Associate Director - Fundraising

About QUEST Alliance:

QUEST Alliance is a not-for-profit organization working across India, dedicated to equipping young people with the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving world of work. Since 2008, they've been reimagining how young learners, especially those from underserved communities experience education, career readiness, and lifelong learning. They have been enabling equitable school-to-work transitions by building future-ready learning ecosystems that prioritize access, inclusion, and innovation. 

Through strong collaboration with government systems, educators, communities, and civil society, they co-create tech-enabled learning experiences that empower young learners especially those from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds to build dignified, thriving and future-ready careers. 

They envision a world where education goes beyond access, becoming a powerful tool for self-empowerment, social mobility, and lasting impact.

Role Overview:

The Associate Director - Fundraising will be responsible for leading strategic fundraising initiatives, cultivating high-value partnerships, and driving revenue growth to support the organisations mission. This role will focus on developing multi-year funding relationships with institutional donors, corporates, high-net-worth individuals, and philanthropic foundations. The Associate Director will also oversee donor stewardship and proposal development.

About the Role:

Fundraising Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy aligned to organisational priorities
• Identify new revenue streams, diversify funding sources, and focus on generating new funds for the organisation
• Lead high-value donor engagement plans for long-term partnerships

Donor Cultivation & Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with institutional donors, corporate CSR teams, HNIs, and philanthropic foundations
• Represent the organisation at donor meetings, networking events, and sector forums
• Oversee timely and high-quality donor stewardship activities
• Lead the development and submission of critical grant proposals, ensuring alignment with funder priorities and internal strategy

Donor Communications

• Design communication strategies to position QUEST as a thought leader with existing and potential donors
• Design creative ways of engaging with donors strategically - in forums/ 1-1 meetings/smaller convenings or collaborative pieces of work

Team Management

• Lead a team of fundraising members who manage donor research and proposal writing
• Build capacities of the team to deliver quality proposals and insights
• Build a culture within the team that fosters learning, a holistic view of the organisation, sector, and philanthropy

Collaboration and Leadership

• Work closely with the Executive team and other staff members to align fundraising efforts with the overall organizational and program strategy
• Provide leadership, direction, and mentorship to the fundraising team, fostering a collaborative and high-performing environment
• Pitch QUEST's work to potential donors and be able to have strategic conversations in line with QUEST's priority areas
• Represent QUEST in forums, events, networking conferences, and be a spokesperson for QUEST's work

We are looking for people who

• Are passionate and have an understanding about the challenges India is facing in
  education and employability domain
• Ability to have strategic and big picture conversations with funders
• Diligent in their work and able to work with multiple teams to get things done
• Can work independently, is a go-getter and enjoys interacting with Indian and overseas philanthropy, and is a great communicator
• Can deal with ambiguity and proactively explore solutions

Skill Sets

• Experience in fundraising/ networking/ writing proposals
• Experience in managing a fundraising team
• Strong communication skills in English, both written and verbal.
• Initiative and self-driven
• Experience in fundraising with foundations, family offices, and HNIs would be a plus

Benefits

In addition to your compensation, you are also eligible for a suite of benefits designed to support your well-being and growth:

• Comprehensive Personal Accident Insurance covering up to 10,00,000 annually
• Mediclaim Insurance covering up to 3,00,000 annually, supported through our insurance partner, Loop, which also offers additional wellness benefits
• Reach for the Stars (RFS) amount of up to 5,000 to support your self-learning and
  knowledge-building efforts
• Internet allowance of up to 750/month, reimbursable based on actual usage to support flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• For employees with children under the age of 6 years, QUEST offers childcare or day care fee support through a monthly matching contribution of up to 3,000, helping you create a supportive work-life balance

Access to emotional health and wellbeing programs such as:

• Group sessions worth 7,500 per session fully covered by the organisation
• 1:1 counselling sessions (worth 1,800 per session), fully covered by the organisation

Know About QUEST

• Website: http://www.questalliance.net/
• Blog: https://thelearnerbyquest.wordpress.com

About the Team and Culture

• Everyday is a Friday! - How they make their workplace fun
• QUEST Day - Their Bday celebrated with people they love, and there is food & music
• What their partners & collaborators say? - see here
• Annual All Staff Meet - From Goa, Kumarakom, Coorg, Bodh Gaya & Puducherry this is where all employees meet to celebrate their learning & relationships
• Watch their youtube playlists for more