FUNDRAISING MANAGER

Cape Town: My client, an iconic Cape Town-based cultural and arts institution is seeking to appoint an experienced and commercially astute Fundraising Manager to join its team.

This is an exciting opportunity for a seasoned fundraising professional with a proven ability to secure significant funding, cultivate meaningful partnerships and build sustainable relationships with corporate funders, donors and other key stakeholders.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:  The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and executing fundraising initiatives and securing financial support from local and international organisations, corporates, foundations and individuals.
The role requires a proactive relationship builder with strong self-solicitation capabilities, the ability to identify and leverage funding opportunities, and a genuine talent for donor engagement, stewardship and long-term relationship management.

Key Responsibilities:

• Identify, solicit and secure funding from corporate CSI initiatives, trusts, foundations, donors and other funding partners
• Cultivate, develop and manage relationships with existing and prospective funders and donors
• Drive partnership engagement, relationship building and donor retention
• Develop and implement fundraising strategies, campaigns and initiatives aligned with organisational objectives
• Identify new funding opportunities and leverage existing networks and relationships to maximise fundraising potential
• Manage internal fundraising structures, processes and back-office functions
• Prepare funding proposals, presentations, reports and donor communications
• Ensure effective donor stewardship, ongoing engagement and recognition
• Monitor fundraising performance against targets and maintain accurate donor records

Minimum Requirements & Experience:

• A relevant Bachelor's or Honours degree in Fundraising, Development Studies, Business, Marketing, Communications or a related field
• At least 5 years' proven experience in fundraising, donor relations or resource mobilisation, preferably within the NGO, arts, culture, education or development sectors
• A successful track record in independently identifying, soliciting and securing significant funding, particularly at corporate CSI level
• Demonstrable experience in securing major donations, ideally exceeding R5 million.
• Strong experience in corporate partnerships, donor cultivation, stakeholder engagement and relationship management
• Good understanding of fundraising strategies, internal processes and back-office management
• Excellent proposal-writing, communication, presentation and negotiation skills.
• Strong networking, interpersonal and relationship-building abilities
• A proactive, results-driven individual with an entrepreneurial mindset and the ability to recognise and capitalise on fundraising opportunities
• Knowledge of CRM systems and donor database management
• Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends when required for events

Additional advantage: Exposure to international fundraising and proficiency in an additional European language, preferably German and/or French