Resource Mobilisation and Donor Partnerships Specialist job at African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF)

Background

As a pan-African feminist fund, the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) resources, strengthens and upholds women’s rights and feminist organisations and movements across Africa, in order to make gender justice a reality for all on our continent and worldwide.

Over the past 25 years, AWDF has awarded approximately USD 100 million to women’s rights and feminist organisations throughout Africa (and in selected Middle Eastern countries through one of our initiatives). Through its grantmaking, programmatic and advocacy work, AWDF has supported work that led to changes in law and policy, social norms, narrative, and movement-building for gender justice.

Building on its strong track record, in 2023 AWDF launched Lemlem, a ten-year strategic framework (2023-2033), which guides its efforts to advance gender equality and gender justice for girls, women and gender-diverse people across Africa. At its core, the strategy’s focus is on resourcing, nurturing and strengthening those who are best placed to achieve transformative change: African women’s and feminist groups, organisations and movements.

Role Fit

Are you experienced in driving fundraising and resource mobilisation efforts, leading the development and stewardship of donor partnerships that sustain and grow the organisation's financial base?

Do you have experience in providing specialist expertise and end-to-end leadership of resource mobilisation processes, from donor prospecting and proposal development through to reporting and relationship management, to inform executive leadership?

Are you ready to join our Partnerships & Voice Team to lead donor engagement work, managing a portfolio of existing and new donor relationships and ensuring that fundraising processes are proactive, values-aligned and coordinated across the organisation?

Job Summary

A member of AWDF's Partnerships and Voice team, the Resource Mobilisation and Donor Engagement Specialist drives AWDF's fundraising and resource mobilisation efforts, leading the development and stewardship of donor partnerships that sustain and grow the organisation's financial base. The role provides specialist expertise and end-to-end leadership of resource mobilisation processes, from donor prospecting and proposal development through to reporting and relationship management, in support of the Director of Partnerships and Voice, and the Executive Leadership Team.

The role is the primary operational lead for AWDF's donor engagement work, managing a portfolio of existing and new donor relationships and ensuring that fundraising processes are proactive, values-aligned and coordinated across the organisation. Working under the leadership of theDirector ofPartnerships and Voice, the Resource Mobilisation and Donor Engagement Specialist anchors the day-to-day delivery of AWDF's resource mobilisation agenda.

The role manages the Partnerships Officer and works in close collaboration with colleagues across the Partnerships and Voice and Programmes teams team and the wider organisation to ensure coherence, quality and impact in all donor-facing work.

Specific Duties:

Resource Mobilisation and Fundraising

• Lead the development and implementation of AWDF's resource mobilisation plans and fundraising activities, in alignment with the partnerships and voice strategy and AWDF Priorities.
• Identify, research and pursue new funding opportunities from institutional donors, foundations, governments and other relevant funders, including through innovative and diversified funding approaches.
• Develop and maintain a fundraising pipeline, tracking opportunities, timelines and income projections, and providing regular updates to the Director of Partnerships and Voice and Senior Management Team.
• Ensure resource mobilisation processes are feminist, values-aligned and coherent with AWDF's approach to donor partnerships.

Donor Engagement and Stewardship

• Manage a portfolio of existing and prospective donor relationships, serving as the primary point of contact for selected donors and ensuring strong, sustained and strategically managed partnerships.
• Lead and coordinate donor engagement processes — including monitoring visits, reporting cycles, funding conversations and ad hoc requests with input from relevant colleagues across AWDF.
• Working with the Executive Leadership Team, support the cultivation and stewardship of strategic donor relationships, ensuring alignment between relationship management and fundraising goals.
• Maintain a robust information management system for donor contacts, agreements, reporting schedules and portfolio documentation.

Proposal and Report Development

• Lead and coordinate the development of high-quality funding proposals and donor reports, drawing on input from programme, finance and other relevant teams across AWDF.
• Ensure proposals and reports are compelling, accurate and reflective of AWDF's feminist values, programmatic impact and strategic direction.
• Maintain and improve organisational systems and processes for proposal development and donor reporting, ensuring timely delivery and clear accountability across contributing teams.

People Management and Internal Coordination

• Directly manage, supervise and support the Partnerships Officer, providing day-to-day guidance, coaching and performance oversight.
• Coordinate resource mobilisation and donor engagement activities across the Partnerships and Voice Division, working closely with the Senior Partnerships Officer and Communications Specialist to ensure integration and avoid duplication.
• Liaise with programme, finance and other teams to ensure donor commitments are tracked, implementation is aligned with funding agreements, and internal processes support effective donor stewardship

Other

• The role might from time to time be required to carry out any other duties that are within the scope of the role but are not outlined above.
• All staff members must demonstrate AWDF Core values in all professional relationships and any interactions that may reflect on AWDF: Accountability & Integrity; Solidarity & Collective Care; Courage & Joy; Intersectionality & Meaningful Inclusion; Learning & Adaptability; Creativity & Curiosity.
• AWDF has a Zero Tolerance Approach to all forms of corruption, an offence which will lead to immediate dismissal.

