Summary: Consultancy for developing a fundraising and organizational sustainability strategy

Job Details

  • Deadline: 22nd October, 2026 during working hours.
  • Company: Development Department, Catholic Diocese of Zanzibar
  • Location: Zanzibar – Unguja and Pemba

Job Description

Job Description

Terms of reference

Consultancy for developing a fundraising and organizational sustainability strategy

Community Empowerment and Justice Governance (CEJG) Project – Phase V

Implementing Organization: Development Department, Catholic Diocese of Zanzibar

Project: Community Empowerment and Justice Governance (CEJG) – Phase V

Funding Partner: Misereor

Location: Zanzibar – Unguja and Pemba

Duration of Consultancy: Approximately 20–25 working days

  • Background

The Development Department of the Catholic Diocese of Zanzibar is implementing the Community Empowerment for Justice and Governance (CEJG) Project – Phase V, with financial and technical support from Misereor. The project is designed to contribute to stronger community empowerment, access to justice, good governance, inclusive participation, social justice, gender equality and sustainable community development in Zanzibar.

Through the implementation of CEJG Phase V and other programmes, the Development Department has developed valuable institutional experience, community relationships, partnerships, programme approaches and organizational capacities. These investments provide an important foundation for sustaining and expanding development results beyond the current project funding period.

However, the development financing environment is increasingly competitive and dynamic. Donor priorities are changing, funding opportunities are becoming more competitive, and many development organizations face challenges associated with dependence on a limited number of external funding sources. At the same time, donors increasingly expect organizations to demonstrate strong institutional systems, clear strategic positioning, evidence of results, partnership capacity, financial accountability and sustainability.

In this context, the Development Department recognizes the need to strengthen its approach to resource mobilization and organizational sustainability. While project-based donor funding remains important, long-term sustainability requires a more diversified and systematic fundraising approach that considers institutional funding, strategic partnerships, consortium opportunities, foundations, private-sector engagement, corporate social responsibility, faith-based funding and other appropriate resource mobilization mechanisms.

The Development Department therefore intends to engage a qualified consultant to develop a practical Fundraising and Organizational Sustainability Strategy. The strategy will provide a clear framework for strengthening fundraising systems, diversifying funding sources, improving donor engagement, developing strategic partnerships, strengthening internal capacities and sustaining the results and institutional investments generated through CEJG Phase V.

The strategy is expected to cover a five-year period and should be practical, evidence-based, measurable and aligned with the organization’s strategic direction and mandate.

  • Purpose of the consultancy

The overall purpose of this consultancy is to develop a practical, evidence-based and implementable Fundraising and Organizational Sustainability Strategy that will strengthen the Development Department’s capacity to mobilize, diversify and sustain financial and non-financial resources for its programmes and institutional operations.

The strategy should enable the organization to move from primarily responding to individual funding opportunities towards a more proactive and coordinated fundraising system based on clear institutional positioning, donor intelligence, relationship building, strategic partnerships, proposal development and long-term sustainability.

  • Specific objectives

The consultancy will specifically aim to

Assess the organization’s existing fundraising capacity, systems, structures, experience and performance.

Review the current and recent funding portfolio, including donor sources, funding levels, funding concentration, duration and sustainability.

Identify institutional strengths, programme assets, comparative advantages and evidence of results that can be leveraged for fundraising.

Analyze the relevant external funding environment and identify prospective donors, foundations, development partners, private-sector opportunities and other resource sources.

Identify practical opportunities for diversifying the organization’s funding base and reducing dependence on a limited number of donors.

Develop a clear fundraising positioning and value proposition that communicates the organization’s mandate, experience, geographic presence, programme strengths and results.

Develop approaches for strengthening existing donor relationships and cultivating new funding partnerships.

Identify opportunities for strategic partnerships, consortiums, networks, private-sector engagement and other forms of resource mobilization.

Strengthen internal fundraising systems, including proposal development, donor intelligence, opportunity tracking, donor stewardship and fundraising coordination.

Develop a realistic fundraising pipeline, targets, indicators, responsibilities and implementation roadmap.

Recommend mechanisms for sustaining CEJG Phase V results, community structures, partnerships and institutional capacities beyond the current project period.

  • Scope of the consultancy

The assignment will cover the following major areas

4.1 Organizational fundraising capacity assessment

The consultant will assess the organization’s readiness and capacity to mobilize resources. This will include reviewing fundraising structures, staff roles, proposal development capacity, donor management, internal coordination, fundraising tools, systems, policies and previous experience.

The assessment should identify key strengths, gaps and capacity-building needs affecting successful fundraising.

4.2 Review of the existing funding portfolio

The consultant will review existing and recent sources of funding and assess:

Donor diversity and concentration.

