Short Term Consultant – Philanthropy Specialist

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a treaty-based intergovernmental organisation headquartered in India, working with its Member Countries across Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East to accelerate the deployment of solar energy. ISA delivers its mandate through a set of programme platforms spanning energy access, solarisation of agriculture, regional interconnection, market development, capacity building and catalytic finance.

Philanthropic capital occupies a distinct and strategic place in ISA's funding base. It carries a risk appetite, a speed of decision, and a tolerance for early-stage work that sovereign and multilateral funding cannot readily match. In practice, it is often the capital that allows a programme to be designed, tested and made investable before larger pools of public and private finance follow. ISA has secured multi-year commitments from a number of leading climate and development philanthropies and now intends to broaden that base substantially.

To support this, the ISA Secretariat intends to engage a senior fundraising adviser (the "Adviser") to strengthen the quality of ISA's fundraising materials, bring discipline and intent to where and how ISA shows up in the philanthropic calendar, provide an independent outside-in perspective on ISA's positioning, and open credible routes into philanthropies with which ISA does not yet have a working relationship.

The objective of this assignment is to strengthen ISA's philanthropic fundraising across three dimensions: the quality of its case for support, the depth of its engagement calendar, and the breadth of its funder relationships so that ISA is present in the right forums, in front of the right decision-makers, with materials that hold up to scrutiny.

Specifically, the assignment will:

•      Raise the quality and coherence of ISA's fundraising materials so that they meet the expectations of institutional philanthropy

•      Give ISA a prioritised, decision-ready engagement calendar in place

•      Bring an independent, candid read on how ISA is perceived by the philanthropic community and on what is preventing conversion

•      Create credible inroads into philanthropies with which ISA does not currently have a relationship and establish ISA's presence in the circles where philanthropic agendas are set.

The Adviser will be responsible for the following, working in close coordination with the Resource Mobilisation team:

Part A. Review and Strengthening of Fundraising Materials

•      Diagnostic review: Conduct a structured review of ISA's existing fundraising materials including the core case for support, concept notes, programme one-pagers, pitch decks, proposals and donor correspondence and assess them against the expectations and decision criteria of institutional philanthropy.

•      Core narrative: Sharpen ISA's central fundraising narrative: what ISA is uniquely positioned to do, why a philanthropic funder should back it rather than an alternative, and what demonstrably changes as a result of that support.

•      Restructuring of priority materials: Restructure a prioritised set of materials in collaboration with the Resource Mobilisation team and programme platform leads, with particular attention to clarity of the ask, credibility of delivery, quality of evidence, and fit with funder strategy.

•      House standard: Establish a common standard and template set for ISA fundraising materials - structure, length, tone, use of evidence, and presentation of budgets and results so that future concept notes and proposals can be produced to a consistent quality bar without external support.

•      Segmentation: Advise on how materials should be differentiated by funder type and by stage of the conversation, from first introduction through concept note to full proposal.

Part B. Engagement Calendar and Convening Strategy

•      Calendar mapping: Map the relevant global and regional calendar of convenings, summits, funder gatherings and philanthropic fora over the coming twelve to eighteen months.

•      Prioritisation: Prioritise this calendar based on who attends, the stage of the relationships ISA is seeking to advance, the likely return, and the cost of participation - distinguishing clearly between events ISA should attend, events at which ISA should seek a speaking or convening role, and events ISA should not spend on.

•      Who to meet: For each priority engagement, identify the specific institutions and individuals ISA should be meeting and the objective of each meeting.

•      Level of representation: Advise on the appropriate level of ISA representation for each engagement, including where the presence of the Director General or senior management is warranted.

•      Engagement discipline: Design the sequence around each engagement - pre-event outreach and meeting requests, briefing material for ISA participants, and a defined follow-up process so that participation converts into an advancing relationship rather than a contact.

•      ISA-convened moments: Advise on side events, roundtables, or co-hosted convenings through which ISA could gather target funders around its own agenda.

Part C. Outside-In Perspective, Access and Inroads

•      Perception assessment: Provide an independent and candid assessment of how ISA is currently perceived within the philanthropic community - its positioning, its credibility as a grantee and partner, and the barriers that stand between an initial meeting and a commitment.

•      Target identification: Identify a prioritised set of philanthropies, private and corporate foundations, philanthropic intermediaries, funder collaboratives and networks that ISA is not currently engaging but should be, with a clear rationale for fit against ISA's programme platforms.

•      Entry mapping: For each priority target, map the decision-making structure, relevant programme officers and principals, funding cycles, application routes and the most credible point of entry.

•      Introductions: Open routes into these organisations, including through the Adviser's own relationships facilitating warm introductions to the appropriate individuals and, where appropriate, participating in first meetings alongside ISA.

•      Positioning in the right circles: Advise ISA on how to establish and sustain a presence in the networks, coalitions and informal circles in which philanthropic agendas are set and co-funding arrangements are formed.

•      Leadership support: Provide briefing and preparation support to ISA leadership ahead of significant funder meetings and engagements.

Please send in your application (CV and cover letter) to recruitment@isa.int for us to proceed further on your application.