Wild Impact Foundation Trust (Wild Impact) (www.wildimpact.earth) is a non-profit organisation supporting the conservation of 14 biodiversity landscapes and seascapes, and the sustainable development of the communities that are the custodians of these areas. These areas are situated in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Bhutan and Chile. Wild Impact works in close collaboration with &Beyond (www.andBeyond.com), with a shared Impact Vision guiding and shaping the development and implementation of all projects.

Wild Impact is recruiting a Senior Fundraising and Partnerships Manager to lead the development, and growth of strategic fundraising partnerships that advance the organisation’s conservation and community development objectives. This role is central to strengthening long-term relationships with funders, corporate partners, philanthropies, donors, and key stakeholders across Africa and globally.

The Senior Fundraising and Partnerships Manager will report to the Chief Executive Officer, and will be responsible for identifying new fundraising partnership opportunities, nurturing existing relationships, and driving funding sustainability through aligned, values-based collaborations. The Senior Fundraising and Partnerships Manager will work closely with programme, communications, finance, and leadership teams to translate impact into compelling partnership propositions and measurable outcomes.

As a key ambassador for Wild Impact, the Senior Fundraising and Partnerships Manager will play a critical role in strengthening the organisation’s reputation, credibility, and long-term impact across its conservation and community portfolio.

KEY OUTPUTS & RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Senior Fundraising and Partnerships Manager will work closely with the Wild Impact’s South African, regional and global teams to identify, establish and nurture private, public and corporate donor-based impact partnerships.

This will include, inter alia:

• Grant prospecting and proposal development - identification of potential private, public and corporate donors; drafting of clear and persuasive proposals; and copywriting and proofreading.
• Budget & financial alignment - Preparation and refinement of budgets, together with the Operations and Finance teams, to ensure budgets align with proposal narratives, activities, timelines, human resources, and financial allocations.
• Monitoring, evaluation and integrated learning – Preparation and refinement of results frameworks, together with the Operations and Impact Insights teams, including the inclusion of project specific Theories of Change, Log Frames and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning frameworks.
• Knowledge management & process coordination – Development and maintenance of relevant Wild Impact proposal and reporting templates / boilerplates; and the coordination of proposal and reporting processes; preparation and presentation of fundraising and partnership reports as required, including regular Board reports.
• Analytics – Maintenance of a live database of global and regional private, public and corporate donors engaged in Wild Impact’s focus areas, tracking of philanthropy trends to inform fundraising strategy.
• Compliance – Ensuring compliance with Wild Impact’s policies regarding funding sources, confidentiality, data handling, etc.

COMPETANCIES:

The Senior Fundraising and Partnerships Manager will be expected to demonstrate a very high work ethic and commitment; to be consistent, professional and diplomatic; and to be able integrate into, and support, a diverse, multi-cultural team.

They will need to be highly organised, proactive, and adaptable, with the ability to manage multiple donor relationships and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

They must have a successful fundraising track record, with well-established network and the ability to raise over R 50 000 000 per annum within 3-years.

Specific skills required are:

• Excellent communication, influencing, and presentation skills, including high-level word, excel, PowerPoint and Teams literacy
• Excellent strategic thinking ability with a results- and impact-driven approach.
• Excellent project management and cross-functional collaboration experience and ability.
• Strong financial literacy and budget oversight capacity and experience.
• Strong monitoring, reporting, and impact measurement capacity and experience.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:

• Professional and well-presented appearance.
• Confident public speaker.
• Diligent, tenacious, self-disciplined, self-motivated and hungry for success.
• Highly organised and able to manage multiple campaigns
• Proactive, adaptable, and deadline-driven
• Collaborative and comfortable working across teams
• Passionate about social and environmental impact and working in a not-for-profit environment.

PREVIOUS WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIREMENTS:

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s / Honours degree in a relevant field.
• 5+ years of experience in proposal development and grant writing, including public, private and corporate funding streams. 
• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and coordinate interdisciplinary teams.
• Knowledge of donor requirements, compliance standards, and proposal formats.
• Passion for community-based work and conservation.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Sandton office-based role, with extended hours.
• Extensive travel within South Africa, regionally and internationally, including remote locations and potential uncomfortable working conditions.

We reserve the right to not make an appointment.

Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Contact information

Ziphozethu Bota