Organization overview
Tostan is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Dakar, Senegal, currently operating in five West
African countries. At the strategic level, the organization is committed to continuing to develop its
core competency of empowering education, and to document and scale the sustainable impact it
creates on a range of issues. Tostan’s flagship model, the three-year Community Capacity Building
Programme (CCBP), has already reached thousands of communities in West and East Africa since
1991. Results in governance, education, health, economic empowerment and the environment are
currently being monitored, and Tostan is particularly proud to have played an important role in the
large-scale empowerment of women and girls and in community abandonment of harmful practices
such as female genital mutilation and child marriage. As part of its strategic engagement plan
2023-2030, Tostan focuses on strategic scaling. The organization is developing new implementation
strategies to support community leadership by unlocking broader systemic changes at the regional
level. It also creates new models for sharing and replicating its programs with other development
partners and expands its capacity to share Tostan’s global approach to support and influence a range
of local and global audiences. For more information, please visit : www.tostan.org
Department overview
This role is a member of the Partnerships Team, reporting to the Head of Philanthropy and the Chief
Partnerships Officer. This role has peer colleagues in Institutional Partnerships, responsible for
developing relationships with bilateral, multilateral, and institutional foundation donors. This role will
collaborate closely with partnerships, programs, and finance colleagues.
In this exciting new role, the Philanthropy Assistant will have a key rôle in building on Tostan’s
successful portfolio of philanthropic donors and assisting with an ambitious strategy for donor
acquisition through extensive prospect and potential partnership research. Tostan’s philanthropic
supporters are trust-based philanthropists, family foundations and others who believe in Tostan’s
mission.
Roles and responsibilities
Under supervision of the Head of Philanthropy, the Philanthropy Assistant will be responsible for :
▪ Pro-actively scoping and identifying the influencing and resource development landscape to
stay abreast of key events, conferences, and potential funding partners and opportunities
aligned with the Team’s strategic goals.
▪ Supporting the Philanthropy team in developing timely and high-quality concept notes and
donor proposals and reports, working closely with the Programs, MERL and GPS teams.
▪ Advancing Tostan’s resource mobilization efforts by assisting with donor engagement and
stewardship efforts.
▪ Advancing Tostan’s Communications efforts by increasing our engagement with external
audiences, supporting donor communications and maintaining Tostan’s brand image.
▪ Supporting the creation of branded communications materials and tools, such as factsheets,
summaries, presentations and reports to be shared with external stakeholders.
▪ Supporting in the administration, logistics and preparation of influencing events held by
Tostan.
▪ Achieving a comprehensive understanding of Tostan’s mission and vision, values and culture
to effectively communicate verbally and in writing to donors and prospects. Work with
Tostan’s communications staff to ensure consistent and compelling messaging.
This list is not exhaustive, the Philanthropy Assistant will be called upon to perform any other
duties that may be assigned to him in connection with his skills or position.
Summary of the position
Tostan seeks a Philanthropy Assistant to join a growing team of development professionals working
directly with high-capacity donors and prospects to accomplish their giving objectives in the form of
annual giving, and major and planned gifts. The Philanthropy Assistant is responsible for managing
contributions including gift entry, donor lists and acknowledgements; prospect and donor research,
supporting special event planning for donor gatherings, administrative and travel support for the
Head of Philanthropy and partnerships leadership team and serve as an important creative partner to
other philanthropy team members in creating campaigns, messaging for promotional assets and
donor relations.
Key relationships:
Direct line Manager : Head of Philanthropy
Immediate office : Tostan International, US
Direct reports (direct functional links) : N/A
Other colleagues : Philanthropy Officer, Senior Philanthropy Officer
Localisation : Remote position in US (East Coast preferred)
Key qualifications required :
Language skills:
● Fluency in English (oral and written) is required;
● Fluency in French (oral and written) is required;
Education and Experience:
● Bachelor’s Degree
● 1-3 years experience in the philanthropic donor partnerships sector or an administrative
role at an NGO.
An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory
substitute for the specific education and experience listed above.
Soft skills (characteristics)
● Superior communication skills, both written and verbal, and strong attention to detail and
accuracy. Comfortable reaching out to people by phone as well as in writing.
● Excellent organization skills and impeccable attention to detail and accuracy;
● Proven ability to handle sensitive information with confidentiality, professionalism and
discretion.
● Ability to prioritize and reassess in a fast-paced environment.
● Computer knowledge in Excel, Word, Outlook and database applications. Experience with
SalesForce database is a plus.
● Ability to follow a task through to completion, proactively reporting on progress;
● Strong writing, proofreading and editing skills;
● Excellent data management and reporting skills;
● Participatory work style; team player; ability to give and receive feedback;
● Strong goal orientation with flexibility to adapt to changing priorities.
Type of contract : US based full-time remote employee
Grade/Rank : $40,000 – $45,000
Start date : May 1, 2023
Our team is made up of people who strongly believe in Tostan’s mission to empower communities
to develop and realize their vision for the future and inspire large-scale movements towards dignity
for all.
Vision, Mission, Values, Problem definition
Vision
Dignity for all
Mission
Empower communities to develop and realize their vision for the future and inspire large-scale movements towards dignity for all.
Values
Love – integrity, respect and humility – learning and innovation – sustainability – partnership and dialogue –
passion and pride in our work.
Problem definition
Lack of access to empowerment and non-formal education, exacerbated by poverty and deeply rooted social norms, creates an environment that does not adequately prepare individuals and communities to realize their own vision of well-being. Sustainable communities.
How to apply
Send your resume, cover letter, and scans of your diploma and certificate of education and training by email to [email protected].
Please send an email with ” Philantropy Assistant “ quoted in the subject line. We will accept applications until April 24th, 2023. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Tostan is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate all applications in accordance with legal standards and without regard to race, religion, age, gender, origin or disability.
