Development Director-Friendship Bench 217 views

About Friendship Bench

Friendship Bench is a non-profit dedicated to creating safe spaces and a sense of belonging for millions of individuals who currently lack access to quality mental health care. Guided by values of empathy and connection, and anchored in over a decade of rigorous research, Friendship Bench has re-imagined the delivery of evidence-based mental healthcare in low-resource settings by training community health workers (also known as lay health workers or affectionately, as “grandmothers” to provide basic
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, with an emphasis on Problem Solving Therapy, as well as facilitating peer- led support groups. To date, Friendship Bench has reached more than 85,000 clients and achieved a 61% reduction in depression and suicidal ideation. Over the next 5 years, Friendship Bench aims to provide access to mental health for 5 million people.

Friendship Bench has been supported by organizations including Grand Challenges Canada, Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, Comic Relief, Mulago Foundation, and Grand Challenges Africa and has also been recognized by TED, BBC, TIME, World Economic Forum, The Guardian, and others.

The Opportunity

The Development Director will play a critical role in helping Friendship Bench achieve its vision to provide high-quality mental health services to millions of individuals. As a rapidly growing organization with an annual budget of $1,3 million USD, we are seeking an experienced and motivated leader to build on our strong momentum to date. The Development Director will play a key role in setting strategy, managing relationships, and securing the funds that we need to continue to expand the depth and
breadth of our programs across the African continent and beyond.

This is a dynamic and exciting opportunity for someone who is motivated and passionate about mental health, fundraising and partnerships, and/or working in sub–Saharan Africa.

Roles & Responsibilities

The Development Director will report to the Executive Director and will be a part of the senior leadership team. This role will require exceptional project management, research, strategic partnership building, and donor engagement skills to support our fundraising efforts with individuals, foundations, and corporations. The key responsibilities of the Development Director will include but are not limited to:

• Partner with the CEO and leadership team to develop, prioritize and implement strategies for FB to maintain and expand its funding base, including:
  Cultivate relationships with individual and foundation donors through regular
  correspondence, quarterly updates, grant reporting requirements, etc.
• Research and scope new potential funders globally
• Write, revise, and submit targeted pitches, proposal submissions, prize applications, and grant renewals
• Conducting meetings independently with new prospective funders and attending
  conferences/ invitations to meet potential donors, as needed
• Exploration of potential revenue streams for FB’s services (e.g. franchise model)
• Drive internal project management for the development team. This will include:
• Develop and maintain a robust database of fundraising opportunities and relationships
• Project-manage grant application processes and maintain a grants calendar with key deadlines and action plans
• Follow up with donors and/or ghostwrite emails where appropriate
• Develop systems around processing and acknowledging gifts and long-term
  stewardship of donor relationships
• Identify opportunities and develop materials for process improvement, coordinating with the team to implement creative solutions
• Generate and maintain external content that persuasively outlines FB’s vision as it aligns with current and prospective partners’ priorities
• Work closely with FB’s communications lead to help with creating content for the website and other marketing / media needs
• Host and co-ordinate donor visits with an ability to combine program knowledge, hospitality, and active listening to ensure a good experience and appropriate follow up.
• Support the creation of Board documents and materials that support Board outreach efforts.
• Given the startup nature of FB, all employees are asked to be flexible team players and be comfortable with the global/remote working culture that this role entails

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required, graduate degree preferred; at least 10 years + of professional experience in a fundraising, business development, and/or program management role.
• Experience using and maintaining a donor management system or CRM tool for other relationship management.
• Highly organized, self-motivated, and able to wear multiple hats in an ambiguous, fast-moving environment and ideally with a strong network of foundations, high net worth individuals or corporations that would be potential funders.
• An individual with a strong skill set in collateral production and creative strategies to attract and retain current and prospective funders
• Thorough understanding of project management and implementation; able to work effectively under pressure to meet tight deadlines and goals
• Excellent communication and coalition building skills with an ability to work with a variety of stakeholders and to communicate a rigorous, compelling story about our impact
• Knowledge of mental health and community/public health a plus.
• Experience working at an international non-profit organization in a senior leadership position and knowledge of the international philanthropic landscape a plus.

Job Summary

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Job Type

Contract

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Location

Harare

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Category

Director

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Closing Date

November 22, 2021