Country Fundraiser At Sightsavers

About the role

Sightsavers Nigeria has an exciting and fulfilling opportunity to join the team as the Country Fundraiser, where you will secure funding from new and existing foundations and corporate partners as well as managing and maintaining donor relationships to achieve annual income targets and deliver significant year-on-year long term growth.

The Country Fundraiser will engage with high net worth individuals within Nigeria that are able to contribute towards annual planned funding growth that will be toward vital programmes in Nigeria, they will also collaborate with other fundraising teams in Sightsavers to implement the Global Fundraisings team’s plans for Nigeria.

The duties of the Country Fundraiser include:

1. Proposal Development:

Develop and deliver high quality funding proposals to prospect pipelines and targets of high value, as well as new and existing corporate partners and Nigerian foundations, supporting the implementation of the overall Sightsavers Nigeria Foundation funding strategy. With direct involvement in the planning, coordination, and production of proposal writing.

1. Building strategic relationships:

Develop and maintain key external and internal relationships critical to fundraising activities towards achieving planned objectives.

1. Individual Giving:

Develop key external and internal relationships critical for the achievement of planned objectives with these high-net-worth donors. To take personal responsibility for delivering agreed targets in line with the team strategy of securing planned income.

1. Strategy and planning:

Develop and implement vital operational plans in support of fundraising strategies, including creation of bespoke development plans to engage new prospects, and to encourage growth in income from existing corporate partners and Nigerian foundation portfolios. Identify and research new prospects to introduce into pipeline.

1. Contract Management and Reporting:

Manage funding contracts and grants for agreed Sightsavers’ projects to deliver on internal and external reporting requirements:

1. Work with the Country Director and Board of Sightsavers Nigeria Foundation on income, key performance indicators, prospecting, and account planning.
2. Report to donors on project delivery.
3. Develop communication plans to support corporate funding partnerships.
4. Market understanding:

Develop and maintain a broad knowledge and understanding of the corporate social responsibility agenda of corporate organisations/partners in Nigeria and advise the country office on potentials areas of collaboration and fundraising.

The Country Fundraiser role is a highly varied and involved position and the above is not an exhaustive list of duties or required professional skills (below). Please see the Job Description for full details.

As the ideal candidate you will posses extensive fundraising experience in Nigeria that has involved high level relationships and high net worth individuals. You will have proven success in cultivating new relationships with prospective supporters/clients and maintaining relationships with existing supporters/clients and have a background in fundraising from corporate/foundation fundraising and/or major individual donors and/or significant experience of working at senior level, in a fundraising, marketing or sales capacity.

Further requirements include:

• Experience working at senior level externally to develop high value relationships.
• A proven track record of meeting or exceeding financial targets and soliciting gifts from donors, or business in a commercial setting.
• Knowledge of the principles of corporate, foundation and major donor fundraising.
• Significant experience of successful face-to-face donor / customer contact, building long term relationships.
• Extensive experience and knowledge of good fundraising practice and relevant legal issues or equivalent from a commercial setting.
• Experience of working for an NGO/INGO.
• Strong listening and negotiating skills.
• First class presentation and writing skills, including preparation of proposals, project budgets, reports.
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity for disabled people.

Candidates are welcome to demonstrate their ability to match the person specification by expanding on how their experience, training and/or qualifications might have provided them with the knowledge or skills required for the role. Successful candidates will be appointed on merit.

To apply for this exciting new opportunity, please submit your CV via our recruitment portal. We are particularly interested in learning of your motivations for applying and your fundraising experience.

Closing date: 7 July 2024

As a global equal opportunities employer, Sightsavers is committed to embracing diversity throughout our workforce by creating an inclusive environment that reflects the many cultures and locations where we work. Our workforce will be truly representative of all sections of society and we will actively promote the inclusion of individuals with a disability. Sightsavers is a Disability Confident Leader and qualified people with a disability are particularly encouraged to apply.

Sightsavers is an employer that does not tolerate any form of harassment and has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. All potential candidates will be subjected to rigorous background checks and controls.