Programme manager jobs for the International Development sector
Salary: From £35,574 to £39,527 per annum
Location: Belfast
Closing Date: 17 August 2025
Concern Worldwide (UK) is looking for a Senior Prospect Researcher on a 3-year fixed term contract.
About us:
Concern Worldwide is a non-governmental, international humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working toward the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world's poorest countries. Our mission is to transform the lives of people living in extreme poverty. We work with 27 million people each year, in some of the hardest-to-reach and most fragile places. Places prone to conflict, natural disasters, climate change, and extreme hunger.
About the role:
To contribute to the success of the Philanthropy and Partnerships Team success, and the delivery of income targets through effective and timely prospect research and pipeline management.
Main duties & Responsibilities:
• Develop and implement a robust prospect research strategy supporting high-value fundraising across philanthropists, trusts & foundations, and corporates in the UK.
• Work collaboratively with our team in Ireland, to realise the pipeline opportunities for the portfolios across territories and allocate a percentage of time to supporting prospecting for our Ireland-based fundraising colleagues.
• Lead on prospect identification and qualification, building a diverse, strategic pipeline of potential supporters.
• Produce tailored research and high-quality briefing materials for fundraisers, senior leadership, and trustees.
• Manage team-wide prospect pipelines, portfolio allocation, and reporting. Fundraisers will be responsible for engagement of prospects.
• Conduct due diligence research in line with Concern's Gift Acceptance Policy and ethical fundraising standards.
• Support the ongoing development of prospect research systems and processes using our CRM and research tools.
• Ensure the prospect pipeline and new contacts and correspondence is captured on our CRM system, ensuring legal and regulatory compliance (for example in respect to data protection legislation)
• Keep up to date on sector trends and identify ways to improve research, due diligence and market insight. Proactively bring these insights to research meetings and share with colleagues
About You:
• Demonstrable experience in prospect research within a high-value fundraising environment.
• Demonstrable experience of identifying, collecting and analysing prospect research data, utilising a wide variety of resources, including free and subscription research tools, internal systems and informal networks (such as forums) to produce high quality prospects leads and new business opportunities
• Contributing to the deliver of the Philanthropy and Partnerships team income targets
• Skilled in analysing and interpreting complex information from a variety of sources.
• Experience of using a CRM database to store prospect data, information and communications
• A thorough understanding of data protection legislation and how this relates to prospect research and fundraising
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion:
Concern Worldwide encourages all qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, ethnicity and origin, disability, political beliefs, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status to apply to become a part of the organization. Concern is against all forms of discrimination and unequal power relations, and is committed to promoting equality.
Benefits
• 25 days' annual leave, pro-rated for part-time employees.
• Office closure between Christmas Day and New Year's Day
• Flexible hours and hybrid working
• Annual leave purchase scheme
• Enhanced parental leave pay
• Stakeholder pension
• Season ticket loan
• Cycle scheme
• Life assurance
• Access to Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
How to apply:
Please upload your CV and cover letter by 17th August 2025.
All candidates who are short-listed for an interview will be notified via email.
Candidates must be legally entitled to work in the UK at the time of application.
Conditions of Appointment:
The successful post holder will be required to complete a criminal records self-declaration form.
Having a criminal record will not necessarily debar you from working with Concern Worldwide. This will depend on the nature of the position, together with the circumstances and background of your offences.
You may have experience in the following: Development Researcher, Fundraising Researcher, Donor Research Analyst, Major Gifts Researcher, Philanthropy Research Officer, Trust and Foundation Researcher, Corporate Partnership Researcher, Development Research Coordinator, Prospect Development Officer, Major Donor Research Specialist, etc.
REF-223 050
Remote position with some preference for Freetown Sierra Leone, Cape Town South Africa or Nairobi Kenya
SCOPE OF WORK
1. Grantmaking Due Diligence & Onboarding
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Coordinate the collection, review, and secure storage of due diligence documentation from prospective grantees.