Funding levels and trends.

Project versus institutional/core funding.

Duration and predictability of funding.

Existing donor relationships.

Successful and unsuccessful funding applications.

Opportunities for renewal, expansion and co-financing.

Risks associated with donor dependency.

4.3 Funding landscape and donor mapping

The consultant will analyze the external funding environment relevant to the organization’s mandate and identify potential funding partners, including:

Bilateral and multilateral development partners.

International and private foundations.

Faith-based donors.

Embassies and development cooperation agencies.

UN agencies.

International NGOs.

Corporate and CSR programmes.

Research and academic institutions.

Philanthropic organizations.

Consortium and partnership opportunities.

Other appropriate local and international resource sources.

The donor analysis should identify thematic priorities, geographic focus, eligibility requirements, funding mechanisms, application periods and appropriate entry points where such information is available.

4.4 Organizational positioning and fundraising value proposition

The consultant will assess the organization’s programme experience, institutional strengths, community presence, partnerships and evidence of results and translate these into a clear fundraising proposition.

Particular consideration should be given to areas demonstrated through CEJG Phase V, including:

Community empowerment.

Access to justice and legal awareness.

Good governance and civic participation.

Gender equality and social justice.

Women’s empowerment.

Youth empowerment.

Inclusive education.

Community-based development.

Partnerships and networking.

Monitoring, evidence, learning and knowledge generation.

The strategy should explain how these strengths can be communicated effectively to different categories of funders.

4.5 Funding diversification

The strategy will identify practical opportunities to diversify resources through appropriate combinations of:

Institutional/core funding.

Project and programme grants.

Multi-year funding.

Foundations.

Faith-based funding.

Corporate partnerships and CSR.

Strategic partnerships.

Consortium funding.

Co-financing.

In-kind contributions.

Local philanthropy and appropriate giving mechanisms.

Other sustainable and legally appropriate resource mobilization approaches.

4.6 Donor and partnership engagement

The consultant will develop a structured approach for donor cultivation and relationship management covering donor identification, initial engagement, concept development, proposal submission, communication, stewardship, reporting and follow-up.

The strategy should also identify how the organization can strengthen relationships with existing partners while building new strategic relationships.

4.7 Sustainability of CEJG Phase V results

A specific component of the assignment will examine how CEJG Phase V achievements and investments can be sustained beyond project funding.

This should consider

Community ownership.

Institutional partnerships.

Government engagement.

Sustainability of community structures.

Integration of successful approaches into future programmes.

Leveraging existing partnerships and networks.

Documentation and communication of results.

Mobilization of resources to sustain or scale successful interventions.

  • Methodology

The consultant is expected to apply a participatory and evidence-based approach. The methodology should include, but not be limited to, the following:

5.1 Desk review

The consultant will review relevant organizational and programme documents, including:

CEJG Phase V project documents.

Project progress and annual reports.

Organizational strategic plans.

Previous proposals and concept notes.

Relevant donor agreements and reports.

Programme and project portfolio.

Financial and funding information.

Organizational policies and procedures.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning reports.

Success stories, lessons learned and other relevant evidence.

5.2 Stakeholder consultations

Key informant interviews and consultations should be conducted with relevant stakeholders, including Diocese leadership, Development Department management, programme staff, finance and administration personnel, M&E/MEAL staff, project coordinators and selected strategic partners.

Where appropriate, consultations may also include existing donors, government representatives, community representatives and other stakeholders who can provide useful perspectives on sustainability and fundraising.

5.3 Fundraising capacity assessment

The consultant should assess institutional fundraising capacity in areas including leadership, human resources, systems, financial management, proposal development, donor relations, partnerships, communication, evidence generation and organizational positioning.

5.4 Donor mapping and analysis

The consultant will develop a structured donor and funding opportunity mapping matrix showing potential funding partners, areas of alignment, eligibility, funding opportunities, relationship status and proposed engagement actions.

5.5 SWOT analysis

A fundraising-focused SWOT analysis will be undertaken to identify internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats affecting resource mobilization.

5.6 Validation

The consultant will facilitate a validation session with relevant organizational stakeholders to review findings, confirm strategic priorities, refine recommendations and strengthen ownership of the final strategy.

  • Expected deliverables

The consultant will produce the following key outputs

Deliverable 1: Inception Report

The inception report will present the consultant’s understanding of the assignment, methodology, stakeholder engagement approach, data collection tools, work plan, analytical framework and expected outputs.

Deliverable 2: Fundraising and Sustainability Assessment Report

The assessment report should present

Current fundraising situation.

Funding portfolio analysis.

Institutional capacity assessment.

Fundraising

How to Apply

Application link: Apply for this job