Fundraising Manager

Securing financial support for organisations

What this life looks like

You secure the resources that make development possible. Fundraising Managers develop and execute strategies to raise income for NGOs, social enterprises, and development organisations — from institutional donors (governments and development banks), trusts and foundations, corporate partners, and individual donors. Without skilled fundraisers, even the most impactful development organisations cannot sustain their work.

What she actually does

You research funding opportunities from institutional donors (USAID, DFID, EU, foundations), develop funding strategies, build relationships with donor contacts, lead or coordinate the preparation of grant proposals and concept notes, manage donor reporting, develop corporate partnership proposals, manage individual donor campaigns, maintain donor databases, track funding pipelines, and ensure the organisation has the income diversity to remain financially resilient.

Where you can work

Sector	Places in Africa
International NGOs	All major NGOs operating in Africa have fundraising teams — both global and country-level income generation
African Foundations	African Philanthropy Forum members, TrustAfrica, African Women's Development Fund — African philanthropy
Social Enterprises	African social enterprises generating income through grants, impact investment, and earned income
Universities	African university development offices — alumni fundraising and institutional grants are growing functions

Why it matters in Africa

African NGOs have historically been heavily dependent on a small number of international donors — a vulnerability that the decline in overseas aid budgets is making increasingly dangerous. Building diversified funding bases — including domestic philanthropy, corporate partnerships, government contracts, and earned income — is one of the most important strategic challenges facing African development organisations. Fundraising managers who understand both international donor landscapes and emerging African philanthropic markets are in growing demand.

Your pathway in

Study Business, Communications, Development Studies, or any relevant field
Gain experience in proposal writing, donor engagement, or marketing — transferable skills from the private sector are valued
Develop expertise in major donor landscapes: understanding how USAID, EU, DFID/FCDO, and major foundations make grants is essential
Build a portfolio of successful grant proposals — specific examples of funded proposals you have led are the primary evidence of fundraising competence
Connect with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and Bond's fundraising community for professional development

Skills you will need

Grant proposal writing
Donor relationship management
Funding landscape research
Donor reporting
Database management (Salesforce, Raiser's Edge)
Communication and storytelling

A woman in this field

Tsitsi Masiyiwa

Zimbabwe

Tsitsi is a Zimbabwean philanthropist and co-founder of the Higherlife Foundation, which has provided scholarships to over 250,000 orphans and vulnerable children across Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho, Eswatini, and beyond — one of Africa's most remarkable private philanthropy achievements. Alongside her husband Strive Masiyiwa, she has built a model of African-led, African-funded development that does not depend on Western donors. Her work on African philanthropy has helped shift narratives about who funds development in Africa and demonstrated that African resources, channelled through African institutions, can transform lives at scale.

Study the philanthropic landscape in Africa: research the African Philanthropy Forum at africaphilanthropyforum.org and TrustAfrica at trustafrica.org to understand the growing culture of African-led philanthropy
Read a successful grant proposal if you can find one — many NGOs publish sample proposals or learning resources on proposal writing, and studying the structure and language of funded proposals is essential learning
Research Devex at devex.com — it is the professional network for the development sector and tracks major donor funding opportunities, proposal deadlines, and funding trends
Practise writing a concept note: a two-page summary of a proposed programme including the problem, solution, target group, activities, and budget overview. This format is the first stage of almost every grant application

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