Fund Raising and Development Consultant

Position: Fundraising & Development Consultant

Reports to: Founder & CEO
Grade Level: Senior Consultant
Employment Type: Part-Time (Consultancy)
Work Arrangement: Remote, Flexible
Location: Remote (Preferably United States; experience working in Africa required)

Fund Raising & Development Consultant

Job Summary

Optimal Greening Foundation (OGF) seeks a highly experienced Fundraising & Development Consultant to support the organization on a part-time, remote, and flexible basis in mobilizing resources for its programs in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH), climate resilience, and environmental sustainability.

The Consultant will play a critical role in strengthening OGF's access to U.S.-based and international funding opportunities, supporting the development of high-quality proposals, donor engagement strategies, and partnerships. The role requires a strong understanding of climate and WaSH financing landscapes, as well as experience securing funding for programs in Africa.

The Consultant will work closely with the Founder & CEO and program teams to position OGF as a competitive and impactful organization within the global development and climate funding ecosystem.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy & Resource Mobilization

• Develop and implement a targeted fundraising strategy focused on WaSH, climate resilience, and environmental sustainability programs.
• Identify and prioritize funding opportunities from U.S.-based donors, climate funds, foundations, and development agencies.
• Provide strategic guidance on accessing climate finance mechanisms (e.g., Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, climate-focused foundations).
• Advise on innovative funding approaches, including blended finance, carbon-linked initiatives, and sustainability-driven partnerships.

Donor Engagement & Partnership Development

• Build and maintain relationships with key donors, including U.S. foundations, climate funders, bilateral agencies, and multilateral institutions.
• Support virtual donor engagement, including presentations, concept discussions, and follow-ups.
• Position OGF's WaSH and environmental programs effectively to align with donor priorities.
• Facilitate partnerships with organizations working in climate adaptation, water security, and environmental sustainability.

Proposal Development & Grant Acquisition

• Lead the development of high-quality, competitive proposals and concept notes for WaSH and climate-related funding opportunities.
• Ensure proposals clearly articulate climate impact, environmental sustainability, and community resilience outcomes.
• Coordinate inputs from program, finance, and technical teams to produce strong submissions.
• Review and strengthen proposals to align with donor priorities and compliance requirements.

Funding Pipeline Development

• Develop and maintain a pipeline of funding opportunities focused on WaSH, climate adaptation, and environmental sustainability.
• Track funding calls, deadlines, and proposal progress.
• Provide periodic updates and recommendations to leadership on pipeline strategy and priorities.

Program Alignment & Impact Positioning

• Work closely with program teams to align funding proposals with OGF's programmatic priorities.
• Translate technical program outcomes into compelling, donor-friendly narratives.
• Integrate monitoring and evaluation (M&E) insights into proposals and donor communications.
• Ensure strong alignment between impact metrics and donor expectations.

Capacity Building & Systems Strengthening

• Provide mentorship and guidance to staff on proposal writing and fundraising strategies.
• Develop tools, templates, and systems to strengthen OGF's fundraising processes.
• Support capacity building in climate and WaSH funding positioning.

Reporting & Coordination

• Provide regular updates to the Founder & CEO on fundraising activities and progress.
• Support donor reporting processes where required.
• Collaborate remotely with teams across different time zones.

Competencies and Skills Requirements

Technical Competencies

• WaSH and Climate Funding Expertise: Strong understanding of funding landscapes in water, sanitation, climate resilience, and environmental sustainability.
• Donor Knowledge: Experience with U.S. donors, climate funds (e.g., GCF, Adaptation Fund), and development agencies.
• Proposal Development: Proven ability to develop successful grant proposals for environmental and development programs.
• Donor Mapping & Pipeline Development: Ability to identify and prioritize high-impact funding opportunities.

Project Management Skills

• Ability to manage multiple proposals and deadlines effectively in a flexible work structure.
• Experience supporting program design and aligning fundraising with project implementation.

Analytical Skills

• Ability to assess funding opportunities and align them with OGF's strategic priorities.
• Strong problem-solving skills and strategic thinking.

Communication and Collaboration

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, particularly in proposal writing.
• Ability to communicate technical concepts (WaSH, climate) to donor audiences.
• Strong virtual collaboration and stakeholder engagement skills.

Leadership and Teamwork

• Ability to provide strategic guidance to leadership.
• Experience mentoring teams and strengthening organizational capacity.
• Strong collaboration skills across program and technical teams.

Ethical and Cultural Sensitivity

• Commitment to ethical fundraising practices.
• Strong understanding of African development contexts.
• Ability to work effectively across diverse cultural and stakeholder environments

Key Performance Indicators (KPI)

Fundraising Performance

• Number and value of WaSH and climate-related funding opportunities secured or advanced.
• Number of proposals submitted to targeted donors.

Pipeline Development

• Strength and relevance of funding pipeline in climate and WaSH sectors.
• Timeliness in identifying and responding to funding opportunities.

Proposal Quality

• Competitiveness and alignment of proposals with donor priorities.
• Proposal success rate (where measurable).

Donor Engagement

• Number of donor relationships established or strengthened.
• Engagement with climate and environmental funding partners.

Capacity Building

• Improvement in internal fundraising systems and processes.
• Staff capacity development in fundraising and proposal writing.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in international development, Environmental Management, Public Policy, or related field.
• Minimum of 8–12 years of experience in fundraising, resource mobilization, or business development.
• Proven track record of securing funding for WaSH, climate, or environmental sustainability programs.
• Experience working with or supporting non-profits in Africa, preferably in Nigeria or similar contexts.
• Strong proposal writing and donor engagement experience.
• Experience working in a remote, part-time consultancy role.

Additional Requirements

• Based in the United States (preferred) with strong connections to U.S. donor networks.
• Availability for part-time engagement (e.g., 10–20 hours per week or as agreed).
• Ability to work across U.S.–Africa time zones.
• Strong remote working capability and communication tools proficiency.
• Occasional travel may be required.