Senior Project Manager – Fundraising in New Delhi | Central Square Foundation

Central Square Foundation (CSF)

Central Square Foundation was founded in 2012 and works to make sure every child in India gets a good quality education. It does this through system-led reform, partnering with government to design, run and scale programmes that are backed by evidence. CSF works on five priorities: foundational literacy and numeracy, early childhood education, school governance, EdTech and AI, and support for high potential students from underserved backgrounds. Its work reaches 13 states and one Union Territory. This role sits within CSF's Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives team, which builds the partnerships and raises the resources that allow CSF to pursue those priorities.

Role

This is a hands-on fundraising role covering the full lifecycle of a funding relationship, from researching and identifying prospects through outreach, cultivation, proposal writing, ongoing engagement, stewardship and renewals. You will work with CSR funders, Indian and global philanthropic foundations, and high net worth individuals. The role reports to the Senior Project Lead, Fundraising, and combines independent ownership of your own set of donors with close teamwork across CSF.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of prospective donors across CSR, Indian and global foundations, HNIs and UHNIs, and other funding sources.
• Conduct prospect research to identify and qualify funders, studying their priorities, funding potential, decision-making processes and fit with CSF's work.
• Identify entry points into qualified prospects and shape tailored approaches for starting and deepening conversations.
• Manage assigned opportunities through the funnel, from first identification through outreach, cultivation, proposal and closure.
• Develop and run cultivation plans for priority prospects, creating touchpoints that build familiarity and trust in CSF's work.
• Serve as a reliable point of contact for existing donors and keep a high standard of donor servicing.
• Build engagement plans for existing donors that deepen the relationship and create room for continued or expanded support.
• Deliver timely, tailored donor communication including updates, reports and follow-ups, anticipating donor needs before they are raised.
• Write concept notes, proposals and funding applications that turn CSF's priorities and evidence into clear, fundable propositions.
• Work with programme, RMEAL, Communications and Finance colleagues to gather the evidence and inputs each proposal and report needs.
• Build reusable fundraising material such as investment cases, one-pagers, prospect briefs, evidence banks and case studies.
• Maintain the Donor Management Dashboard, the fundraising CRM and pipeline trackers so ownership, deadlines and next steps stay accurate.
• Prepare pipeline snapshots, funding gap analyses and briefing material for leadership and Board discussions, and track agreed actions to completion.
• Represent CSF at donor forums, conferences and sector convenings, and build relationships across the philanthropy and CSR ecosystem.

Requirements

• 5-8 years of relevant professional experience in fundraising and donor management within the development sector.
• Experience working with CSR funders, philanthropic foundations, HNIs and UHNIs, or other institutional funders.
• Experience across several parts of the fundraising lifecycle, including prospect research, donor cultivation, proposal development, partnership management, stewardship and renewals.
• Master's degree in business, public policy, economics, development studies or a related field.
• Excellent written and spoken communication, with the ability to produce sharp proposals, presentations, briefs and donor updates.
• Strong research and analytical skills, with the ability to pull information together and turn it into fundraising insight.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets, including fundraising data, pipeline trackers and dashboards.
• Experience with CRM and donor management systems is preferred.
• Experience working with senior leadership on fundraising priorities and donor engagements.
• High ownership: you move work forward, anticipate what is needed and close loops without constant direction.
• A strong relationship builder who listens well and invests in relationships over time.
• Collaborative and persistent, able to work across a large organisation and follow through with many stakeholders.
• Proactive and resourceful, bringing structure and momentum to complex or changing pieces of work.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and a fast-paced environment, staying focused when priorities shift.

Benefits

• Ownership of your own set of donor relationships from first contact through to renewal, with close support from a senior fundraising lead.
• Work on one of India's largest education reform efforts, spanning 13 states and one Union Territory.
• Exposure to CSF's leadership and Board through fundraising reviews and briefing work.
• Close collaboration with programme, research, communications and finance colleagues, building a full view of how systems-change work is designed and funded.
• Regular contact with donors, peer organisations and philanthropy platforms across the social impact sector.

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