Grant and communication manager

About Rungano-Ndota Initiative (RNI)

Ngira nkugire, Mfasha ngufashe
Rungano-Ndota Initiative (RNI) is a Rwandan youth organisation based in Ruhango District, Southern Province. We build communities of trust where young people aged 16–26 from the poorest households break out of poverty and become entrepreneurs and leaders. They are proof for the next generation, and for the world, that it can be done. Rungano-Ndota means “a dream generation”, and that is what our youth are becoming.
RNI was founded by nine young leaders from Ruhango District and officially began its work there in 2017. Led by young Rwandans who know poverty and hardship from their own lives, RNI is shaped by a simple idea: trust and belonging come first, then self-leadership, then capital. Youth join RNI from local government lists of the poorest households, on need alone, with no screening. They include young single mothers, youth returning from rehabilitation and youth with disabilities.
Each young person walks a two-year Core Program journey and then joins Inyenyeri , RNI's lifelong community of graduates who give back. The journey rests on four foundations: Personal Wellness, Leadership Development, Entrepreneurship Development and Ecosystem Connection.
In 10 years, 550 youth have walked this journey with RNI. RNI's data shows:
427  businesses created by our first 450 youth, with 143 full-time and 218 part-time jobs for others
82%  of graduates are elected leaders in their communities, up from 9% before joining
0  further unplanned pregnancies among the 98 young single mothers in the program over the past five years
44 of 45  youth returning from rehabilitation have not gone back

In 2026, RNI walks alongside 300 youth in the Core Program and 250 Inyenyeri members .

Our principles
Trust · Patience · Youth in the driver's seat · Communal role modelling · Co-creation · Holistic & experiential learning

Join us. At RNI, you won't just fill a post. You'll walk alongside young people that others wrote off as they become the people their communities count on.

Learn morewww.runganondota.org

Job Description

Grants and Communication Manager at Rungano-Ndota

Position Title

Grant and communication manager
Supervised by
Executive Director
Supervises
Multimedia Officer and Community Engagement Officer

The grant and communication Manager shall work under the supervision of the Executive Director

• GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ALL RUNGANO-NDOTA PROGRAM STAFF

• Cultivate constructive engagement within the Rungano-Ndota (RNI) community, fostering positive relationships with youth participants.

• Contribute to the execution of Rungano Program Days, Alumni Forums, RNI Business Bootcamp, Business Idea Generation Day and virtual events in collaboration with Rwanda Youth Partnership, ensuring seamless coordination and facilitation.

• Actively engage in Monitoring and Evaluation processes, providing valuable insights and feedback to enhance program effectiveness.

• Participate in Staff Development Retreats, and be available for weekend or overnight commitments away from home during the Annual RNI&RYP Leadership Exchange, as required.

• Collaborate with colleagues, offering support through constructive feedback and mutual assistance in fulfilling individual responsibilities.

• RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THIS PARTICULAR JOB

Donors engagement and grant management:

• Developing relationships and collaborating with key stakeholders.

• Identifying grant funding opportunities.

• Writing, submitting, and managing grant proposals.

• Furnishing prospective funders with supporting documents.

• Collaborating with Executive Director to send funders newsletters.

• Conduct pre-award due diligence assessments of current and potential partners and analyze organizational capacity to manage grant funding and project implementation.

• Draft grant agreements and MOUs and all grant agreement modifications in consultation with designated program, and finance leads.

• Work with Executive director to ensure all agreement templates and letters of commitment are current with respect to RNI and donor compliance requirements.

• Monitor compliance with donors’ requirements.

• Work with program staff to ensure grant payments are made in accordance with agreements and work plans.

• Help develop policies relating to grants management.

• Train RNI staff and partners regarding compliance as needed.

• Provide analysis of the status on current and closed grants, e.g. spending patterns, outstanding reports.

Communications Strategy and Public Engagement:

Strategy and planning

• Develop and update RNI’s communications strategy and an annual communications plan, linked to fundraising and partnership goals, and agree it with the Executive Director.

• Identify RNI’s key audiences (donors, government partners, Twese for Rungano, the public, youth and their communities) and set the key messages and channels for each.

• Plan communications around RNI’s calendar: Inkera y’Urungano, graduation, the Leadership Exchange, Rungano Youth Roundtables and RNI’s 10th anniversary in 2027.

Guiding the team

• Supervise the Multimedia Officer and the Community Engagement Officer, including setting their work plans and reviewing their performance.

• Set the monthly content plan and give direction and feedback to the Multimedia Officer, so that stories, photos and videos serve the strategy.