Job Description

he Youth Climate Justice Fund (YCJF) is seeking a passionate and driven Development Associate to join our team. As the Development Associate, you will play a key role in supporting YCJF’s fundraising and resource mobilization efforts, working alongside communities and partners in alignment with our values of youth leadership, care, and equity.

About the Youth Climate Justice Fund (YCJF) 

The Youth Climate Justice Fund (YCJF) supports youth-led socio-environmental and climate justice movements worldwide through participatory grantmaking 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 people from diverse backgrounds. Since 2023, we have committed $4.5M+ to 115 grantee partners in 50+ countries globally. 

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, prioritizing 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 color, 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 organization, 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 organization, and the ability to work autonomously while contributing to an ambitious mission.

Purpose of role

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.

1. 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 standardized reporting templates on a quarterly basis.
• Track grant submission and reporting deadlines and maintain organized grant-related files and documentation for timely and accurate delivery.

2. Pipeline management

• Conduct research to identify prospective funders aligned with YCJF’s mission and priorities.
• Prepare funder briefs summarizing alignment, giving history, timelines, and engagement strategies.
• Maintain up-to-date fundraising pipelines and prospect trackers.

3. Systems and donor tracking

• Organize 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.

4. 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.

Candidate Profile

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-centered 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).

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Location: Remote, between PST to GMT time zones, and preferably based in a Global Majority Country 
Reporting to: Senior Officer for Development
Annual salary: $40K USD per year
 Contract type: One-year consultancy contract, renewable subject to budget availability
Working hours: Full-time (35 hours per week)
Candidate level: Junior

If interested, please upload your CV and a cover letter to ➡️ https://upsallinternational.com/candidates/current-vacancies/ 

We will be receiving applications up to Monday, March 16th, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. CET