WHERE DOES THIS ROLE FIT IN THE BIG PICTURE:
As Lead – Funder Engagement & Partnerships, you will be a key driver of Medha’s Partnership and impact strategy. In this senior leadership role, you will be responsible for building a strong and sustainable funder ecosystem for Medha, deepening relationships with existing funders, managing high-value donor accounts, and ensuring the effective delivery of reporting, visits, and engagement touchpoints. Your innovative and strategic mindset will keep our funders aligned, engaged, and inspired by Medha’s mission—while also identifying and expanding diverse funding opportunities.
WHAT YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR:
Strategic Donor Engagement/Management
- Guide the full lifecycle of funder accounts – from due diligence and onboarding to renewals and closures, ensuring seamless handovers and responsive communication.
- Build, maintain, and grow trust-based relationships with a diverse portfolio of corporate, foundation, and institutional donors.
- Drive long-term funding strategies and deepen existing funder relationships. Map funder priorities with Medha’s programs to enable shared goals.
Funder Communication & Content
- Oversee the preparation of persuasive, data-backed proposals, compelling donor reports, and storytelling content that reflects Medha’s impact.
- Ensure funder communication is timely, consistent, and aligned with Medha’s voice and values.
- Organize and lead funder field visits, volunteer opportunities, and reflection sessions to strengthen funder engagement.
Team Leadership & Systems Development
- Lead and coach a cross-functional team to deliver high-quality work on proposals, reports, funder visits, and engagement campaigns.
- Create and manage efficient systems to track engagement touchpoints, donor reporting schedules, and renewal timelines.
- Identify and apply for relevant national and international awards/grants and competitions.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with Program, Finance, and Communications teams to co-create donor deliverables, ensure fund utilization is aligned with proposals, and troubleshoot implementation risks.
- Coordinate with the Monitoring & Evaluation team to translate program data into meaningful insights for donors.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:
- Fundraising & Donor Management: Proven experience at least 5 years in handling donor accounts, writing impactful proposals, and building long-term partnerships.
- Strategic Execution: Ability to think big and deliver—translating vision into action with a solutions-first mindset.
- Communication & Storytelling: Exceptional writing and speaking skills to articulate stories of change with clarity and passion.
- Leadership & Collaboration: Experience in managing teams, mentoring others, and navigating diverse stakeholder relationships.
- Mission Alignment: Empathetic, curious, resilient, and deeply committed to Medha’s purpose of empowering young people.
WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH:
These are some people you will be working closely with as members of the Partnerships team. The descriptions indicate the peer’s & team member’s ‘superpower,’ not their designation :)
- Team spark and positivity powerhouse, turning connections into catalysts for change: Krithika Ram
- Focused persuader, turning opportunities into partnerships with precision: Poornima Bhagwat
- Strategic bridge-builder and adoption evangelist, turning policy into practice: Saurabh Rai
- Guardian of growth and numbers, steers financial clarity with unwavering foresight: Syed Afzal
OUR HIRING PROCESS:
Our goal is to be as transparent and respectful of your time during the recruiting process. We use a technology platform to ensure the hiring process is comprehensive, efficient, and well documented.
