About the organisation
At Makani, we work with refugee women through the arts to overcome trauma, fight for their rights, and to transform their lives and the world around them. Our vision is a world of freedom, dignity and equality for all displaced women and girls.
We work with refugee and asylum-seeking women in Lebanon and in the UK. In both countries we run therapeutic arts projects including theatre and craft therapy, filmmaking and feminist embroidery. In addition, in Lebanon we also help women through economic empowerment and income generation, access to training and education, and we are responding to the humanitarian crisis with emergency support for displaced families.
Makani was founded in 2022, building upon years of work supporting Syrian and Palestinian refugee women in Lebanon by our co-founders, one of whom is a displaced woman herself. We were officially registered as a charity in June 2024.
We are a small but ambitious organisation that is already transforming the lives of over 100 refugee women and their families in Lebanon, and dozens in the UK. We have rapidly grown over the past two years, with the accompanying rapid increase in income. We are driven by our passion for a better world for marginalised refugee women.
Makani means 'my place' in Arabic. In the words of our Executive Director: "The word Makani has so many meanings for me. As refugees, we all left our places we loved and called home, and we’re all trying to find new ways to belong. At the same time, I grew up in a society where women aren’t equal and don’t have opportunities. This is my way to help give women a space to thrive.”
About the role
We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Treasurer to join our Board of Trustees. The Treasurer will play a crucial role in ensuring the financial management, health, and sustainability of the organisation, contributing to the strategic direction and decision-making process.
ROLE OUTLINE
Financial Oversight:
Provide financial leadership and guidance to the Board.
Oversee the development and implementation of financial policies and procedures.
Ensure accurate and timely financial reporting.
Budgeting and Forecasting:
Collaborate with the Senior Leadership Team to develop and monitor the annual budget.
Provide financial projections and recommendations for strategic planning.
Financial Compliance:
Ensure compliance with relevant financial regulations and reporting requirements.
Oversee the preparation of financial statements and reports for annual accounting, and any potential future audit.
Risk Management:
Identify and assess financial risks and propose strategies to mitigate them.
Work with the Board to develop and implement risk management policies.
Fundraising Support:
Collaborate with the Chair of Trustees and Senior Leadership Team to develop and implement fundraising strategies.
Provide financial insights to support grant applications and donor relations.
Financial Training:
Educate and guide board members on financial matters, ensuring a collective understanding of financial responsibilities.
DETAILS
Location: Home-based, with occasional meetings in London.
Remuneration: This is a voluntary position, expenses covered.
Hours: Variable but generally up to two days a month.
Board meetings: Quarterly and occasional ad-hoc meetings as necessary (varies between a two-hour meeting on zoom, and once a year a full-day meeting in person in London)
Additional time commitment for strategic planning and financial support to the Senior Leadership team
Our ideal candidate
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
- Professional qualification in finance, accounting, or a related field.
- Proven experience in financial management, preferably in the non-profit sector.
- Familiarity with charity governance and compliance requirements.
- Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Passion for the organisation's vision, mission and values.
- An understanding of the challenges faced by small start-up organisations, and a supportive and solutions-focused approach to meeting these.
Desirable but not essential:
- An understanding of the issues faced by refugee women in the UK and/or Lebanon.
What’s in it for you
This is a chance to make a real difference in the lives of refugee and asylum-seeking women, both in the UK and in Lebanon. Because Makani is a small and young organisation, the distance between trustees and the people that the charity serves is small - your involvement makes a direct and discernable difference. Not only that, but as Makani is so recently registered and this will be the first time we have had a Treasurer, you will get the chance to really shape our work through giving guidance and direction on how we set up our systems and structures, particularly our financial ones. We have increased our annual income from grants and donations from about £15k per annum to £250k per annum over the past two years - this is obviously a time of huge opportunity for us as an organisation and you as a Treasurer, helping us to be as effective as possible with the funds we already have, and also supporting our strategic fundraising so that we can have an even bigger impact in future.
Join our work and be part of an exciting and ambitious young charity where your work really makes a difference.
Apply for the role
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