About Indus Action
At Indus Action, we seek empathetic, driven, and action-oriented team members who align with our intention of making public welfare unlock happen as a 'Do-Tank.' We desire candidates who want to partner with the Sarkar (state) and Samaaj (communities) in the service of our audacious mission of systematically making welfare access sustainable and frictionless for our vulnerable citizens and their families.
Our vision of a progressive and inclusive society is replicated internally through our equitable compensation structures, transparent organisational policies, and supportive work culture. As an aspiring Deliberately Developmental Organisation (DDO), combined with our operating values of Listen, Act, and Change, we commit to nurturing active citizens and supporting enterprising individuals with a growth mindset, professionally and
personally. At Indus Action, you are valued beyond your role or title. Instead of an open-door policy, we have a no-door policy, where everyone has access to and collaborates with everyone. We offer high cross-functional learning within the ecosystem as well. If you are about building for impact at scale, experimenting, and learning with joy along the way, then Indus Action is the place for you, and we have been looking for you!
Position Summary
Indus Action is seeking a Senior Lead / Associate Director – Fundraising to co-develop and co-lead the organisation's fundraising strategy and funder portfolio. The role will report into the Chief of Staff. The role will be responsible for securing and stewarding strategic funding partnerships, building a diversified, sustainable funding base and strengthening Indus Action's positioning within the philanthropy ecosystem. The role combines strategic fundraising, external engagement and networking, storytelling, and team leadership.
Role and Responsibilities
Fundraising Strategy:
● Develop and lead Indus Action's annual and multi-year fundraising strategy
● Own organisation-wide fundraising targets and revenue forecasts
● Grow domestic fundraising (CSR, foundations, HNIs) to at least 50% of Indus Action's overall portfolio, supporting a more diversified and sustainable funding base
● Plan and execute annual fundraising events, donor dinners, etc
● Contribute to organisational planning, strategy discussions, and leadership decision-making
Strategic Partnerships Development:
● Generate leads and pursue cultivation, negotiation, and closure of high-value funding partnerships
● Travel roughly once every three weeks across programme geographies and funder markets, combining on ground project immersion with face to face donor engagement to build and steward relationships with
senior decision-makers across CSRs and philanthropic organisations
● Represent Indus Action at sector convenings, conferences, and ecosystem events to strengthen visibility
and generate leads
Fundraising Portfolio Management:
● Oversee the end-to-end fundraising pipeline from prospect identification to partnership stewardship and
donor engagement and renewals.
● Build a deep, working understanding of Indus Action's programmes, theory of change, and citizen outcomes through sustained engagement with the programme, field and backbone teams. Translate this understanding into sharp, audience specific narratives across CSR heads, foundations, HNIs, and
international funders
● Develop and review high-quality concept notes, grant applications, budgets, donor reports and fundraising decks
Team Leadership and Capacity Building:
● Mentor / manage members of the fundraising team and build fundraising capabilities across the team/org
● Establish performance metrics and accountability systems for fundraising success
Requirements
Knowledge and Technical Skills
● Understanding of the philanthropy ecosystem in India and abroad
● Strategic thinking and planning to develop a long-term fundraising strategy and diversify funding sources
● Demonstrated project management / delivery management experience
● Strong ability to translate programme nuance into value offerings for donors
● Strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain relationships with donors, CSR heads, foundations, and HNIs
● Understanding of funding compliance, FCRA regulations, CSR laws, and donor reporting requirements
Behavioural Competencies and Values
● Citizen-Focused Mindset: Upholding the principle of placing the vulnerable citizen at the centre of every initiative
● Entrepreneurial Energy: Showcasing ownership of time and resources to yield solutions
● Dealing with Ambiguity: Maintaining grace under pressure and showcasing a progressive approach
● Growth Mindset: Perceiving every experience as a learning curve and an opportunity for growth
Education and Experience
We believe achieving our vision requires the best and brightest leaders to guide our organisation. The minimum qualifications we look for:
● Any graduation
● 8 to 12 years of overall work experience, with a preference for candidates from fundraising, sales, or donor and client management backgrounds
● We are equally open to candidates without this background who bring strong project management and multi-stakeholder management skills (donor (co)management is a must), with a clear track record of delivering outcomes, and who are looking to move into full-time fundraising