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Assist with risk screening checks and internal reviews in alignment with Purposeful’s grantmaking policies.
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Prepare grantee onboarding documentation, including grant agreements and orientation materials.
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Track submission of required onboarding documents (e.g., bank forms, MoUs, safeguarding policies).
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Monitor and keep track of the grants due for payment.
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Respond to grantee and applicant inquiries and proactively update them on the status of their grant awards.
2. Grant Compliance & Documentation
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Monitor compliance status of all active grants, flagging outstanding requirements and follow-up needs.
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Ensure that compliance-related deadlines (e.g. reporting dates, grant conditions) are met and documented.
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Maintain clean, well-organised, and accessible digital grant files, using existing tools or systems (e.g., Google Drive, Netsuite, Salesforce, etc.) to ease retrieval and generation of reports.
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Support internal checks to ensure that funds are disbursed in line with compliance protocols and funding agreements.
3. Finance Coordination
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Liaise with the finance team to prepare and verify payment documents, banking instructions, and payment schedules.
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Support alignment between grant budgets and payment disbursements.
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Track the movement of funds across grants, ensuring appropriate documentation is in place for each transaction.
4. Donor & Internal Reporting
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Assist in preparing compliance-related sections of donor reports and internal grantmaking summaries.
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Track reporting obligations by donor or partner, and ensure all documentation is collected and filed on time, including any relevant country-specific compliance requirements.
5. Audit & Policy Support
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Prepare documentation for internal and external audits, including sampling, document summaries, and data extractions.
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Assist in developing and maintaining internal tools (templates, checklists, trackers) related to grant compliance.
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Contribute to ongoing improvements in Purposeful’s compliance systems, bringing in lessons learned and audit feedback, and emerging regulatory or legal considerations relevant to our work.
"Remaking the world with and for girls"
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Department: Big Issue Frontline
Contract type: Permanent
Hours: 35
Salary: £36,000 per annum
Key support for our London and South East sales and outreach team.
As part of our constant push to deliver the best possible support to our vendors the Big Issue is looking to appoint to a Sales and Support Coordinator to the London and South East team. The essence of this role is to allow the support team to work more effectively and more efficiently across the region so they can provide better support to our vendors.
You will work to understand and improve best practices, develop processes, guidance frameworks and support programmes. You will also provide administrative support with the sales and support process and give excellent customer service to members of the public, vendors and third party agencies.
A key offering direct to vendors will be to help them in maximising sales by planning, identifying and delivering new opportunities to sell the magazine.
Therefore to offer our vendors and our support team the best possible support you will have experience and knowledge of working with vulnerable adults in a frontline setting, strong team-working skills, experience of working in either the social enterprise sector or comparable with a focus on monitoring, evaluation and learning and experience of working with and managing a data CRM (preferably Salesforce) based platform.
Full details of the role including key responsibilities and required skills and experience are available in the Job Description.
In April 2023, the Big Issue Group launched a community interest company, Big Issue Changing Lives, to support more people affected by poverty and increase the impact of our services. Big Issue Changing Lives C.I.C. provides vendors with the end-to-end support they need including sales set up and support, access to health and wellbeing services, and employment opportunities.
Salary and Benefits offered:
- Salary of £36,000 per annum
- Incremental holiday entitlement starting at 25 days per year plus bank holidays (pro-rata for part time staff) plus paid leave to care for a sick child or grandchild and a sick or elderly relation
- Company Sick Pay
- Enhanced contribution to our workplace pension
- Enhanced maternity pay
- Training and development opportunities including an open learning library and management training schemes
- Health benefits include life cover, a health cash plan scheme which provides access to counselling and a range of therapies
- Blue Light Card benefits scheme
Please note that we reserve the right to review and amend our staff benefits and they do not form part of any contract of employment
Workplace details:
The role is centrally based at our head Office at Finsbury Park, London. There may be the need to visit other areas of the region if required and to support logistical distribution of the magazine, therefore the ability and willingness to drive a company vehicle is desirable.
