Deputy Chief Advancement Officer - Funding and Grants

Deputy Chief Advancement Officer – Funding & Grants

• Commission-based/Volunteer role leading to contract
• Remote/Homebased
• 10hrs a week minimum commitment

Reports to:Chief Advancement Officer (GELT)

Direct Reports:Director of Funding (GELT);
Heads of Funding & Grants Management (National Management Teams – India, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe);
Mission Funding Executives (indirect)

Lead Global Funding Strategy. Secure Transformational Impact. Build Lasting Capability.

Project Yananai is seeking an exceptional, highly experienced fundraising leader to join our Global Executive Leadership Team (GELT) as Deputy Chief Advancement Officer – Funding & Grants. This is a rare opportunity for a senior development sector fundraiser who combines strategic vision with a hands‑on approach, and who is as comfortable personally closing a seven‑figure gift as they are building the capability of fundraising teams across multiple continents.

If you are a player‑coach leader who wants to apply your expertise to a mission of lasting, sustainable community transformation, this role offers you the platform to shape the future of a high‑performing global nonprofit.

Project Yananai is a global non‑profit headquartered in the United Kingdom, with Affiliate Entities and National Management Teams in India, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Our mission is to inspire and empower individuals and communities by fostering enduring relationships, enhancing sustainable skills, and delivering compassionate humanitarian aid. Rooted in Christian values, we are dedicated to nurturing resilient societies that are self‑sufficient, spiritually fulfilled, and equipped to break cycles of poverty.

Our integrated Theory of Change - the Project Yananai Ecosystem - brings together three core activities that work synergistically to create lasting impact:
Family Foundations, Skills Development, Relief Operations

As Deputy Chief Advancement Officer – Funding & Grants, you will be the strategic architect and hands‑on driver of Project Yananai's global funding and grants acquisition. You will lead from the front, personally cultivating and closing major funding opportunities with institutional donors, foundations, corporates, and high‑net‑worth individuals, while simultaneously building the capability of your team to deliver ambitious growth across all our focus countries.

This is a true player‑coach role, involving strategy, execution and mentoring.

• Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive global funding and grants acquisition strategy, aligned with Project Yananai's Theory of Change and strategic growth plan.
• Identify and prioritise high‑value funding opportunities across institutional donors (bilaterals, multilaterals, UN agencies), trusts and foundations, corporate partners, and high‑net‑worth individuals.
• Set ambitious income targets and monitor progress against key performance indicators, reporting regularly to the Chief Advancement Officer, CEO, and Board of Trustees.
• Personally manage a portfolio of priority donor relationships, leading end‑to‑end cultivation, solicitation, negotiation, and stewardship.
• Lead the development of complex, high‑value funding proposals, ensuring they are compelling, evidence‑based, and aligned with donor priorities and organisational values.
• Represent Project Yananai at major fundraising forums, conferences, and donor meetings, articulating our integrated model with clarity and conviction.

• Lead, mentor, and develop the Director of Funding (GELT), ensuring they have the support, resources, and guidance to excel in their role.
• Provide strategic oversight and capacity‑building support to National Heads of Funding & Grants Management in India, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, and to the Mission Funding Executives who report to them.
• Design and deliver training and professional development initiatives that strengthen fundraising capability across the organisation, embedding best practice in donor cultivation, proposal development, grant management, and stewardship.
• Foster a culture of…