Grants and Community Impact Manager

• Part-time
• SCHADS Level 6
• 22.8hrs or 3 days/wk
• Hybrid/Melbourne

About us 

Since 1985, the Victorian Women's Trust (VWT) has been a feminist anchor in Australian public life, funding community grants, driving research, and running advocacy campaigns that advance the safety, dignity, and economic security of women, girls, and gender-diverse people.

We're a small, close-knit team that holds an intersectional feminist practice at the centre of everything we do. We’re working toward a future where women, girls and gender-diverse people are valued, know their worth, and have the power and freedom to take action on the issues that matter, together.

Who we're looking for

You're someone who brings together feminist analysis and care. A keen observer, you notice social trends and growing areas of need and take the time to dig deeper, and ask why.

You're motivated to find solutions to complex problems — from team workflows to fundraising to leveraging partnerships for greater social impact. You bring a collaborative mindset, discretion, warmth, and good judgement to everything you do.

You're looking for a workplace that shares your values and does work that matters. At VWT, that means a commitment to gender equality, intersectional feminist practice, and the belief that structural change is possible.

We welcome applications from First Nations women and women of colour, and from people with lived experience of intersecting forms of discrimination. We know that feminist work is strongest when it reflects the full breadth of women's lives, leadership, and knowledge. If this is you, we encourage you to apply.

The role

This role is central to the organisation’s grant-making, grant fundraising, and impact functions, leveraging strategic stakeholder engagement, partnership development, grants leadership, and evaluation for greater impact.

Building on over forty years of community grant making, you understand that relationships are key to effective, long-term social change.

You'll steward relationships with grantees, philanthropic partners and community organisations, lead the annual grants program, contribute to fundraising by guiding our grant funding stream, and shape how VWT measures and tells the story of its impact. You’ll also be keeping an eye out for who isn't in the room, particularly under-represented communities and women from regional areas.

Key functional areas

Strategic Contribution:

Contribute to organisational strategy across engagement, partnerships, fundraising and impact initiatives; work cross-functionally to integrate community perspectives into organisational work; provide insight on trends in community development, granting, and social impact.

Partnerships & External Engagement: 

Build and maintain relationships with philanthropic stakeholders and community organisations; represent VWT in external forums and networks; facilitate strategic relationships between communities, grantees, philanthropic stakeholders and funding partners; seek out opportunities for events and other engagement activities.

Grant-making & Fundraising:

• Build and maintain active relationships with grants program grantees, philanthropic donors and community partners, organising opportunities for connection, engagement and promotion
• Lead the design, delivery and continuous improvement of the annual grants program, including stakeholder engagement and grants communications
• Coordinate operational and administrative resources supporting the grants program
• Lead the development and continuous improvement of grants management systems, processes and reporting frameworks
• Identify opportunities to expand awareness of the grants program, particularly among under-represented communities and regional areas
• Develop and deliver monitoring and evaluation for the grants program, supporting interns to collect impact stories from grantees
• Provide content for external communications
• Seek funding for community initiatives by identifying and building relationships with donors and foundations
• Lead grant writing, submissions, and reporting when required
• Collaborate with leadership on VWT's fundraising strategy

Impact: 

Develop and oversee organisational impact measurement, evaluation and learning initiatives; lead and coordinate external providers, interns and contributors supporting impact and evaluation activities; provide content for external engagement and communications.

Skills and Experience

Essential:

• Experience leading grant-making, fundraising or community investment programs
• Strong stakeholder engagement and partnership development capability
• Experience in impact measurement, evaluation or social impact frameworks
• Ability to develop strategic relationships with philanthropic and community stakeholders
• Confidence using digital tools and grants or CRM management systems, with the ability to learn new platforms quickly
• Experience leading complex projects and cross-functional initiatives
• Strong analytical, communication and report-writing capability
• Demonstrated ability to work autonomously and exercise strategic judgment

If this role sounds like a great fit for you, and you don’t feel you meet all of the criteria, we encourage you to apply anyway.

What we offer

• Generous leave entitlements, including: Menstrual and Menopausal Leave; additional public holidays; Wellbeing Leave; and paid leave between Christmas and New Years.
• Very flexible working environment, including flexible hours, working from home, and flexible public holidays (e.g. staff have the option to work on Australia Day and take public holiday leave during NAIDOC Week instead).
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program.
• A supportive, collaborative team environment.
• A strong commitment to professional development and wellbeing.

For queries, contact Lucy Kennedy: women@vwt.org.au using the subject line: Grants and Community Impact Manager enquiry via EthicalJobs.

A position description is attached.