Sandton: Fundraising & Partnership Specialist posted by Wild Dreams Hospitality

In this role you will lead strategic fundraising efforts in support of health and education programmes across South Africa. This is a senior, relationship-driven role for a well-networked fundraising professional with a strong track record of securing significant funding from South African donors in the health and education sectors. Someone who brings both the technical rigour of proposal development and the interpersonal credibility to open and sustain high-value donor relationships.

Core Criteria:

• Minimum Bachelor’s or Honours degree in a relevant field
• 5+ years’ experience in proposal development, grant writing, and partnership management
• Demonstrable track record of securing substantial funding from South African donors, with a target of R20 million per annum within three years
• Strong existing network within South African donor communities focused on health and education
• Deep understanding of the South African primary healthcare, early childhood development, and primary and secondary education sectors
• Excellent financial literacy, including budget preparation and oversight
• Strong monitoring, evaluation, and impact measurement experience, including Theories of Change, Log Frames, and MEL frameworks
• Excellent communication, influencing, and presentation skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams)
• Highly organised, proactive, and able to manage multiple donor relationships and deadlines simultaneously
• Collaborative, cross-cultural communicator comfortable working across diverse, interdisciplinary teams
• Passionate about social and environmental impact in a not-for-profit context

Core Responsibilities:

• Identify, cultivate, and manage strategic fundraising partnerships with private, public, and corporate donors
• Research prospective donors and develop compelling, well-crafted grant proposals and supporting materials
• Prepare and refine budgets in alignment with proposal narratives, timelines, and financial allocations
• Develop and maintain results frameworks, including project-specific Theories of Change, Log Frames, and MEL frameworks
• Maintain a live global and regional donor database and track philanthropy trends to inform fundraising strategy
• Develop and manage proposal and reporting templates, and coordinate internal proposal and reporting processes
• Prepare and present fundraising and partnership reports, including regular Board-level reporting
• Ensure all fundraising activity complies with organisational policies on funding sources, confidentiality, and data handling
• Work closely with programme, communications, finance, and leadership teams to translate impact into persuasive partnership propositions

On Offer:

• Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience 
• Sandton office-based role
• Extensive travel within South Africa required, including remote locations