Job Description
Job Title:
Regional Funding Manager
Responsible to:
Senior Programme Manager – East Africa
Location:
Nairobi
Purpose of role:
To build up Sense International’s in-country funding income through developing strategic partnerships,
making applications to locally available statutory grants, trusts and foundations and through leveraging
networks of corporate and major donor contacts. The focus of fundraising efforts will be on Kenya but
with some contribution to increasing income in Uganda and Tanzania.
Responsibilities
Strategy development
 Develop and maintain a thorough knowledge of the current funding and fundraising
developments and culture within East Africa.
 Develop a three year fundraising strategy, complete with targets, KPIs, milestones and budgets for
each area of activity. This will identify key areas of opportunity for generating income and
develop operational plans which will maximise income from these opportunities. Ensure all
relevant stakeholders including the fundraising office in the UK are involved in the process.
 Identify, test and develop new fundraising initiatives.
Deliver against income targets
 Deliver on funding strategy at country and regional level that delivers agreed income targets and
work within agreed expenditure budgets.
 Seek, anticipate, plan and respond to funding opportunities from institutional donors, trusts &
foundations, the corporate sector, & major donors.
 Draft concept notes, expressions of interest and proposals (in close collaboration with Senior
Programme Manager and Country Teams, ensuring that they are compliant with donor
requirements and are highly competitive
 Strong focus on large-scale funding opportunities (over £500k), including the identification and
realization of multi-country, regional and/or consortium funding opportunities.
 Ensure that the fundraising activities undertaken are effective and efficient and that their financial
contribution is maximized, aiming to obtain full cost recovery in all proposals.
Raise Sense International’s profile and build funding partnerships
 Ensure that Sense International’s programmes in the region have a high profile among donor
communities and development networks.
 Develop relationships with potential consortia, corporate and major donor partners, in support of
joint-programming opportunities at the national and regional levels.
 Establishing, maintaining and developing relationships with key personnel within existing donor
organisations.
 Researching, approaching and establishing relationships with prospective funders with the view of
achieving fruitful long-term relationships.
 Ensuring prompt and accurate reporting to all current funders.
 Identify and develop relationships with high value individuals.
 Take the lead on pitching to companies with support from colleagues.
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 Developing relationships and initiating approaches likely to lead to corporate partnerships.
Network internally and work globally
 Ensure that an accurate and timely overview of the region’s fundraising efforts and achievement
is shared with the Sense International UK office through regular (quarterly) reporting and analysis
of fundraising activity and results.
 Work with the Sense International UK based fundraising department to strengthen and sustain
partnerships with restricted income donors that are based outside of but which have an interest
in supporting our work in the region.
 Secure donor knowledge and specialist support when developing funding applications for specific
donors.
 Facilitate sharing of information among country teams to ensure maximum appropriate
involvement around specific donor opportunities and proposal development processes.
 Plan and prepare annual budgets in conjunction with line manager and SI UK team, monitor
performance and take remedial action where necessary ensuring the achievement of net income
targets.
 Report on the performance of each fundraising area including the provision of accurate and
realistic income and expenditure updates and forecasts.
 Support the fundraising department in the UK by contributing to the writing of drafts for statutory
fundraising applications.
 Contribute to the development of a comprehensive portfolio of project information, for SI East
Africa, in consultation with the relevant colleagues which can be used to develop funding
proposals.
Other
 To be self-administrating.
 Any other tasks relevant to the duties of the post.
 To ensure fundraising activities comply with current law, Sense International’s ethical policy and
Sense International’s In-country Fundraising Protocol.
 To undertake such other tasks as may be required by and agreed with the Senior Programme
Manager – East Africa.
Key Performance Indicators
 The region meets or exceeds its income targets
- Year on year growth in income from £430k to £1.2M over next 3 years
- Year on year growth in the percentage of overheads covered by in-country income
 The region’s donor base is deepened and diversified
- The number of major donors, corporate supporters, trusts and foundations, and institutional
donors (directly or via NGO partners) supporting Sense International’s work in the region
increases
 The region plays a full and visible role in Sense International’s global fundraising effort
- The East Africa fundraising effort is flexible, and responsive to and supportive of multiregional, and/or global fundraising opportunities
- Fundraising activity in the region is tracked and key metrics reported on.
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Skills/Experience Required
 5-10 years’ experience in leading proposal development and securing major funding from EC,
USAID, DFID, UN or other institutional funders, including developing multi-country, regional
and/or consortia programmes
 Proven ability to develop multi-year fundraising strategies incorporating and prioritising multiple
types of fundraising
 Proven ability to network and develop opportunities for long term funding partnerships
 Excellent interpersonal skills, including written, verbal and presentation skills used in international
settings
 A thorough knowledge of how statutory funding operates in East Africa
 Proven ability to develop project Logframes and complex multi-year/multi-country project
budgets
 Experience of financial planning and control, setting and exceeding challenging targets with a
proven ability to undertake systematic forecasting.
 Ability to research new funding opportunities and making appropriate bid/no-bid decisions
 Experience of preparing compelling, high quality proposals tailored to different audiences
(statutory, major donors, trusts and foundations, corporates)
 Understanding of the key elements of collating and recording a national portfolio of project
information in an efficient and accessible format
 Educated to degree level in an international development-related discipline
 An understanding of the current issues in the disability sector
 Sensitivity to, and willingness to develop an understanding of, deafblind issues
 Experience of working with colleagues from different cultures and with teams based overseas
 Advanced IT skills including fluency in Excel and database usage
 Strong administrative and organizational skills
Note to candidates: If you are not a resident of Kenya any job offer will be subject
to work permit approval.
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