Closing date - 04th August 2025 (23:59pm). We may interview before the role closes so please apply asap.
Since 1991, The Big Issue has fought poverty by creating opportunities and supporting people to take control of their lives. Over time our organisation has grown and now The Big Issue Group consists of The Big Issue Company Ltd and Big Issue Invest Ltd (our social investment arm) and Big Issue Changing Lives Community Interest Company.
REF-222907
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
BACKGROUND
Over the past 90 years, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has developed unparalleled expertise in responding to emergencies and helping uprooted communities to rebuild. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. The IRC is on the ground in more than 40 countries, providing emergency relief, relocating refugees and rebuilding lives in the wake of disaster.
The IRC is committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work, creative partnerships and, most crucially, accountability to those we serve. The IRC is a tireless advocate for the most vulnerable.
IRC UK
IRC UK is part of the IRC global network, which has its global headquarters in New York. Our team in the UK works to raise profile, deliver policy and practice change, and increase funding to help restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Since 2021, IRC UK has also provided integration services directly to refugees in England.
In Europe, the IRC also has offices in Berlin, Bonn, Brussels, Geneva and Stockholm.
EXTERNAL RELATIONS
The External Relations (ER) unit comprises four complementary functions: Private Fundraising, Marketing & Mobilization, Policy & Advocacy and Operations & Analytics. To enable IRC to deliver our Strategy100 commitments, the ER unit established a bold new approach that enhances our ability to raise diverse and flexible funding aligned with IRC’s top priorities, while raising our profile and influence. The ER unit is international, with colleagues in more than 10 offices globally.
The Purpose of the Role
As Director of Communications, UK, you lead IRC UK’s core communications strategy with the objectives of growing our profile, influencing policy, driving income, and building our reputation. This is done by taking a strategic approach to generating effective messaging for cross-team use, creatively collaborating to produce cut-through external products across media and digital channels, and generating top tier media coverage in collaboration with communications, advocacy and fundraising colleagues globally. In this role you will be expected to use expert judgment to manage IRC UK’s reputation, as well as ensure media and digital outputs protect clients, staff and programming from harm.
The Director will report to the UK Executive Director and the Acting Senior Director of Global Public Affairs. The Director will collaborate closely with the Director for Digital Engagement, UK Advocacy Director, and the Director of UK Mass Markets to meet the organization’s strategic objectives surrounding profile, income and influence.
Scope and Authority
Authority:
●The role holder sets strategic direction for UK communications, with a focus on earned media, public advocacy and organic digital.
●The role oversees the UK comms operational budget, with access to the Global External Relations budget.
●The role has the authority to brief journalists with agreed messaging and act as spokesperson for the organisation.
●The Director will line manage the communications team and other positions when required.
●The role is a key member of the UK Senior Management Team, with collective responsibility for the leadership, culture and efficacy of IRC UK.
Key Working Relationships
●Reports to the UK Executive Director and Acting Senior Director Global Public Affairs & Communications.
●Close collaboration with External Relations staff in the UK, US and globally, including Policy and Advocacy, Mass Markets, Fundraising, Awards Management, Digital Engagement, Entertainment Relations, Creative Studio, and Experiential Marketing.
●Works closely with key country directors, country programme staff and technical unit colleagues.
●Supports policy staff in the IRC President’s Office on key UK messages and policy initiatives involving the IRC President.
●Works closely with counterparts in NGOs and donors particularly FCDO and the DEC.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES
Strategic Direction
●Raise IRC UK's profile, income, influence and brand in the UK market by developing and delivering a 360 comprehensive communications & marketing strategy that reaches target audiences, attracts new supporters, and connects supporters with IRC clients.
●Partner with global external relations leadership to set Key Performance Indicators for achieving the strategy, and drive and monitor progress towards them with the support of your team.
●Contribute to the development and delivery of the UK Strategic Plan.
