[Remote] Fund Raising and Development Consultant
Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Oakheed is seeking a highly experienced Fundraising & Development Consultant to support the Optimal Greening Foundation in mobilizing resources for its programs. The Consultant will be responsible for developing fundraising strategies, engaging with donors, and securing funding opportunities, particularly in the areas of climate resilience and environmental sustainability.
Responsibilities
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
Skills
- 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
- Strong understanding of funding landscapes in water, sanitation, climate resilience, and environmental sustainability
- Experience with U.S. donors, climate funds (e.g., GCF, Adaptation Fund), and development agencies
- Proven ability to develop successful grant proposals for environmental and development programs
- Ability to identify and prioritize high-impact funding opportunities
- Ability to manage multiple proposals and deadlines effectively in a flexible work structure
- Experience supporting program design and aligning fundraising with project implementation
- Ability to assess funding opportunities and align them with OGF's strategic priorities
- Strong problem-solving skills and strategic thinking
- 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
- Ability to provide strategic guidance to leadership
- Experience mentoring teams and strengthening organizational capacity
- Strong collaboration skills across program and technical teams
- Commitment to ethical fundraising practices
- Strong understanding of African development contexts
- Ability to work effectively across diverse cultural and stakeholder environments
- 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
Benefits
- Remote, Flexible work arrangement
- Ability to work across U.S.–Africa time zones
- Strong remote working capability and communication tools proficiency
- Occasional travel may be required
Company Overview