External consultant for forumZFD’s institutional fundraising strategy

background

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

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

Justification of the task

ForumZFD aims to diversify its funding and it is imperative to develop a clear strategy for institutional fundraising. Diversifying forumZFD’s funds 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 organizational 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 outside and see where we are positioned internationally and where our opportunities lie.

Scope of work:

Between September and November 2024, consultants 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 training:
   • Get a comprehensive insight into the structure, current projects, competencies and capacities of forumZFD.
2. Institutional Readiness and Capacity Assessment (IRCA):
   • Develop and implement an IRCA to evaluate forumZFD’s current capabilities.
   • Based on the evaluation results, provide detailed recommendations for further organizational development.
3. Screening and mapping the donor market:
   • Conduct a comprehensive screening of institutional donor markets and identify potential funding opportunities that align with forumZFD’s brand and Theory of Change (ToC).
   • Evaluate different donor segments such as foundations and trusts, government donors, funds, multilateral organizations, etc.
   • Create a donor matching report that presents global funding opportunities with criteria for prioritizing potential donors.
4. Advice on developing an institutional fundraising strategy:
   • Advice on developing an institutional fundraising strategy, including:
     • Recommendations on the structure and table of contents of the strategy document.
     • Addressing identified gaps and areas for improvement.

Scope of delivery:

1. Comprehensive IRCA report with actionable recommendations.
2. Detailed donor allocation report identifying key funding opportunities and prioritization criteria.
3. Strategic advice and framework for developing an institutional fundraising strategy.
4. (Online) presentation of the results to the stakeholders in the organization.