Grant Proposal Support - Adapting to EOIs and Thematic Projects

Volunteering

Overview

Support UVS in researching, planning, budgeting, and drafting grant proposals.

You have:

• Professional education or experience in grant proposal writing.
• Knowledge and skills in proposal development, including drafting, adapting, and structuring proposals to align with funder requirements.
• Familiarity with project planning, budgeting, and monitoring & evaluation (M&E) concepts to contribute to different sections of proposals.
• Ability to conduct research on funding opportunities, including RFPs and EOIs, and summarize key requirements effectively.
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, to clearly present ideas and incorporate feedback from supervisors.
• Soft skills such as time management, attention to detail, and collaboration in a virtual team environment.
• Commitment to deadlines, ensuring timely submission of high-quality deliverables.
• Proficiency with online tools such as Google Drive, collaborative platforms, or document management systems for tracking proposals and updates.
• Prior experience in fundraising, grant research, or donor reporting (preferred but not mandatory).
• Understanding of thematic projects across sectors such as youth development, sustainability, education, or community empowerment (preferred but not mandatory).

Contract

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UV Society (UVS) is continuously working to advance youth-led initiatives across multiple thematic areas, including sustainable development, regenerative agriculture, women’s empowerment, mental health, and environmental conservation. To scale these initiatives and secure funding from diverse sources, UVS requires well-crafted, adaptable grant proposals that align with specific RFPs and EOIs.

This assignment enables Online Volunteers to contribute directly to UVS’s fundraising and project expansion objectives, ensuring that proposals are tailored to funder priorities while reflecting the organization’s strategic vision. By supporting the preparation, adaptation, and refinement of proposals, volunteers help UVS mobilize resources for projects that empower youth, strengthen community resilience, and promote sustainable socio-economic development.

Volunteers should understand that UVS operates as a youth-led organization focused on capacity building, community engagement, and cross-sector collaborations, and that their contributions will feed into broader project planning, budgeting, monitoring, and evaluation activities. Their work will provide critical support in enhancing UVS’s ability to respond effectively to funding opportunities across different thematic areas, ultimately strengthening the organization’s impact and sustainability.

Universal Versatile Society (UVS) seeks four Online Volunteers to support the organisation in researching, planning, budgeting, and drafting grant proposals for various Expressions of Interest (EOIs) and thematic projects. The volunteers will collaborate as a small, coordinated team under the supervision of the UVS Project Coordinator. Each volunteer will focus on a specific workstream as outlined below. The assignment will last 12 weeks, with an estimated workload of 6–10 hours per week.

1. Research and Opportunity Identification (1 Online Volunteer)

Tasks:

a) Monitor and analyse relevant RFPs, EOIs, and thematic funding calls from national and international sources. b) Summarize eligibility criteria, deadlines, thematic focus areas, and funder priorities.

Deliverables:

a) Researching funding opportunities relevant to UVS’s themes. b) Summary table of eligibility and submission requirements. c) Weekly one EOI/RFP should be researched

2. Proposal Drafting and Adaptation (1 Online Volunteer)

Tasks:

a) Draft or adapt short concept notes and proposals based on identified funding opportunities. b) Integrate feedback from the supervisor for clarity, compliance, and impact.

Deliverables:

a) One complete proposal drafts every 1-2 weeks (3–5 pages each). b) One concept note tailored to a current EOI or RFP.

3. Budgeting and Financial Planning (1 Online Volunteer)

Tasks:

a) Support proposal development by preparing itemized budgets and aligning costs with donor requirements. b) Ensure budget narratives are clear and realistic.

Deliverables:

a) One detailed budget sheets (Excel or equivalent) for drafted proposals. b) One short financial justification note outlining key assumptions.

4. Monitoring and Evaluation (1 Online Volunteer)

Tasks:

a) Develop monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks, logical frameworks, and indicator matrices for proposed projects. b) Ensure alignment with UVS’s existing reporting practices.

Deliverables:

a) One M&E framework or logframe. b) One 2–3 page summary report outlining indicators, data sources, and evaluation plans.

Workload and Coordination - During 12 weeks of duration, we are expecting volunteers to work on 6 to 8 proposals collaboratively. - Communication: via email, shared documents (Google Workspace), and WhatsApp group. - Volunteers will share weekly progress updates and collaborate on final deliverables. - Volunteers will not engage in any fundraising, donor outreach, or solicitation of funds. Their contributions will be limited to internal research, documentation, and proposal drafting for UVS’s internal capacity-building.

Applicants willing to collaborate with UVS for this assignment are expected to have professional education or experience in grant proposal writing. Since this task involves adapting proposals to diverse EOIs and thematic projects, candidates should ideally have:

1. Knowledge and skills in proposal development, including drafting, adapting, and structuring proposals to align with funder requirements.
2. Familiarity with project planning, budgeting, and monitoring & evaluation (M&E) concepts to contribute to different sections of proposals.
3. Ability to conduct research on funding opportunities, including RFPs and EOIs, and summarize key requirements effectively.
4. Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, to clearly present ideas and incorporate feedback from supervisors.
5. Soft skills such as time management, attention to detail, and collaboration in a virtual team environment.
6. Commitment to deadlines, ensuring timely submission of high-quality deliverables.
7. Proficiency with online tools such as Google Drive, collaborative platforms, or document management systems for tracking proposals and updates.

Preferred but not mandatory:

1. Prior experience in fundraising, grant research, or donor reporting.
2. Understanding of thematic projects across sectors such as youth development, sustainability, education, or community empowerment.

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Potential interview questions

Added 1 year ago - Updated 11 months ago - Source: unv.org