Essential Knowledge and Experience

• Strong resource mobilisation and fundraising expertise, demonstrated track record of raising funds for a non-profit or philanthropic organisation, including proposal development, donor reporting and pipeline management.
• Donor relationship management, experience cultivating and sustaining relationships with institutional donors and funders, with the ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder donor portfolios independently
• Strategic analysis and foresight, able to identify funding trends, opportunities and risks; thinks critically about AWDF's positioning in the philanthropic landscape and proactively shapes the fundraising approach accordingly.
• Excellent writing skills demonstrated ability to produce compelling, well-structured proposals, donor reports and related communication products in English.
• People management, experience managing and developing a direct report, with the ability to delegate effectively, provide coaching and hold others accountable for results.
• Demonstrated track record of successfully developing funding proposals and donor reports for institutional donors, and of managing donor relationships across the funding cycle
• Experience working with African women's rights issues and agendas, and understanding of the strategies and needs of African women's organisations and feminist movements.
• Experience managing a direct report or coordinating the work of others in a team setting.
• Demonstrated commitment to feminist principles and social justice values.
• Excellent written and oral proficiency in English is required. Proficiency in French and/or Portuguese is desirable.
• A belief in and commitment to feminist principles and values including around non-discrimination.
• Commitment to accountability and integrity.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 6–8 years' professional experience in resource mobilisation, fundraising, donor relations or a closely related field, preferably within a feminist, women's rights or civil society organisation. African work experience is essential.
• A graduate qualification in international relations, political science, gender studies, development studies, sociology, humanities or a related field.

Job Location

• Work remotely from any African country where you have the legal right to work from.

Organisational Competencies:

All staff members must demonstrate AWDF Core values in all their professional relationships and any interactions that may reflect on AWDF:

• Accountability & Integrity
• Solidarity & Collective care
• Intersectionality & Meaningful Inclusion
• Learning & Adaptability
• Courage & Joy
• Creativity & Curiosity.

AWDF has a Zero Tolerance Approach to all forms of corruption which is an offence for which immediate dismissal without benefits will result.

• Lead the development and implementation of AWDF's resource mobilisation plans and fundraising activities, in alignment with the partnerships and voice strategy and AWDF Priorities.
• Identify, research and pursue new funding opportunities from institutional donors, foundations, governments and other relevant funders, including through innovative and diversified funding approaches.
• Develop and maintain a fundraising pipeline, tracking opportunities, timelines and income projections, and providing regular updates to the Director of Partnerships and Voice and Senior Management Team.
• Ensure resource mobilisation processes are feminist, values-aligned and coherent with AWDF's approach to donor partnerships.
• Manage a portfolio of existing and prospective donor relationships, serving as the primary point of contact for selected donors and ensuring strong, sustained and strategically managed partnerships.
• Lead and coordinate donor engagement processes — including monitoring visits, reporting cycles, funding conversations and ad hoc requests with input from relevant colleagues across AWDF.
• Working with the Executive Leadership Team, support the cultivation and stewardship of strategic donor relationships, ensuring alignment between relationship management and fundraising goals.
• Maintain a robust information management system for donor contacts, agreements, reporting schedules and portfolio documentation.
• Lead and coordinate the development of high-quality funding proposals and donor reports, drawing on input from programme, finance and other relevant teams across AWDF.
• Ensure proposals and reports are compelling, accurate and reflective of AWDF's feminist values, programmatic impact and strategic direction.
• Maintain and improve organisational systems and processes for proposal development and donor reporting, ensuring timely delivery and clear accountability across contributing teams.
• Directly manage, supervise and support the Partnerships Officer, providing day-to-day guidance, coaching and performance oversight.
• Coordinate resource mobilisation and donor engagement activities across the Partnerships and Voice Division, working closely with the Senior Partnerships Officer and Communications Specialist to ensure integration and avoid duplication.
• Liaise with programme, finance and other teams to ensure donor commitments are tracked, implementation is aligned with funding agreements, and internal processes support effective donor stewardship

• Strong resource mobilisation and fundraising expertise
• Donor relationship management
• Strategic analysis and foresight
• Excellent writing skills
• People management
• Experience working with African women's rights issues and agendas
• Demonstrated commitment to feminist principles and social justice values
• Excellent written and oral proficiency in English
• Proficiency in French and/or Portuguese is desirable
• A belief in and commitment to feminist principles and values including around non-discrimination
• Commitment to accountability and integrity

• Minimum of 6–8 years' professional experience in resource mobilisation, fundraising, donor relations or a closely related field, preferably within a feminist, women's rights or civil society organisation. African work experience is essential.
• A graduate qualification in international relations, political science, gender studies, development studies, sociology, humanities or a related field.