Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Optimal Greening Foundation seeks a highly experienced Fundraising & Development Consultant to mobilize resources for programs in water, sanitation and hygiene, climate resilience, and environmental sustainability. The Senior Consultant will develop fundraising strategies, identify funding opportunities, lead proposals, engage donors, build partnerships, and strengthen organizational fundraising systems while working remotely with program and leadership teams.
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
- WaSH and Climate Funding Expertise: Strong understanding of funding landscapes in water, sanitation, climate resilience, and environmental sustainability
- Donor Knowledge: Experience with U.S. donors, climate funds (e.g., GCF, Adaptation Fund), and development agencies
- Proposal Development: Proven ability to develop successful grant proposals for environmental and development programs
- Donor Mapping & Pipeline Development: 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
- 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 connections to U.S. donor networks
- Strong remote working capability and communication tools proficiency
- Based in the United States (preferred)
Benefits
- Remote, flexible work arrangement
Company Overview