The posting
About ISDM
The Indian School of Development Management (ISDM) is a pioneering management school dedicated to strengthening leadership and management in social development work, producing the future CEOs and founders of impactful social purpose organisations. Since 2016, ISDM has worked across three strategic pillars: preparing talent, influencing practice, and building knowledge for Development Management.
With the rapid growth of India's economy and the rapid growth of development capital in the country, there is a huge opportunity to make a difference to over a billion people over the next couple of decades. However, this burgeoning development capital will need high-quality leadership and management talent to translate this possibility into real impact - talent that understands the complex nature of society and the complexities of driving social change, that can design interventions within these complexities, and that has the knowledge and skills to build and lead development organisations and translate their work into deep, sustained impact at scale.
Development Management needs to bring the head, heart, and hand together to engage with diverse communities, build on their agency, work with limited resources and divergent societal aspirations, and move towards a shared vision of a desirable society. India needs Development Management talent and capabilities across the Samaaj, Sarkaar, and Bazaar to translate this opportunity into reality on the ground, transforming the lives of over a billion people in the country, and eventually offering this discipline to countries across the Global South.
ISDM invites individuals who share its vision to join in creating a dynamic, catalytic ecosystem and positioning India as a thought leader in Development Management, ultimately enabling sustainable social impact at scale. Know more at www.isdm.org.in.
Role Purpose
The Senior Manager – Corporate & Retail Fundraising will build ISDM’s CSR and retail fundraising strategy and own day-to-day execution. This is a delivery-focused, relationship-driven role: building and managing a pipeline of corporate and retail prospects, developing tailored pitches and proposals, and stewarding funder relationships through to renewal.
The role works closely with the Founder & President, who owns the overall fundraising strategy, sets annual targets and leads the most senior institutional relationships. The Senior Manager translates that strategy into an active corporate and retail portfolio, and brings market intelligence and relationship insight back into strategic planning.
Key Responsibilities
- Implement the corporate (CSR) and retail fundraising strategy in line with ISDM's overall fundraising direction and recommend refinements based on market feedback.
- Conduct research to build a strong landscape understanding of corporate CSR priorities and retail donor trends, and align them with appropriate ISDM funding opportunities.
- Analyze market trends, CSR spending patterns and retail giving data to identify new fundraising avenues within this vertical.
- Engage with internal stakeholders to understand strategic priorities and co-create project-level proposals suited to corporate and retail funders.
- Build and maintain a healthy pipeline of prospective corporate and retail funding partners.
- Proactively identify, engage and build relationships with CSR heads, corporate foundations and retail giving platforms, converting them into long-term funding partners.
- Work with the marketing team to prepare pitch materials and proposals tailored to corporate and retail audiences and ISDM's value proposition.
- Participate in and help organize networking events and industry forums to position ISDM within corporate CSR and retail giving circles.
- Track commitments and reporting requirements for corporate and retail funders, manage deadlines, and work with project leads to prepare donor reports.
- Conduct due diligence on corporate and retail funding partners to ensure engagements are legally compliant and in line with codes of practice.
- Contribute actively towards meeting the annual fundraising targets set for the corporate and retail vertical.
Educational Qualifications and Experience Required
- Master's degree in Management, Business Administration or Economics.
- 15–18 years of work experience, preferably in B2B/corporate sales, CSR partnerships or not-for-profit fundraising.
- Outstanding relationship management skills and the ability to present and influence at a range of seniority levels, including CSR heads and corporate leadership.
- Comfortable working with ambiguity and adapting to evolving CSR and retail giving trends.
- Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills.
- Ability to collect and assess information rapidly, identify key points and draw conclusions.
- Strong attention to detail and financial acumen.
- Experience utilizing organizational brand and programs for donor communication and engagement.
- Understanding of the CSR and retail fundraising landscape in India, including relevant regulatory and compliance considerations.
- Open to extensive travel.
Preferred Background
- Prior experience managing a corporate CSR or retail fundraising portfolio, ideally within the social sector or a mission-driven organization.
- Existing relationships with CSR teams, corporate foundations or retail giving platforms are an advantage.
Remuneration for this role will be commensurate with qualifications & experience. To learn more about us and apply, check out isdm.org.in/careers.
ISDM is an equal opportunity organization with a particular emphasis on affirmative action. The culture of the organization is one of professionalism while also one that greatly values relationships.
