Fundraising Operations Consultant - INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR

Fundraising Operations Consultant (Independent Contractor)

Scope of Work

Overview

UpTogether is seeking a highly organized, strategic, and proactive consultant to strengthen the organization's fundraising infrastructure and support revenue-generating activities across regional and national initiatives.

Working closely with the Senior Director of Partnerships, CEO, and External Affairs team, the consultant will coordinate proposal development, manage grant reporting, strengthen revenue operations, conduct strategic prospect research, and develop the systems, tools, and resources that enable efficient fundraising across the organization. The consultant will also provide strategic recommendations on funding opportunities, improve fundraising processes, and support special projects that strengthen organizational capacity and operational effectiveness.

To learn more about UpTogether’s approach to disrupting the status quo to end poverty, Consultant applicants should review our website and familiarize themselves with our work

Scope of Work

1. Fundraising Infrastructure & Proposal Development

Coordinate proposal development and maintain the fundraising tools, resources, and processes that support regional and national fundraising efforts.

Responsibilities include:

• Coordinate proposal development from planning through submission across regional and national funding opportunities.
• Draft, edit, and refine proposals, concept papers, letters of inquiry, grant applications, and other fundraising materials.
• Coordinate cross-functional input from internal teams to ensure high-quality, competitive submissions.
• Develop and maintain proposal templates, boilerplate language, standard budgets, impact statements, and a centralized library of fundraising resources.
• Manage proposal timelines, submission calendars, and internal review processes.
• Ensure proposals accurately reflect UpTogether's strategic priorities, evidence, and organizational approach.
• Continuously improve proposal development processes and fundraising resources.

2. Grant Management & Reporting

Coordinate grant reporting and ensure compliance with funder requirements throughout the grant lifecycle.

Responsibilities include:

• Manage grant reporting calendars and submission deadlines.
• Coordinate report development across internal teams.
• Draft and edit narrative grant reports.
• Track grant requirements, deliverables, and compliance obligations.
• Maintain grant documentation, funding agreements, and organizational records.
• Support grant closeout activities and ensure reporting accurately reflects program outcomes and financial information.

3. Revenue Operations & Fundraising Systems

Strengthen the operational systems that support fundraising and revenue management.

Responsibilities include:

• Maintain Salesforce data integrity, grant records, revenue tracking, GAUs, and fundraising documentation.
• Coordinate financial requests and revenue reconciliation with the Finance team.
• Manage fundraising workflows and project tracking within Asana.
• Produce fundraising dashboards, pipeline reports, and leadership updates.
• Identify and implement improvements to CRM systems, workflows, reporting, documentation, and operational processes.
• Leverage AI-enabled tools and automation to improve proposal development, reporting, knowledge management, and fundraising operations.

4. Strategic Prospect Development & Portfolio Support

Support fundraising growth through proactive prospect research and strategic portfolio recommendations.

Responsibilities include:

• Research and identify institutional, corporate, government, and philanthropic funding opportunities aligned with UpTogether's priorities.
• Analyze opportunities and provide recommendations regarding strategic fit, competitiveness, timing, and engagement approach.
• Develop prospect profiles, funder briefings, and meeting materials for leadership.
• Monitor philanthropic trends and emerging funding opportunities.
• Support portfolio planning by identifying funding gaps, diversification opportunities, and recommended priorities.

5. External Communications & Donor Stewardship

Support engagement with institutional funders, partners, and individual donors.

Responsibilities include:

• Draft funder updates, stewardship communications, impact stories, and follow-up materials.
• Develop one-pagers, presentations, pitch decks, and other fundraising collateral.
• Coordinate logistics and follow-up for funder meetings and external engagements.
• Support stewardship of individual donors, including acknowledgments and ongoing communications.
• Maintain donor communication records within Salesforce and support annual fundraising campaigns as needed.

6. Special Projects

Provide project management and operational support for strategic initiatives that strengthen fundraising capacity and organizational effectiveness.

Examples include:

• Support the implementation and operational management of cash transfer programs, grants, and strategic initiatives.
• Coordinate cross-functional implementation plans and project management.
• Develop internal documentation, operational playbooks, and process guides.
• Lead CRM enhancements, automation projects, and fundraising process improvements.
• Support implementation of AI-enabled tools and technology solutions.
• Manage special projects that strengthen the Partnerships team's effectiveness and fundraising infrastructure.
• Undertake additional responsibilities as needed in support of the External Affairs teams and organizational cross-collaboration.

Desired Qualifications

The ideal consultant will have:

• Approximately 3–5 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, grants management, development operations, foundation relations, or revenue operations.
• Demonstrated experience managing proposal development, grant reporting, and fundraising operations.
• Strong writing, editing, and project management skills.
• Experience conducting prospect research and providing strategic funding recommendations.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional initiatives involving multiple stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Salesforce (or a comparable CRM) and project management platforms such as Asana.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across teams.
• Familiarity with AI-enabled productivity tools and workflow automation is preferred.

Estimated Hours

• Approximately 15–25 hours per week, depending on organizational priorities, proposal volume, grant reporting deadlines, and special projects.  
• Workload may fluctuate throughout the year based on funding cycles and organizational needs.

Compensation

• The Fundraising Operations Consultant shall provide their services to UpTogether solely as an independent contractor, and not as an employee, agent, partner, or joint-venturer.
• Consultant shall be paid an hourly rate between $31.00 - $33.00 per hour, inclusive of all taxes and fees, not to exceed 25 hours per week, with hours subject to pre-approval.
• Consultant shall be responsible for all expenses incurred while performing the Services.
• Consultant will be paid within 30 days after receipt of properly submitted and approved invoice. 

Submission of Application

To be considered for this opportunity, please submit a resume and cover letter demonstrating relevant experience.  Engagement shall be subject to execution of an Independent Contractor agreement.