Team Management & Stakeholder engagement
●Manage a team of communications professionals, setting objectives, portfolio scope, and partnering on professional development opportunities
●Drive creative insights and strategic thinking within the UK comms team and influence / maximize policy, advocacy and fundraising outputs and results
●Lead strategic communications planning to maximize opportunities of partnering with income and influence objectives and outputs
●Ensure the UK Communications Team are clear on systems, processes and organization to drive efficiency and team productivity
●Review team performance quarterly and present on results to global stakeholders
●As a member of the UK Senior Management Team (UK SMT) support the UK Executive Director in the creation and delivery of IRC UK strategies and priorities, foster cohesion and collaboration among UK based departments, representing the needs and objectives of the team in the UK SMT and UK office.
Execution: Driving IRC profile, influence and income; and protecting the reputation of the IRC
●Work alongside global communications colleagues, Policy & Advocacy colleagues, Digital Engagement and UK Fundraisers to develop appropriate messaging on key proactive and reactive issue areas across the scope of IRC’s work.
●Plan and identify key moments of opportunity for IRC UK Communications according to internal and external landscape and timetables.
●Ensure pro/reactive message accuracy and cut through calls to action that engage audiences for proactive campaigns and news cycle opportunities.
●Develop, commission and drive creative cut-through tactics and products, from revealing IRC research and analysis to emergency media briefings.
●Secure top tier media coverage of IRC’s work, solutions and innovation, balancing mentions with long-form/features and profiles.
●Influence and shape key media and digital narratives around IRC UK priority issues.
●Oversee strategic media opportunities by commissioning, writing, editing and disseminating messaging for multi-channel use includingpress-releases, op-eds, statements, web and social content to secure coverage of the IRC in the UK across print, broadcast and online media.
●Work with global communications colleagues and country office staff to create strong, persuasive and impactful outputs, and to arrange interviews and media visits to frontline work.
●Act as a spokesperson for the organization in the media as needed.
●Liaise closely with Fundraising teams to collaborate on timely messaging, client-centered storytelling, digital outputs, and media coverage to bring in donations to the IRC during emergencies and other fundraising appeals.
●Manage the communications component of IRC UK’s relationship with the DEC and lead communications on DEC appeals.
●Use expert judgment to ensure the IRC’s brand is protected and to develop and enact strategies to enhance IRC’s reputation, as well as ensure media outputs protect clients, staff and programming from harm.
●Ensure coordinated and topical messaging across media outreach and digital channels.
●Establish close relationships with press counterparts within statutory donor organizations that lead to opportunities to promote IRC in the media.
●Leverage IRC’s President and CEO, and UK Executive Director to grow our profile in the UK, through proposing and implementing op-eds, interviews and other media activities.
●Support, prepare and coach staff, spokespeople and board members for media interviews and visits; and provide guidance across the organisation to dealing with media.
●Build expertise on current and potential issues in the humanitarian NGO arena via research and monitoring of national media and competitors and in liaison with global colleagues.
●Work with the global media colleagues to ensure that IRC has a system for managing media enquiries at all times, as needed.
●Responsible for reporting to the IRCUK board, subcommittees and Executive Director on press activity, trends and upcoming opportunities.
●Responsibility for the budget oversight, tracking & administration as well as ensuring adherence to financial processes
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Experience
●**Track record in creating, driving and evaluating a 360-degree communications and marketing strategy that focuses on media, digital and enabling income.**
●**Experience leading and managing media and digital teams.**
●Experience navigating and influencing within large matrixed organizations.
●Extensive experience of developing key messages and implementing media strategies with an international, and ideally humanitarian or development focus.
●**Experience of conducting media relations and communications opportunities in developing countries and sensitive contexts.
●Experience of organising international media visits to projects in order to facilitate reporting on key issues.**
●**Experience responding to reputational threats.**
●**Experience leading a digital communications team that delivers breakthrough digital content
●Experience/knowledge of tools for monitoring media coverage and digital results.**
●Experience of dealing with media enquiries into crisis and sensitive issues.
