“The end goal of what CAF does is what drives me.”
How did your career lead you to CAF?
After a career in retail and then as a graphic designer, I became interested in KYC (Know Your Customer). In my book, no knowledge is wasted. When looking for a KYC-related job, CAF stood out for me based on its values and its impact within the charitable sector: making sure charities, businesses and individual donors reach those in need. As someone who strives to always help, listen and solve problems for clients or anyone in need, I immediately knew Charities Aid Foundation would be a good fit and somewhere I would be able to make a difference.
How has your career developed since joining CAF?
I started at CAF three years ago as a Charity Verification Officer. Our team verifies every organisation being donated to, making sure donations are used for charitable purposes. We’re the end point of CAF’s KYC process.
I've not looked back since I started, I've really enjoyed it. I learned a lot in my initial role as Charity Verification Officer and achieved an ICA qualification certificate in Anti-Money Laundering. As part of my development, I applied for a 20-week development plan to become a Senior Charity Verification Officer, which I’ve just completed. I got one-to-one training and review sessions discussing requirements, and there were policies in place to make informed decisions while approving grant applications, which allowed learning on the job. There’s a lot to learn and I am still learning and developing. The programme was really satisfactory and helpful towards my career development.
CAF also has ‘day in the life’ sessions in place that allow us to spend a day with other departments to gain an insight into what they do and how each department is connected. Attending several sessions has helped me understand how we all interlink to achieve the same goal.
How does CAF differ from your previous workplaces?
Having that sense of purpose is important to me. Growing up in Nigeria, I've seen kids and families in desperate need. Being part of an organisation that allows me to give back through my work in making sure donations get to the right people to support those in need around the world is satisfying and heart-warming.
It’s a really good organisation to work for in terms of what we do and what we're trying to achieve. We’re a bunch of passionate people who will go above and beyond to support and satisfy our customers. So the customer service compared to previous workplaces is superior.
The end goal of what CAF does is what drives me. When I start every day, I can see that the donations I’m processing encapsulate CAF’s overall purpose. I feel like I’m playing an important part, that I have a purpose, and I make sure I do it the best I can and get it right first time. The personal satisfaction I get from my job excites me, contributing to something positive. I’m excited about the future too, as we’re currently going through innovative change programmes where we’re all able to voice our opinions and ideas on delivering this change.
What do you like about the workplace and the people you work with?
It’s the variety of work and the supportive and approachable people I like the most. There’s a versatility of being able to do a variety of tasks and use real teamwork to get results. I also enjoy being able to work remotely and have flexible working hours.
CAF as a whole is an appreciative, collaborative, transparent and forward-thinking organisation that recognises its employees as their greatest asset. There’s trust there too, which is important.