UK Racial Justice Grantmaking Consultant

Global Fund for Children (GFC) works to build a world where all children and youth are safe, strong, and valued. We partner with innovative, locally-led organisations and individuals, helping them deepen their impact and mobilize their capacity for social change. By pairing flexible funding with targeted capacity development support, we help our partners grow stronger and more responsive to challenges on the ground.

Since 1997, we have invested more than $44 million in over 700 organisations. Our work advances the rights of children and youth across these focus areas: education, gender justice, youth power, safety and wellbeing and climate resilience.

We value courage, excellence, learning, partnership, and inclusion, as well as kindness and passion. Our partners’ visions for change inspire all we do. Feedback and learning drive us to do better, and we strive to be youth-centred.

The Role
We are looking for a Racial Justice Grantmaking Consultant for approximately 1.5 days per week from June-November to provide thought partnership, programme management accountability and tactical support to the Global Fund for Children team implementing The Phoenix Way (TPW), a participatory grant-making initiative aimed at transforming Black and racially minoritized communities in the UK. The Phoenix Way is a national collaborative partnership created during the COVID-19 pandemic as a response to the structural inequalities which Black and racially minoritised communities and community-led organisations face in relation to influencing and accessing grant funding in the UK.

GFC acts as grant administrator for the participatory fund and decisions are made by Black and racially minoritized communities in England and Wales. GFC has administered this fund since 2020 and is in the process of transferring it to a permanent body in the UK in line with the founding vision.

The Consultant will serve as an accountability and thought partner to the Phoenix Way Grants Manager during the maternity leave of the Senior Director for Europe and Central Asia.

What will you be doing?

• Grantmaking Strategy & Implementation:
  • Provide strategic guidance and advice on implementation of the final Phoenix Way participatory grantmaking rounds. You might offer support, guidance and advice on topics such as participatory decision making, conflict resolution, stakeholder communications, learning and documentation, and dynamics related to the transfer of the fund to a permanent body.
• Programme Management Accountability:
  • Work closely with the Phoenix Way Grants Manager to ensure that GFC's delivery of The Phoenix Way is on time and delivered at a high standard.
• Stakeholder liaison:
  • Build relationships with key stakeholders in The Phoenix Way partnership and funder ecosystem to support the smooth running of GFC's grant administrator role.
• Build relationships with key internal stakeholders within GFC to flag concerns and issues internally.
• Anti-racist grantmaking learning and strategising:
  • Working with the Phoenix Way team, support GFC in embedding lessons learnt from Phoenix into our own regional grantmaking practice and strategies.
• Consult with other regional programmes as needed on developing anti-racist frameworks within their own work.

About you

The ideal Racial Justice Grantmaking Consultant will have the following skills and experience:

• Strong knowledge and experience with racial justice in the UK and the efforts of organisations working in this area.
• Experience in the social sector in the UK.
• Awareness of challenges of working in the racial justice space in the UK.
• Understanding of efforts to transform the relationships between funders and Black and racially minoritised organisations in the UK.
• Strong appreciate of the rationale for Black and racially minoritised community members to make decisions about funding processes, priorities and allocations.
• Excellent communication skills with record of successful team mentoring.
• Professional fluency in English
• Strong commitment to GFC's mission, values and vision.

Desirable experience and skills

• Direct experience with grantmaking.
• Experience with participatory grantmaking fund design and/or implementation.

What we offer you

Our team dreams big.

We work together to build a world where all children and youth are safe, strong and valued.

GFC fosters a caring work environment that promotes collaboration, respect, and professional development. We set standards of excellence and quality in our work, firmly believing that children and youth deserve the best we can offer.

We believe that every person has equal rights, and we affirm the diversity that enriches our globalized world. In line with these core values, it is our policy to actively seek diverse candidates from a variety of backgrounds who are committed to Global Fund for Children’s mission.

Our values shape our vision, guide our daily decision making, and signal to the world what to expect when you encounter Global Fund for Children. We hold ourselves to these values to best serve our local partners and the children and youth they support. We attract talented people from all over the world because we believe deeply in living our values.

Fee - Estimated level of effort for this engagement is up to 1.5 days/week for 26 weeks from June-November 2025 at the rate of £315 per day for a maximum contract total of £12,000-13,000.

Working Location –The role is open to applicants residing in the UK. Candidates whose primary work experience aligned with this scope of work is in the UK, but who reside elsewhere in a time zone close to the UK may be considered. This role is remote with the possibility of in-person meeting in London as needed.

How do I apply?
In line with our values of courage, passion and inclusion, to apply for this consultancy, please share your thoughts on the following questions in lieu of a cover letter along with your CV through the following link: https://global-fund-for-children.breezy.hr/p/be3aef2c422e

1) What are the strengths you would bring to this consultancy and how does it align with your commitment to achieving racial justice in the UK?

2) Please share one or two lessons learned from your experience implementing at least one of the following in the UK:

• Racial justice-oriented community work;
• Grantmaking with a racial justice focus;
• Participatory grantmaking to elevate lived experience of community members.

3) Please tell us about your experience managing or supporting teams remotely to deliver on fast-paced and ambitious programmes and some of the key strengths you would bring to this aspect of the role.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and role is open until filled.

We are excited to hear from you! If you have any questions about the role, please get in touch on careers(@)globalfundforchildren.org.