●Experience of acting as a spokesperson for an organisation.
●Experience managing a budget, ensuring timely payment and adherence to finance protocol
Skills and Knowledge
●Creative thinker who can identify opportunities and collaborate internally to produce external products that cut through media and digital and meet strategic IRC UK objectives.
●Strong communication and interpersonal skills: ability to communicate effectively with colleagues both in the UK and overseas and manage working relationships diplomatically.
●Excellent eye to detail and commitment to high speed and high quality writing and editing
●Strong understanding of marketing and how communications intersect with income generation, and influencing
●Strong organisational and time management skills: ability to prioritise team’s work, and multi-task in a fast-paced work setting.
●Good knowledge of UK and international media landscape and news cycle
●Good instinct for digital marketing and digital environment
●Good contacts with key UK journalists and media outlets, and knowledge and ability to develop relationships quickly.
●Excellent writing, editing and proofreading skills; adept at writing clean, engaging, jargon-free copy for a range of channels.
●Ability to represent IRC-UK and the wider IRC professionally and appropriately at all times.
●Knowledge/interest in international affairs, particularly of conflict and humanitarian crises and issues.
●Knowledge of key political debates in the UK around international development and aid.
●Flexibility as regards working hours, as the need arises.
●Willingness to travel occasionally to conflict areas.
●Fluency in English, spoken and written.
Who we are
ARTICLE 19 is an international “think–do” organisation that propels the freedom of expression movement locally and globally to ensure all people realise the power of their voices. Together with our partners, we:
• THINK: We develop cutting-edge research and legal and policy analysis to drive change worldwide.
• DO: We lead work on the frontlines of expression through our 9 regional hubs across the globe.
• PROPEL: We propel change by sparking innovation in the global freedom of expression movement.
We carry out our mission by working on many themes such as promoting media independence; increasing access to information; protecting journalists; expanding civic space; and placing human rights at the heart of developing digital spaces.
For over 35 years, ARTICLE 19 has worked for a world where all people everywhere can freely express themselves and actively engage in public life without fear of discrimination. We do this by combining research, campaigning, and cutting-edge legal analysis.
Explore our impact since 1987
Your contribution to the team
You will support all financial aspects of budgeting, reporting, compliance and financial management of grants managed by ARTICLE 19, including all finance-related work with grant-receiving partners. The role is a key part of improving our programme delivery by supporting grant budget holders.
What you can expect in a typical day
• To support production of financial reports in compliance with donor and internal ARTICLE 19 requirements for a portfolio of projects managed by ARTICLE 19.
• To generate and review transactional reports and follow through as necessary with corrections and adjustments.
• To receive, process and account for expenditure by grant partners, including reviewing supporting documentation.
• To produce reforecasts where required by the donor, with input from grant budget holders.
• To work in conjunction with the fundraising and relevant project team during proposal development. Provide support on budgeting, ensuring budget is in alignment with the proposal, is realistic and provides ARTICLE 19 with favourable terms. Provide guidance on finance donor compliance that will inform the proposal and budget development.
• Ensure that proposals comply with ARTICLE 19’s internal policies, in particular full cost recovery principles and policies.
• To support compliance of grants with ARTICLE 19 financial policies where appropriate, e.g. anti-bribery and corruption, both internally and compliance by our partners, raising any concerns with the Grant Finance Manager.
• To monitor grant cash flow and ensure payment requests are made and processed in the finance system in timely manner to the donor.
• To review grant cash requests from Regional Offices.
• To business partner International Office teams who are majority grant funded. This includes producing monthly management accounts; supporting budget holders to prepare annual budget and coordinate responses to the budget holder.
• To consider how improvements can be made to procedures for processing transactions, reporting and any other issues which would contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness of ARTICLE 19’s finance function.
• Support the finance team in any audit process, including internal, statutory and donor audits.
