Strategic Philanthropy & Donor Partnerships; Climate & Rainforest Protection

Overview

Terms of Reference for Independent Contractor

Organization:
Rainforest Foundation US (RFUS)

Consultancy title:
Strategic Philanthropy & Donor Partnerships (Climate & Rainforest Protection)

Contract Type:
Consultancy

Location:

Remote

Duration: 3 months

RFUS partners with Indigenous peoples across Latin America to secure land rights, protect rainforests, and advance climate resilience. As part of its 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, RFUS is expanding Indigenous-led forest protection while strengthening relationships with philanthropists and families committed to climate, biodiversity, and human rights.

RFUS seeks an experienced philanthropy advisor to help identify and activate new donor partnerships that can support this work at a transformational scale. The consultancy will be under the Executive Director’s direction and will work closely with the Institutional Giving Director, the Director of External Relations & Partnerships, and the Donor Relations Advisor.

The objective of this engagement is to rapidly expand RFUS’s philanthropic partnerships pipeline by identifying, advising, and engaging new high-capacity donors aligned with RFUS’s mission. This consultancy is designed to catalyze momentum by creating a qualified donor pipeline and launching priority relationships. The consultancy aims to position RFUS for major philanthropic commitments beyond the three-month term.

The consultant will serve as a philanthropic strategist and relationship advisor, working closely with RFUS leadership to deliver:

• A. Philanthropic Strategy (Weeks 1–3)
  • Develop a concise 3-month Philanthropic Engagement Plan, including:
    Priority donor types, strategic funding themes, prospect engagement pathways, target prospects, and meeting and outreach plans and goals.
• B. Donor & Network Mapping (Weeks 1–6)
  • Identify and qualify 20–30 new philanthropic prospects aligned with RFUS’s mission. Prepare donor profiles including: philanthropic interests and giving history, capacity, networks and access points, and recommended engagement strategy.
• C. Relationship Launch & Engagement (Weeks 4–12)
  • Support initial engagement with priority donors, including:
    Private briefings with RFUS leadership, curated donor conversations, and strategic introductions through aligned networks.
  • Prepare donor briefing memos, talking points, and follow-up strategies and materials.
  • Review, critique, and work with RFUS staff to improve RFUS’s proposals and donor-facing materials to strengthen their clarity, credibility, and appeal to high-capacity prospects.
• D. Philanthropic Commitments (Weeks 8–12)
  • Support RFUS leadership in converting interest into:
    Multi-year commitments, donor-advised fund contributions, gifts of digital assets or other non-cash contributions.
• E. Handover & Continuity (Final 2 Weeks)
  • Deliver a Donor Pipeline & Next Steps document, including:
    Active donor pipeline, engagement status and next steps, messaging and outreach tools, and recommendations for continued cultivation.

The consultant is expected to require an average of 2–3 days per week, for 12 weeks during the contract period, to produce the following deliverables. The offices are closed on U.S. holidays and between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

The consultancy will require launch and closing meetings, as well as weekly meetings, to coordinate and monitor the progress of deliverables. By the end of the three-month term, RFUS expects:

• 20–30 new qualified philanthropic prospects
• 4–6 substantive donor engagements
• At least 1–2 donors in advanced commitment or proposal stage
• A clear, prioritized pipeline ready for continued cultivation

The ideal consultant will have:

• A track record advising high-capacity philanthropists or family foundations on environmental or climate giving
• Experience structuring transformational philanthropic partnership
• Familiarity with rainforest, climate, and Indigenous-rights philanthropy
• Strong networks in philanthropic and…