How to Apply: Send your application to jobs-advancement@usiu.ac.ke with the subject line 'Development (Fundraising) Officer – Grant Writing'. Include a cover letter, current CV, certified copies of educational certificates and transcripts, names and addresses of three referees (two of whom must be your current and previous employer), current salary and benefits, and telephone and e-mail contacts. Alternatively, apply online at www.usiu.ac.ke.
Show Donor-Facing Impact in Your CV
Fundraising roles live on proof. Hiring managers at USIU Africa want to see that you can turn relationships into revenue and ideas into funded proposals. Your CV must show numbers, outcomes, and the arc of a grant from lead to close.
1. Quantify your wins: Use figures to show the scale of grants you've secured, funds raised, or partnerships built. For example, 'Secured KES 5M from a foundation for a scholarship programme' is far stronger than 'wrote grant proposals'.
2. Tailor your CV to this role: Highlight grant writing, donor relations, and partnership development. Use keywords from the job description like 'proposal development', 'donor stewardship', and 'resource mobilization' so the screen picks you out.
3. Prepare a portfolio of writing samples: Bring two or three successful grant proposals or concept notes to the interview. Show how you structured them, the research behind them, and the outcomes they achieved.
4. Research USIU Africa's strategic priorities: Understand their focus areas like scholarships, research, innovation, and infrastructure. Be ready to suggest how you'd find funding for these.
5. Practice your stakeholder story: You'll work with academic schools, research teams, and external partners. Prepare examples of how you've coordinated multiple stakeholders to meet a deadline.
6. Show your database skills: Mention specific CRM or database tools you've used (e.g., Salesforce, Raiser's Edge, or even Excel) and how you've used them to track donors or grants.
7. Be ready to talk about ethics: Fundraising involves confidentiality and integrity. Have a story ready about how you handled sensitive donor information or navigated a compliance issue.
8. Ask smart questions: In the interview, ask about the university's current funding gaps, the size of the advancement team, and how success is measured for this role. It shows you're thinking like a partner, not just a candidate.