing high-quality grant applications and maintaining an active pipeline of funding opportunities. You will work closely with colleagues across the UK and Nigeria to understand our programmes, gather the information required for applications and communicate our impact effectively to trusts, foundations, charities, corporate funders and other potential donors. This is a hands-on fundraising role, and success will be measured by the quality and quantity of opportunities identified, applications submitted, donor engagement generated and progress towards agreed fundraising targets. Key Responsibilities: Grant Research & Prospecting Research and identify relevant funding opportunities from UK trusts and foundations, charitable organisations, corporate foundations and international funders. Conduct detailed prospect research on trusts, foundations, philanthropists, corporations and grant-making organisations. Assess funding opportunities against organisational priorities, eligibility criteria, deadlines and potential value. Proactively identify new and emerging fundraising opportunities. Build and maintain a strong pipeline of qualified funding prospects. Research new funders and proactively expand the organisation\'s funding network. Grant Writing & Proposal Development Write high-quality grant applications, proposals, concept notes, letters of inquiry and funding requests. Develop compelling narratives that clearly communicate the need, programme approach, impact and outcomes of our work. Use strong storytelling to demonstrate the real-world impact of literacy and education: programmes. Tailor applications and communications to individual funders and their priorities. Work with programme and UK teams to gather project information, budgets, statistics, case studies and impact data. Ensure all applications are accurate, persuasive, well structured and submitted on time. Review and proofread applications to ensure excellent written English, consistency and attention to detail. Donor Outreach Draft donor outreach letters, fundraising emails and other communications to prospective funders. Support proactive engagement with potential donors and funding partners. Maintain accurate records of donor communications, applications and follow-ups. Identify opportunities to develop relationships with new funding prospects. Follow up with prospective funders in line with agreed timelines. Pipeline & Database Management Maintain an up-to-date grants pipeline and funding opportunities database. Track funding deadlines, applications, submissions, donor communications, follow-ups and outcomes. Maintain accurate records using Microsoft 365 and Excel. Monitor the value and status of funding opportunities throughout the pipeline. Ensure all fundraising information is recorded accurately and consistently. Keep the team informed of upcoming deadlines, actions and opportunities. Reporting & Performance Prepare weekly activity and progress reports. Monitor progress against agreed fundraising targets and KPIs. Track application numbers, funding opportunities, donor outreach and potential funding value. Identify challenges or gaps in the pipeline and proactively suggest solutions. Attend and actively contribute to weekly team meetings. Provide clear updates on progress, priorities and upcoming deadlines. Essential Requirements: Minimum 3 years\' experience: in grant writing, fundraising, donor research, proposal development or a related role. Strong understanding of UK trusts, foundations and charitable funding mechanisms. Experience: researching and applying for international funding opportunities. Exceptional written and spoken English. Excellent writing and communication skills. Strong storytelling ability, with the ability to create compelling narratives that connect funders with the impact of our work. Excellent research and analytical skills. Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple applications, deadlines, priorities and follow-ups effectively. Outstanding attention to detail and commitment to accuracy. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365, including Word, Excel, Outlook, OneDrive and SharePoint. Experience: maintaining grant trackers, databases and Excel spreadsheets. Strong organisational and time-management skills. Ability to work independently and take initiative. Demonstrated ability to consistently deliver high-quality work to deadlines. Comfortable working towards measurable targets and KPIs. Strong ability to prioritise tasks and manage competing deadlines. Must be based in Lagos, Nigeria. Personal Attributes & Skills We are looking for someone who is: Highly organised – able to manage multiple applications, deadlines, priorities and follow-ups without losing attention to detail. A strong writer and communicator – able to communicate complex ideas clearly, professionally and persuasively. A strong storyteller – able to turn programme information, statistics and case studies into compelling narratives. A quick learner – able to understand new programmes, funding requirements: and subject areas quickly. Output-driven – focused on getting high-quality work completed and delivered. Results-focused – motivated by achieving measurable fundraising outcomes. Proactive and resourceful – constantly looking for new funding opportunities and ways to improve results. Detail-oriented – committed to accuracy and high standards. Strong at research – able to quickly find, assess and prioritise relevant funding opportunities. Excellent at prioritising – able to manage competing priorities and focus on activities that deliver the greatest impact. Adaptable – comfortable responding to changing priorities and working across different projects. Accountable and dependable – takes ownership of responsibilities: and follows through. Collaborative – able to work effectively with colleagues across Nigeria and the UK. Professional and resilient – able to work in a fast-paced environment and consistently meet deadlines. Passionate about education, literacy and social impact. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Performance will be measured against agreed targets, including: Number of qualified funding opportunities identified each week. Number of high-quality grant applications submitted. Number of donor outreach emails and letters distributed. Total value of funding opportunities pursued. Progress against agreed fundraising targets. Quality, accuracy and timeliness of grant applications and records. Accuracy and timeliness of weekly reporting and pipeline management. Number and quality of new prospective funders added to the pipeline. Timely follow-up with prospective and existing funders. Overall contribution to the growth and strength of the organisation\'s fundraising pipeline. Compensation & Benefits: ₦425,000 per month Hybrid working arrangement – 2 days per week in our Lekki Phase 1 office Opportunity to work with an international nonprofit organisation Direct exposure to UK and international fundraising Experience: working across global philanthropy, trusts, foundations and partnerships Professional growth and development opportunities Opportunity to contribute to programmes creating meaningful educational and literacy impact Start Date & Recruitment Timeline Start date: 1 September 2026, or as soon as possible. Interviews: Interviews will begin immediately, so candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Important This position is only open to candidates currently based in Lagos, Nigeria. The successful candidate must be able to work from the Lekki Phase 1 office 2 days per week as part of the hybrid working arrangement. Check how your CV aligns with this job Method of Application Interested and qualified candidates should forward their CV to: naomi@ukreads.org using the position as subject of email. Build your CV for free. Download in different templates.