Spark Microgrants

Manager

• Lead the development and execution of Spark’s donor engagement and fundraising strategy for Rwanda in close collaboration with the Country Director.
• Identify, pursue, and secure new funding opportunities aligned with organizational priorities and growth plans.
• Oversee proposal development processes, ensuring strong coordination, quality assurance, and timely submission, while drawing on technical teams for content expertise.
• Provide leadership with insights on donor trends, funding landscapes, and partnership opportunities relevant to decentralization and community development.
• Create and steward relationships with institutional donors and strategic partners through structured engagement, updates, and high-level briefings.
• Serve as Spark’s senior representative with government and external stakeholders at a strategic and relationship-management level, ensuring alignment, visibility, and institutional support.
• Maintain senior-level relationships with MINALOC, LODA, MINECOFIN, and other government bodies, ensuring strong support and coordination for NF rollout and implementation.
• Represent Spark in high-level coordination platforms, donor forums, and strategic convenings to strengthen positioning and partnerships both in Rwanda and where relevant internationally.
• Oversee partnership agreements and MoUs from a strategic oversight perspective, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Provide strategic direction to the development of donor-facing and external communications materials, including success stories, presentations, and briefing notes.
• Ensure consistent, high-quality communication with donors on progress, milestones, and strategic developments, in coordination with program and communications teams.
• Lead high-level donor and partner engagements, visits, and visibility initiatives that strengthen institutional relationships.
• Lead and mentor staff within the Donors and External Relations function, including the Program Development Manager and Communications Officer.
• Contribute to organizational strategy, annual planning, and external positioning efforts.
• Act as deputy to the Country Director when required, supporting leadership of in-country operations and representing Spark externally at senior forums.

Senior Manager, Donor and External Relations

Communications

• Own Donor-Facing Communications, establishing a clear, cohesive donor communications strategy.
• Lead all external donor-facing communications, ensuring consistency and quality across channels.
• Design and execute multi-channel campaign strategies to support fundraising goals.
• Shape Spark’s Narrative and Voice, refreshing external narrative and voice.
• Oversee design and brand execution across external materials.

Senior Communications Manager

Director

• Own and Drive the Fundraising Pipeline
• Build and actively manage a robust, high-quality donor pipeline that delivers significant, multi-year philanthropic commitments aligned with Spark’s growth priorities.
• Build, manage, and advance a portfolio of major donors, foundations, and philanthropic partners, including prospects capable of 6–7 figure gifts.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors through long-term, relationship-driven engagement.
• Develop clear pipeline strategies with defined milestones, targets, and timelines, and maintain momentum from initial interest through commitment.
• Make direct, confident, and timely asks, converting opportunities into secured funding.
• Develop compelling donor proposals and pitch materials
• Track pipeline progress and proactively surface risks, gaps, and opportunities.
• Lead Spark’s Philanthropy Strategy
• Establish a clear, focused philanthropy strategy that aligns prospective donor engagement with Spark’s long-term vision, growth plans, and funding priorities.
• Shape Spark’s overall philanthropy strategy in partnership with the CEO, Growth Director, and Executive Leadership Team, with a clear focus on expanding and diversifying the donor base.
• Identify and prioritize new funding opportunities aligned with Spark’s programmatic expansion, research agenda, and long-term institutional growth.
• Design innovative, multi-year partnership approaches that introduce new entry points for donors and motivate sustained investment in Spark’s larger goals.
• Use data, insight, and compelling narrative to match prospective funders with the right opportunities at the right moment in their engagement journey.
• Lead fundraising conversations with urgency and clarity, while building trust, integrity, and durable donor relationships.
• Design & Manage Pipeline Operations and Systems
• Establish effective systems and processes that support disciplined fundraising execution, transparency, and decision-making.
• Design and manage pipeline operations, including new donor tracking, data management, and coordination of donor communications in alignment with senior communications manager.
• Set clear fundraising goals and performance indicators, and monitor progress against targets.
• Analyze pipeline data to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for growth.
• Share regular pipeline updates and insights with leadership and the Board to support strategic oversight and accountability.

Senior Manager, Donor and External Relations

Senior Communications Manager

Philanthropy Director