Background:
The Youth Climate Justice Fund (YCJF) supports youth-led socio-environmental and climate justice movements worldwide through participatory grant making and capacity strengthening to build trust and bridge gaps between funders and young leaders. The YCJF was publicly launched in September 2023 and is led by a global team of young professionals from diverse backgrounds. We support a community of 205 grantee partners in 50+ countries globally.
Description:
Are you passionate about climate justice and eager to work alongside communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis? Do you bring curiosity, care, and a strong interest in fundraising and equitable resource mobilisation? YCJF is seeking a Development Associate who shares our values and is excited to contribute to a growing, youth-led global fund.
The Development Associate supports YCJF’s donor advising and fundraising efforts through research, grant writing, systems coordination, and donor engagement support.
Working closely with the development team, this role helps ensure the fund’s continued financial growth and stability by supporting effective fundraising strategies, donor relationships, and grant processes. Further, the post-holder will work closely with the monitoring, evaluation, and learning, communications, operations, and finance teams to support donor engagement and fundraising efforts.
This position offers a meaningful opportunity to learn about equitable approaches to resource mobilisation within the philanthropic ecosystem, particularly in partnership with youth-led climate justice movements.
Key responsibilities
The Development Associate will play a critical operational role in YCJF’s fundraising and donor engagement work by managing research, drafting grant materials, maintaining robust development systems, and supporting clear, consistent communication with supporters. This role is ideal for someone early in their development or philanthropy career who is eager to build skills in fundraising, grant writing, and climate justice philanthropy.
Grant reporting
- Draft grant proposals, concept notes, and donor reports under the guidance of the Development Senior Officer.
- Contribute to basic financial reporting and grant budget tracking, ensuring alignment with donor requirements and narrative reporting.
- Populate, maintain, and update standardised reporting templates on a quarterly basis.
- Track grant submission and reporting deadlines and maintain organised grant-related files and documentation for timely and accurate delivery.
Pipeline management
- Conduct research to identify prospective funders aligned with YCJF’s mission and priorities.
- Prepare funder briefs summarising alignment, giving history, timelines, and engagement strategies.
- Maintain up-to-date fundraising pipelines and prospect trackers.
Systems and donor tracking
- Organise and maintain development folders across shared systems (Monday.com, Google Drive, Box).
- Coordinate donor email records and communication histories, accurately logging interactions and follow-ups.
- Support the maintenance of donor contact records and internal tracking systems.
Event and engagement support
- Support the coordination of donor meetings, convenings, and events (virtual and in-person).
- Prepare background materials, agendas, and follow-up notes.
- Track attendance, participants’ lists, outcomes, and next steps from donor engagements.
Requirements:
The following offers an aspirational view of our ideal candidate profile; however, we encourage applications from candidates with a wide range of experiences and backgrounds, especially those from underrepresented groups.
Essential
- 1–3 years of experience in non-profit development, grant writing, research, or a related field.
- Excellent written communication skills in English, with a clear and authentic voice.
- Strong research and organisational skills.
- Proficiency with Google Workspace and spreadsheets; comfortable learning new systems.
- Close attention to detail and ability to manage multiple deadlines.
- Ability to work across diverse cultures in a remote setting across time zones, both independently and collaboratively.
- Commitment to climate justice, youth leadership, and equity-centred work.
Desirable
- Familiarity with project management tools (e.g., Monday.com).
- Lived experience in and/or connection to frontline communities.
- Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Proficiency in English (written and spoken).
Comments:
Why work with us
At the YCJF, you’ll join a deeply values-driven, global, and fully remote team committed to redistributing resources to youth-led climate justice movements. We work collaboratively, at the speed of trust, and with care at the centre of how we operate, prioritising learning, transparency, wellbeing, and shared leadership. Our culture is grounded in mutual support, humility, and joy, and we strive to create space for personal growth, creativity, and reflection.
YCJF is composed of Indigenous women, people with disabilities, and people of colour, with 90% of its members from the Global South, reflecting the communities and contexts we exist to serve. Our broader community, including staff, Regional Committees, and our Governing Body, spans 21 countries, with 77% from Global Majority regions. We are a gender-diverse organisation, with over 75% of our members identifying as women or gender-diverse people, and we continue to build an ecosystem that centres lived experience, intersectional justice, and meaningful representation at every level of our work.
We offer competitive compensation aligned with our values of equity and global parity, meaningful opportunities to shape an evolving organisation, and the ability to work autonomously while contributing to an ambitious mission.
HOW TO APPLY:
To apply for this role, please submit a copy of your CV/resume and a cover letter outlining your interest in the role and how you fulfil the requirements set out in the job announcement by clicking on the link below.
If you have any questions about the role or organisation, please reach out to McAra Kirby-Fahey at mcara@upsallinternational.com. To note: in order to keep your application safe and ensure your data is GDPR compliant, applications will not be accepted via email.
The deadline for applications is Monday 16th March, 9:00 am CET
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Upsall International actively promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion. In recruiting candidates, we seek candidates with the proven skills required, irrespective of race, gender, religion or belief, age, disability, or sexual orientation.
Contact person: McAra Kirby-Fahey
Preferred method of response: Web
Apply link: Link to Apply
Email: mcara@upsallinternational.com
Closing date: 16/03/2026