Senior Fundraising Consultant

Location: Flexible location anywhere in the world (100%, remote work)

Reporting to: CEO of Philanthropy Advisors, actual interim COO of the WHO Foundation

Contract type:6 months (with possibility for renewal or fix term contract)

Salary:  Competitive salary

Background

The WHO Foundation (WHOF) is an independent grant-making entity, based in Geneva, that sets out to protect the health and well-being of everyone in every part of the world, working alongside the World Health Organization (WHO) and the global health community.

The Foundation strives to complement and strengthen WHO’s efforts by acting as a platform for new types of public-private engagement, while protecting WHO’s neutrality and independence as the world’s leading international health authority. To do so, it aims to speak directly to donors in a language they understand, establishing collaborations that increase visibility and engagement with High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI), launching innovative campaigns to the general public and engaging in an array of partnerships with corporate actors.

The WHO Foundation is seeking to appoint a Senior Fundraising Consultant, specialized in major donors' relations to help grow and scale the WHO Foundation.

Purpose of Role

The role of the Senior Consultant is to source and onboard major donors to advance the Foundation’s fundraising and awareness raising efforts, and to oversee the implementation and refinement of the organization’s interim fundraising strategy. The Senior Consultant will ensure steady progress is made towards generating income from major donors, individuals and corporates, over 2021. The WHO Foundation aims to raise $1 billion over the next 3 years. This role is critical to ensuring the organization achieves its target including that of generating $40 million in seed-funding through sourcing and onboarding Founders Circle members contributing to the core cost of the Foundation over the next 3 years.

Management

The Senior Consultant will report to the CEO of the WHO Foundation as well as the interim COO of the WHO Foundation by the time the Director of Development is recruited.  The senior Consultant will work in close collaboration with appointed external service providers (fundraising firm, communication firm, etc.). He/she will work for an initial period of six months, with the possibility to extend if jointly agreed by the CEO. The position will be remote initially, working in close coordination with the WHO Foundation teams based in Geneva and Paris. The Senior Consultant might be requested to manage a team (depending on the growth of the foundation).

Key Responsibilities

Prospection and Relationship Building

• Developing and cultivating a highly international network of potential donors and/or partners, including HNWI and family offices.
• Identifying, cultivating and soliciting large gifts from major donors, including HNWI, family offices, family foundations and corporations.

Relationship Management and Stewardship

• Onboarding major donors, and planning, implementing, managing, and coordinating the stewardship activities of the WHO Foundation’s major donors.
• Working with board members to identify prospects from their networks and develop appropriate cultivation strategies to secure high level gifts.
• Ensuring appropriate and timely follow-up of donors following the receipt of pledges and gifts through a professional stewardship programme.

Strategy Development and Execution

• Delivering against--and updating as necessary--the existing fundraising strategy for sourcing and onboarding major donors.
• Supporting the development of foundational documents and appropriate supporting documents to guide the philanthropic strategy.
• Identifying best practices and lessons learned directly linked to fundraising activities and contributing to early monitoring and evaluation efforts.

Reporting

• Establishing and maintaining regular donor reporting mechanisms.
• Managing the planning and reporting process, track project funding progress, and provide analysis on deviations to plan implementation and financial performance.
• Developing, in collaboration with the communications team, high quality financial and narrative reports, ensuring consistency, accuracy, clarity and timely submission in compliance with WHO Foundation policies and procedures as well as donor contractual requirements.
• Ensuring compliance with WHO Foundation and donor requirements and compliance with the gifts acceptance policy, on the uses of funds, including budget monitoring, amendment requests and timely flagging of problems.

Internal Coordination and Management

• Potentially manage the Interim Executive Secretariat working on the fundraising workstream and other subcontractors where relevant.
• Participate in Interim Secretariat staff meetings and provide written updates on progress where requested.
• Ensure harmonization between the fundraising, partnerships, communications and programming workstreams of the Interim Executive Secretariat work.
• Liaise directly with the CEO, members of the board, and WHO colleagues as appropriate.
• Manage the interim fundraising database and facilitate a smooth transition to the WHO Foundation CRM solution for the fundraising workstream.

Profile

• A minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience as an international resource mobilisation executive.
• Good knowledge and networks across the private wealth ecosystem, and proven relationship building skills.
• A track record of successfully concluding deals with major donors and being a trusted steward of those resources.
• Strong leadership skills and aptitude to work with autonomy and entrepreneurship, both individually and as part of a complex team effort.
• An acute understanding of the data infrastructure required for systematic resource mobilisation.
• Comfort with and/or experience of operating in a lean, start-up environment.
• Experience of working within or alongside strategic communications and brand-building professionals.
• Superior interpersonal and communications skills and capacity to build excellent relationships with key stakeholders, particularly with high-level individuals in a multinational environment.
• Strong analytical skills, database proficiency and outstanding budgetary and financial skills, including target setting and monitoring and proficiency in Excel and Salesforce.
• Demonstrated record of setting clear standards for accountability, value for money, risk management and zero tolerance to fraud and corruption.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills and diplomacy, sensitivity to political issues.
• Aptitude to work with flexibility, entrepreneurship, and diplomacy both individually and as part of a complex team effort.
• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent), in business administration, corporate special responsibility, international relations, communications or related fields.
• Aptitude to work with flexibility, entrepreneurship, and diplomacy both individually and as part of a complex team effort.
• Experience working in an international environment and with people from different cultural backgrounds and cultural sensitivity.
•  Fluency in English, French an advantage.