Manager : Donor Development, Fundraising & Partnership

Avasara Academy (Avasara Leadership Institute); Pune District; On-site; INR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Avasara Academy is seeking a development professional to lead donor development, fundraising and partnerships. The role focuses on growing the funding ecosystem, cultivating long-term relationships with donors, CSR partners and foundations, and managing the complete grant cycle from research to stewardship.

Working closely with the Founder, school leadership, Finance, Impact and programme teams, the Manager will translate Avasara's priorities into compelling proposals and reports, strengthening

Qualifications

• Excellent written communication for proposals and donor reports.
• Strong verbal communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to work with leadership, Finance, programme teams, donors and partners.
• Attention to budgets, reporting, documentation and compliance.
• Ability to manage multiple donors, priorities and deadlines.
• Experience with budgets, data, KPIs and grant documentation.
• Independent but collaborative, mission-driven and discreet.

Responsibilities

• Lead donor development, fundraising and partnerships.
• Build a strong funding pipeline and cultivate long-term donor relationships.
• Manage the complete grant cycle from prospect research to proposals, reporting and renewals.
• Translate priorities into compelling proposals, credible reports and stewardship communications.
• Collaborate with the Founder, leadership, Finance, Impact and programme teams.
• Support alumni engagement and connect outcomes to donor stewardship.

Skills

Donor development

Fundraising

Partnerships

Proposal writing

Stakeholder management

Budgeting & reporting

Grant documentation

Alumni engagement

Independent collaboration

Job description

Avasara Academy is a non-profit residential school of excellence for girls in grades 6-12, based near Pune. Avasara (Sanskrit for 'opportunity') works with students from low-income backgrounds who show high potential, combining a rigorous academic and leadership curriculum with the goal of developing India's next generation of women leaders.

Sustaining this model depends on a strong ecosystem of donors and institutional partners. Avasara is seeking a relationship-focused development professional who can grow this ecosystem and ensure that every funding partnership is thoughtfully cultivated, well managed and supported by clear, accurate communication.

Avasara is looking for an experienced professional to lead donor development, fundraising and partnerships. The role will build a strong funding pipeline, cultivate long-term relationships with donors, CSR partners and foundations, and manage the complete grant cycle - from prospect research and proposals to agreements, reporting, renewals and stewardship. Working closely with the Founder, school leadership, Finance, Impact and programme teams, the Manager will translate Avasara's priorities and impact into compelling proposals, credible reports and enduring partnerships. The Manager will contribute to alumni engagement and support, strengthening long-term relationships and connecting alumni outcomes and stories with institutional development and donor stewardship.

Profile of the Ideal Candidate

• Excellent written communication skills; the ability to write high-quality proposals and donor reports is essential
• Strong verbal communication, relationship-building and stakeholder-management skills
• Ability to work effectively with multiple internal and external stakeholders, including leadership, Finance, programme teams, donors and partners
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy in budgets, reporting, documentation and compliance
• Ability to manage multiple donors, priorities and deadlines simultaneously
• Comfort working with budgets, data, KPIs and grant documentation
• Proactive, solutions-oriented and able to work independently while collaborating closely across teams
• Discretion, integrity and genuine commitment to Avasara's mission