Job Description

Fundraising Specialist - Cape Town/ Pretoria

Nal'ibali's mission is to spark a love of stories, build language and literacy skills, and promote a lifelong reading culture in homes, schools and communities across South Africa. Our work transforms communities into learning spaces whether in the homes, centres, schools and community spaces children get adequate opportunities to read and engage with enticing content, stories.

The Fundraising Specialist will be responsible for securing the financial resources needed to sustain and grow Nal'ibali's Programmes, campaigns, and operations. This role focuses on identifying, cultivating, and stewarding relationships with donors, funders, and partners--locally and internationally--to advance Nal'ibali's mission of sparking and embedding a culture of reading across South Africa.

Role and responsibilities:

Donor Prospecting & Opportunity Tracking

Work with HIIP to strategically identify potential funding opportunities from corporates, trusts, foundations, multifaceted agencies, and individual donors. Build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with existing and prospective donors. Develop tailored engagement strategies for different donor segments. Track donor engagement and maintain accurate prospecting records. Prepare briefs and presentations for donor meetings. Identify emerging trends in the donor landscape and advise on strategy. Contribute to the annual fundraising plan and pipeline management. Track performance against fundraising KPIs

Proposal & Grant Writing

Prepare high-quality, compelling funding proposals, concept notes, and grant applications. Collaborate with programme, advocacy, and finance teams to gather information for proposals and budgets. Ensure proposals align with donor priorities while reflecting Nal'ibali's mission. Maintain accurate records of submitted proposals and track outcomes. Draft supporting materials for donor presentations and reports. Revise and adapt proposals based on donor feedback. Ensure compliance with donor requirements and deadlines. Coordinate internal reviews of proposals before submission. Support storytelling and impact reporting for proposals. Identify new funding opportunities to support programme expansion.

Fundraising Campaigns & Events

Proactively research, identify and cultivate new prospects and grant opportunities to build a strong long-term funding pipeline, across partners, trusts and foundation Lead the creation of high-quality proposals, presentations and resources for strategic and philanthropic funding opportunities with corporates, trusts and foundations, including funding for programme pilots, campaigns and advocacy. Lead the planning and execution of fundraising campaigns, both online and offline. Support event logistics, including invitations, programmes, and follow-ups Track event outcomes and prepare post-event reports. Coordinate internal communications around fundraising campaigns.

Donor Reporting & Relationship Management

Manage donor reporting schedules to ensure timely, accurate narrative and financial report. Track donor agreements, deliverables, and deadlines. Maintain transparent and professional communication with donors and funders. Monitor compliance with donor conditions. Collaborate with programme and finance teams to ensure accurate reporting Contribute to donor retention and recognition initiative Contribute to quarterly board reports on fundraising activities, including pipeline, tracking against budget and analysis of return on investment

Revenue Diversification& Strategy

Support the development and implementation of a diversified fundraising strategy Track fundraising trends and provide recommendations to Executive management. Provide advice on donor engagement and retention strategies Align fundraising activities with organisational priorities and strategic objectives

Requirements (Qualifications, skills and experience):

Bachelor's degree in public relations, Communications, Marketing, Development Studies, or a related field. Additional qualifications in fundraising, resource development, or grant management (advantageous). At least 5 years' experience in fundraising, resource mobilization, or business development. Proficiency in MS Office 365 and donor management systems. Fluency in written and spoken English; proficiency in at least one other South African language.

Competencies:

Strong track record in fundraising and donor relations, preferably in the non-profit or education sector. Experience with Monitoring and Evaluation processes Demonstrated success in securing significant grants or donations from diverse sources. Integrity, accountability, and commitment to ethical fundraising. Ability to analyze trends and adapt fundraising strategies. Excellent communication and presentation skills. Excellent proposal and grant writing skills. Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and work under pressure. Creative and strategic thinker with a solutions-focused mindset. Proactive, results-driven, and resilient. Collaborative team player with excellent interpersonal skills.
Job Type: Full-time

Work Location: In person

Application Deadline: 2025/10/24