What you will bring to the role
Knowledge and Skills
• Qualified accountant with a CCAB recognised qualification (if UK based), or HBO or HBO + work and thinking level with a degree in Accounting (Registered Accountant, RA (Financial), Management, Business Administration, Controlling (if based in The Netherlands) or working towards qualification, or qualified through relevant work experience.
• Understanding of accounting for restricted income and expenditure in line with international nonprofit financial reporting standards and donor requirements.
• Understanding of double entry and how to make corrections and adjustments in accounting systems.
• Excellent Excel skills, including vlookups, sumifs and ability to self-learn in this area.
• Ability to work quickly, methodically with close attention to detail.
• Experience in partner due diligence and partner finance management, including reviewing financial capacity, assessing financial risk, and supporting partners to strengthen financial systems and compliance.
• Good inter-personal skills including experience of working cross-culturally, across different time zones and with people from different cultural and professional backgrounds.
• Ability to work to tight deadlines and in high pressure situations whilst maintaining a calm and positive attitude.
• Ability to negotiate but understanding where the ‘red lines’ are and to gain compliance with them through dialogue.
• Awareness of digital security issues and ability to communicate through secure means of communications.
• Fluency in written and spoken English, and Dutch (if based in The Netherlands).
Experience
• Experience in restricted grant reporting, ideally in an international development
context.
• Experience of business partnering in a complex environment.
• Experience in producing grant budgets in compliance with donor requirements, and that
recover overhead and central costs.
• Experience of working with overseas partners and offices, understanding different
cultural and regulatory environments.
• Understanding of compliance, external and internal audit process and internal controls.
Other
• Right to work in your preferred location required. ARTICLE 19 is not able to support a visa or relocation for this position.
• Knowledge and/or experience of working for a human rights organisation will be an advantage.
• Commitment to work with our vision, mission, core values and objectives.
• This role may be required to travel to regions where we operate
DESIRABLE
• Excellent written and spoken one other ARTICLE 19 language (Arabic, French, Spanish and Portuguese)
• Experience supporting teams working with vulnerable individuals and appreciation of specific security risks associated with financial information and transactions.
• Experience of reporting to institutional donors such as the EC and/ or US donors.
Our Reward Package
• Salaries are determined by our salary scale.
• We offer comprehensive benefits including a range of well-being plans; generous paid leave and public holidays; family friendly policies; an attractive leave policy; and wellness days.
Our commitment as an equal opportunities’ employer
Our mission is to welcome everyone and create inclusive teams. We celebrate individuality and encourage you to join us and be your authentic self at work with the freedom to have responsibility, autonomy, and creativity within your role.
Our Culture and our Values
We are a people centred and flexible employer, friendly and a passionate global organisation who live and breathe the same mission and values. We strive to be agile and work collaboratively and are committed to DEIB and staff wellbeing.
Like many organisations we inspire towards what we call core values. Here is a summary of what we expect from ourselves.
Integrity:
• We hold ourselves to the high standard we set for others.
• We are coherent on matters of law and policy wherever we work in the world.
• We value visibility, objectivity and the accuracy of our work.
Transparency:
• We know good information can enable powerful action.
• We are clear, open and honest in our dealings with each other and the outside world.
Collaboration:
• Our network of supporters and partners is the lifeblood of our organisation.
• We seek to build productive and inspiring relationships based on the trust our partners, supporters and donors place in us.
Diversity:
• We respect each other and we listen to each other.
• We actively defend those whose voices are marginalised.
Accountability:
• We say what we mean and we do what we say, speaking with once voice wherever possible.
• We work hard to make sure our learning and reporting is the best it can be.
Tenacity:
• We never give up
• We are tenacious and will find every possible avenue to seek changes in law and practice to secure the freedoms associated with our mission.
Innovation:
• We are proud of our expertise and are always ready to share what we know.
• We seek to explore the boundaries of our field for benefits of the freedom we protect