Fundraising & Partnerships Manager

1. Background

Forus is an global network empowering civil society for effective social change. It brings together 69 National NGO Platforms and 7 Regional Coalitions from Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Pacific.

Forus currently operates on a budget of approximately EUR 1.2 million annually. Two institutional donors, the European Union and the French Development Agency, have to date provided the bulk of this funding. Smaller partnerships, for example with the Fondation de France, provide additional funding. In addition, dues paid by members (amounting to less than 5% of the total budget) allow Forus to have a small source of flexible funds.

Forus’ 2019 study on Funding Civil Society Networks and Organisations “Promising Approaches to financing development in the 21rst century” shows that Forus and its members struggle to find long-term and flexible funding to resource their work, and that the funding of international networks is rarely a priority for donors.

Forus seeks an experienced and dynamic Fundraising and Partnerships Manager to secure funding to implement Forus’ strategy for 2021-2025 and to diversify its donor portfolio. The Fundraising and Partnerships Manager will report to the Forus Director and support the Forus Secretariat and network in its relationship with donors and its fundraising and reporting responsibilities. As a member-led network, Forus is also committed to work closely with members in the resource mobilization effort.

2. Responsibilities

Main responsibilities and tasks

● Lead on the fundraising activities of Forus, including proposal development, when possible with members and other allies.

● Develop new partnerships with institutional, philanthropic and possibly private sector partners

● Coordinate the relationship with and reporting to donors and partners

● Provide support to the Director, Executive Committee (ExCom) and the Forus Council in the development and implementation of the fundraising and partnerships strategy of Forus.

● Support quality engagement between the Forus Secretariat and the Forus members

● Support organizational effectiveness and accountability processes

Fundraising

● Ensure that the Secretariat is adequately resourced to fulfill Forus’ strategy and that it develops a balanced, sustainable and diverse range of income sources

● Lead on fundraising activities, in close collaboration with the Director, the Administrative & Financial Manager, the ExCom and the Council’s fundraising committee.

● Identify new donors, opportunities and prospects and coordinate outreach and relationship management

● Coordinate and lead the drafting/production of proposal and of narrative progress reports to donors, including in collaboration with members.

● Develop, maintain and expand a database of existing and prospect donors

● Develop fundraising materials specifically developed for external stakeholders and funders

● Share relevant opportunities with Forus members and provide guidance to members when relevant

● Develop Forus’ systems and evidence base to showcase its impact and added value to donors.

● Advise Forus on ethical criteria to be followed and applied in the development of new relations and partnerships, including a system for assessing potential donors

● Develop Forus’ fundraising strategy and an approach in relation to corporate donors, that reflects Forus’ values and 2021-2025 Strategy goals

● Complete a mapping of corporate giving & identify the top targets which are highly relevant to Forus’ activities, values and strategy; coordinate outreach and develop relationships in close coordination with Forus Director and governance.

Partnerships management & External Representation

● Work with the Forus team to translate key communication messages into fundraising messages adapted to each type of donor / partner.

● Develop, maintain, and manage relations with institutional partners, keeping them abreast of Forus activities, achievements and strategic objectives

● Ensure that there is regular communications and meetings between Forus and its partners. Organize and prepare meetings, as well as resources tailored to the partnership.

● Support the Executive Director with maintaining strong relations with key stakeholders

● When mandated by the ExCom or the Director, represent Forus with external stakeholders.

Governance & Internal processes

● Prepare regular reports to and coordinate with the Forus Council and ExCom in regard to Fundraising and partnerships.

● Support the facilitation and preparation of Forus’ Fundraising Committee meetings

● Support cross-team learning about donors’ culture, expectations and communication styles

● Support the Accountability & Transparency processes within the Secretariat and across the network

3. Required qualifications and skills

Education/Training & Minimum Professional Experience required:

● Relevant academic degree or evidence of continued professional development relevant to the

● At least 5 years of working experience in an international setting, including specific experience in a fundraising role and in a coordination function.

Skills and knowledge:

● Commitment to Forus’ mission, vision and values with good understanding of global development issues, and understanding of the socio-cultural, historical, political and economic global context.

● Demonstrated experience and skills of working with diverse stakeholders, and facilitating platforms of cooperation, networking, building partnerships and alliances.

● Proven fundraising record with institutional and private funders for national and international projects, securing major funding in excess of EUR 1 million. Experience with corporate fundraising and HNWI an asset.

● A proven track record in developing successful fundraising strategies with a focus on diversifying income streams and donor portfolios.

● Experience in integrating fundraising strategies with communications strategies

● Strong ability in professional and formal communication with high-level stakeholders at national and international level.

● Keen understanding of financial management, budget planning and monitoring.

● Experience planning and organizing events

● Strong proficiency in English and French in speaking and writing. Knowledge of Spanish a strong asset, and of Portuguese an additional asset.

Personal qualities/interpersonal skills:

● Ability to work effectively and cooperatively with others and towards shared objectives in a decentralized team.

● Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously, and follow through on issues in a timely manner.

● Ability to proactively seek and provide feedback, strong emotional intelligence.

● Ability to organize own work, including in remote work settings, and to manage own time and interact with a decentralized team.

● Ability to clearly convey information and ideas through a variety of media to members and partners in manner that engage them and allows them to better participate in Forus’ work.

● Ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with diverse stakeholders.

● Ability to generate innovative solutions, being creative and taking risks.

● Ability to work under pressure and towards tight deadlines maintaining effective performance in high pressure environments.

● Very good attention to detail, strong organizational, interpersonal and problem-solving skills.

4. Conditions

Starting date: as soon as possible

Contract type: Full-time or part-time / either 1-year short-term contract (France-based) or consultant contract.

Location: flexible or located in Forus’ offices in Paris. International travelling is to be foreseen from time to time.

Salary/compensation: dependent on experience.