Trusts and Foundations Fundraising Manager: Remote Consultancy with HelpAge International|Apply by 1 Sept 2026
Professionals with strong experience in fundraising, donor engagement and philanthropy have an opportunity to support HelpAge International through a short-term, home-based consultancy focused on expanding its trusts and foundations income.
HelpAge International is seeking a Trusts and Foundations Fundraising Manager to strengthen its pipeline of philanthropic prospects, particularly within the US philanthropic market. The consultancy offers an opportunity for an experienced fundraising professional to contribute to the organisation’s longer-term income-generation strategy while building relationships with potential donors.
About HelpAge International
HelpAge International works through a global network of approximately 200 organisations across 99 countries to promote the rights of older people and help them lead dignified, healthy and secure lives.
The organisation works through partnerships and collaboration, with a focus on inclusion, impact, learning and creating a fairer world for people as they age.
As part of its fundraising strategy, HelpAge is seeking to diversify its philanthropic income from trusts and foundations in the United States. An initial prospect-mapping exercise has already identified potential funders, and the successful consultant will build on this work through research, qualification and direct donor engagement.
Consultancy at a Glance
- Position: Trusts and Foundations Fundraising Manager
- Organisation: HelpAge International
- Location: Home-based
- Contract: Consultancy
- Duration: 3 months, with possible extension
- Start date: September 2026
- Closing date: 1 September 2026
- Career area: Donor Relations/Grants Management
- Experience: Approximately 5–9 years
- Reports to: Director of Fundraising and Strategic Partnerships
The consultancy is particularly suited to professionals who understand philanthropic fundraising and can combine prospect research with relationship building and donor cultivation.
Key Responsibilities
The successful consultant will begin by reviewing HelpAge’s existing prospect list and conducting additional research into potential trusts and foundations.
This research will assess factors such as:
- Strategic alignment with HelpAge’s priorities
- Thematic interests
- Geographic focus
- Typical grant sizes
- Whether funders accept unsolicited approaches
- Existing grantees
- Potential partnership opportunities
Prospects will then be categorised according to their priority and likelihood of success.
The role goes beyond research, however. The consultant will also be expected to actively engage prospective donors by drafting introductory communications, seeking warm introductions, arranging exploratory meetings and preparing briefing materials.
Following meetings and discussions, the consultant will document donor feedback, potential opportunities and recommended next steps.
Building a Strong Fundraising Pipeline
A major component of the assignment will be developing a structured prospect pipeline.
The pipeline will classify potential funders into three categories:
Tier 1 – High-Priority Prospects
These will be funders with strong strategic alignment and realistic potential for significant funding.
Tier 2 – Medium-Priority Prospects
These prospects may offer promising opportunities but require further cultivation and relationship development.
Tier 3 – Long-Term Prospects
These will be strategically relevant funders that may require longer-term engagement before an application or funding opportunity becomes realistic.
For each prospect, the consultant will provide information such as the rationale for prioritisation, indicative funding potential, programme interests, engagement strategy and recommended next steps.
Identifying New Funding Opportunities
The consultant will also identify and circulate relevant funding opportunities across different areas of philanthropy.
These may include trusts and foundations, challenge funds, philanthropic collaboratives, donor-advised funds, intermediary mechanisms and companies.
This element of the role will help ensure that HelpAge has a stronger understanding of the broader funding landscape and can respond strategically to suitable opportunities.
Assessing Fundraising Databases
An interesting part of the consultancy will involve assessing several fundraising intelligence platforms through free trial subscriptions.
The platforms listed include Instrumentl, Fundraisio, Cause IQ and FundsforNGOs Premium.
The consultant will compare these platforms based on information quality, international coverage, US foundation coverage, ease of use, value for money and overall suitability for HelpAge’s fundraising strategy.
The findings will contribute to a recommendation on whether HelpAge should invest in one or more fundraising databases in the future.
Expected Deliverables
By the conclusion of the three-month assignment, the consultant will be expected to produce several important deliverables.
These include a prioritised prospect pipeline covering high-priority, medium-priority and longer-term opportunities, together with recommended engagement strategies and indicative funding potential.
The consultant will also maintain a donor engagement tracker recording outreach, meetings, contacts, donor feedback and recommended follow-up actions.
An opportunity tracker will document open funding calls, deadlines, funder priorities and recommended actions.
In addition, the consultant will produce a database assessment paper comparing the fundraising platforms tested and a final report containing key findings, donor intelligence, priority prospects, cultivation recommendations and suggested next steps.
Who Can Apply?
HelpAge is looking for an experienced fundraising professional with a proven record of securing funding from trusts and foundations.
Applicants should have experience cultivating and managing donor relationships, strong knowledge of US and international philanthropy, excellent prospect research and pipeline-management skills, and strong written and verbal communication abilities.
Experience working within international development or humanitarian organisations would be advantageous. Existing networks within US and international philanthropy are also desirable.
Knowledge of areas such as ageing, health systems, social protection or humanitarian programming would be an additional advantage.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit:
- An updated CV
- A cover letter explaining their suitability
- A financial proposal including their daily rate
Applications should be sent to Jobs@helpage.org by 1 September 2026.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so qualified candidates are encouraged to apply early.
For experienced fundraising professionals seeking a flexible consultancy in international development, this opportunity offers the chance to help strengthen HelpAge International’s philanthropic income while developing relationships across the US and international funding landscape.
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Disclaimer: Remote Job Opportunities (RJO) is not the organization offering this opportunity. For any inquiries, please contact the responsible organization directly. Please do not send your applications to RJO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.
