Consultancy opportunity: Coordinator, documentary production and communications capacity strengthening project

Location: Desk-based / remote (with possible travel)
Contract type: Consultancy (part-time, flexible hours)
Application deadline: 5 pm GMT, Friday 4 April 2025

The GFCF is seeking a dynamic and creative individual to lead and coordinate an exciting initiative aimed at contributing to a larger narrative shift in international development towards locally-driven and locally-owned solutions, through the specific lens of community philanthropy.

The project will be carried out under the Giving for Change programme, a five-year programme implemented in eight countries and funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs which is now in its final year. A key purpose of the project will be to draw on the multiple and diverse examples and experiences of community philanthropy and other asset-based approaches that have been tested and implemented through the programme and to create a series of videos / films that can speak to a range of local and global audiences. A secondary purpose will be to help strengthen communication and story-telling capacities within organizational members of the Giving for Change alliance.

About Giving for Change

The Giving for Change programme comprises 11 organizations working together to challenge traditional models of international development aid, and to transform and shift power towards local actors.

The core focus of the programme has been to introduce, test and strengthen community philanthropy and other forms of local resource mobilization and asset-based approaches, in a variety of contexts across eight countries. A further objective has been to establish community philanthropy as an emerging force for social change and to establish it as a central pillar of broader efforts to shift power and to embrace “new ways of deciding and doing.” Many members of the Giving for Change family are also highly active in the global #ShiftThePower movement.

Among the key learnings of the programme to date – and from the larger global field of community philanthropy – has been the extent to which local resources (in-kind and financial) have largely been overlooked by external development actors; in turn, this has also often been mirrored by local organizations, which have been led to undervalue the importance of local buy-in, ownership, constituency and support in grounding their work and ensuring its effectiveness. The programme has also highlighted the importance of shifting mind-sets, of placing renewed value on small, individual acts which, when repeated over time can start to create new patterns and norms, and new narratives in which “development” is not something done to someone, but rather something they own and are part of. Recent shocks to the international aid system have further highlighted the dangers of over-reliance on external funding.

The role

As Coordinator, working closely with members of the GFCF and Giving for Change team, you will design and coordinate a series of activities that:

• Showcases community philanthropy in action, amplifying local voices and experiences across a range of contexts, through the production of a variety of audio-visual materials / videos that can stand alone for specific, targeted audiences, but which also hang together as a broader body of work. For more information on community philanthropy and #ShiftThePower, please see The Answer is Local and #ShiftThePower Zambia.
• Engages story-tellers, filmmakers, and grassroots organizations to produce impactful media content in ways that also build lasting relationships and strengthened capacities within Giving for Change member organizations and other civil society partners.
• Explores community philanthropy as an alternative to top-down development models.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and manage a video production and communications capacity strengthening strategy aligned with the Giving for Change programme.
• Identify and collaborate with filmmakers, journalists, and community media organizations in the eight Giving for Change countries, as well as other stakeholders from across civil society, philanthropy and the film industry.
• Oversee the production of short films, interviews, and multimedia content that demonstrate community-driven change.
• Ensure story-telling approaches are ethical, participatory, and community and locally-led.
• Work closely with GFCF and Giving for Change communications teams to distribute and promote content.
• Monitor and evaluate the reach and impact of the documentary and other communication products.

Criteria

We are looking for an individual who:

• Has experience in media production, video story-telling, communications, advocacy/campaigns, or journalism.
• Demonstrates a strong understanding of existing power dynamics in international development aid and a curiosity to understand more about community philanthropy as an emerging development practice.
• Has the ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders, including grassroots organizations, funders and media professionals.
• Is self-motivated, creative and a strategic thinker.
• Is comfortable working remotely with international teams.

Budget and timeline

• The total budget is US $35,000 for up to 60 days over a period of six months, starting in April 2025 (there is some flexibility in terms of start date and duration).
• A separate funding stream is available to cover the costs of film production, training, etc.

Why join us?

This is an opportunity to be part of a growing global movement that is redefining development. If you are passionate about shifting power, amplifying local voices, and using the power of media for social change, we’d love to hear from you.

How to apply

Please send your CV, a brief cover letter, and links to relevant media projects or portfolios to Ese Emerhi at the GFCF (ese@globalfundcf.org) by 5pm GMT on Friday 4 April 2025. Proposals from individual consultants and / or small teams are welcome.