External Consultant for the Institutional Fundraising Strategy of forumZFD

Background

ForumZFD supports people on the path to peace and strives to help overcome war and violence. We are currently working with peace consultants in Germany, as well as twelve other countries in Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia. Our Academy for Conflict Transformation offers a learning space for professional, international peace work. Through dialogue events, educational work and campaigns, we actively advocate for civil peace policy. ForumZFD thereby follows a systemic approach to conflict transformation that views conflict and its progression as a complex system and deals with its structural causes, as well as the actions, the behaviour and the attitudes of the involved parties.

ForumZFD is recognized by the German federal government as a member of the Civil Peace Service (CPS) consortium. Our work is financed through public and private grants, donations and membership fees.

Rationale of the assignment

ForumZFD aims to diversify its funding and it is imperative to develop a clear strategy for institutional fundraising. Fund diversification of forumZFD is crucial to strengthen the financial base and increase the impact on peacebuilding and conflict transformation. This requires the development of a flexible, professional and proactive organisational culture with regard to new funding opportunities as well as clear procedures, roles and responsibilities. ForumZFD is currently in the process of implementing its new strategy and intends to actively address the issue of institutional fundraising in the near future in order to remain operational. As forumZFD is still at the beginning of this journey, an external view of the opportunities and challenges is of great importance. In addition to a comprehensive assessment of our own capacities, it is also necessary to look outwards and see where we are positioned internationally and where our opportunities lie.

Scope of Work:

Between September and November 2024, the consultant(s) will be asked to enhance forumZFD’s institutional fundraising capacity by conducting a comprehensive screening of institutional donor markets, assessing organizational readiness, and formulating strategic recommendations:

1. Organizational Familiarization:
   • Gain a thorough understanding of forumZFD’s structure, current projects, expertise, and capacities.
2. Institutional Readiness and Capacity Assessment (IRCA):
   • Develop and execute an IRCA to evaluate forumZFD’s current capabilities.
   • Provide detailed recommendations for further organizational development based on the assessment findings.
3. Donor Market Screening and Mapping:
   • Conduct a comprehensive screening of institutional donor markets, identifying potential funding opportunities that align with forumZFD’s brand and Theory of Change (ToC).
   • Evaluate various donor segments such as Foundations & Trusts, Government Donors, Funds, Multilaterals, etc.
   • Create a donor mapping report that outlines global funding opportunities with criteria for prioritizing potential donors.
4. Advice on the Development of Institutional Fundraising Strategy:
   • Advise on the development of an Institutional Fundraising Strategy, including:
     • Recommendations for the structure and table of contents of the strategy document.
     • Addressing identified gaps and areas for improvement.

Deliverables:

1. Comprehensive IRCA report with actionable recommendations.
2. Detailed donor mapping report identifying key funding opportunities and prioritization criteria.
3. Strategic advice and framework for developing an Institutional Fundraising Strategy.
4. (Online) presentation of the deliverables to stakeholders in the organisation.