Business Development Manager, Philanthropy and Grants

About WEConnect International

WEConnect International is a leading global nonprofit that connects women-owned businesses to qualified buyers around the world. We identify, educate, register, and certify businesses that are at least 51 percent owned, managed, and controlled by women. Through our global network, capacity-building programs, technology platform, market intelligence, and connections to corporate, multilateral, and government buyers, we help women-owned businesses become more visible, strengthen their capabilities, and compete in global value chains. Our network includes more than 22,000 women-owned businesses across over 140 markets and more than 180 member buyers. Learn more at www.WEConnectInternational.org.

Core Values and Culture

As we continue to grow our impact, WEConnect International attracts and holds accountable members, partners, staff, and stakeholders based on the following core values, which help define our culture, brand, and operating approach:

• Embrace Diversity and Inclusion to Unleash Potential
• Demonstrate Passion for Women’s Economic Empowerment
• Make a Positive Difference in the World
• Deliver Stakeholder Value
• Exemplify Integrity in Everything We Do
• Pursue Teamwork with a Shared Vision and Purpose
• Embrace Openness, Trust, and Candid Communication

No phone calls, please. We regret that we are unable to respond to individual inquiries about the position.

WEConnect International is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  All aspects of employment will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

About the role

WEConnect International seeks a strategic and results-oriented Business Development Manager to grow philanthropic revenue from private foundations, corporate foundations, family foundations, and other institutional funders. The Manager will identify and qualify prospects, cultivate funding relationships, develop strong grant proposals and concept notes, and coordinate the full grant cycle from initial research through award, reporting, renewal, and stewardship. Working across programs, regional teams, finance, communications, and senior leadership, this role will translate WEConnect International’s global work into compelling, fundable initiatives that expand the visibility, growth, and long-term resilience of women-owned businesses.

What you'll do

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy and Pipeline Development

• Support the development and execution of a philanthropic fundraising strategy aligned with WEConnect International’s mission, strategic priorities, programs, and revenue goals.
• Build and manage a qualified pipeline of private, corporate, and family foundations and other institutional funders with an interest in women’s economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, market access, small business growth, workforce development, technology, financial resilience, and related areas.
• Conduct disciplined prospect research to assess mission alignment, funding priorities, geographic interests, giving history, grant size, decision-making processes, and relationship pathways.
• Maintain an active grants calendar and moves-management plan covering cultivation, submissions, decisions, reporting requirements, renewals, and next steps.

Foundation Cultivation and Relationship Management

• Develop tailored engagement strategies for priority prospects and help senior leaders, Board members, and program colleagues prepare for funder meetings and outreach.
• Build credible, long-term relationships with foundation program officers and other philanthropic partners through thoughtful communication, timely follow-up, and a strong understanding of their priorities.
• Represent WEConnect International in selected funder meetings, philanthropic forums, and sector convening and identify opportunities for partnership and co-funding.
• Coordinate stewardship for current funders, ensuring that they understand the progress, results, learning, and future potential of the work they support.

Proposal and Grant Development

• Lead the development of letters of inquiry, concept notes, grant proposals, pitch materials, and renewal requests that clearly articulate the need, proposed approach, measurable outcomes, budget, and case for investment.
• Translate WEConnect International’s global platform, market intelligence, buyer network, certification, supplier discovery, capacity building, technology, and regional delivery capabilities into compelling philanthropic opportunities.
• Work with program and regional leaders to design practical, fundable initiatives with clear target populations, activities, timelines, outcomes, measurement plans, and pathways to scale.
• Coordinate proposal inputs and approvals across program, finance, legal, communications, monitoring and evaluation, and leadership teams while maintaining submission quality and deadlines.
• Develop reusable proposal content, institutional language, data points, program descriptions, budgets, and supporting materials to improve the quality and efficiency of future submissions.

Grant Management and Funder Reporting

• Lead the non-financial administration of assigned grants from award through closeout, including grant agreements, deliverables, reporting schedules, acknowledgement requirements, and renewal planning.
• Partner with finance and program teams to monitor progress against approved scope, outcomes, timelines, and budgets and escalate risks early.
• Prepare high-quality narrative reports, funder updates, impact stories, and renewal materials that demonstrate results, responsible stewardship, and lessons learned.
• Maintain complete and accessible grant records, correspondence, proposals, agreements, reports, and funder intelligence in the organization’s approved systems.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Organizational Positioning

• Partner with communications and program teams to strengthen the organization’s philanthropic case for support and ensure consistent messaging across fundraising materials.
• Gather evidence, data, participant stories, and market insights that demonstrate how access to buyers, business development support, finance, technology, and networks contribute to women-owned business growth and resilience.
• Provide clear pipeline updates, revenue forecasts, funder intelligence, and recommendations to leadership and other internal stakeholders.
• Contribute to a collaborative business development function that coordinates philanthropic funding, corporate partnerships, membership opportunities, and program design without duplicating outreach.

Key Performance Indicators

Performance will be assessed against agreed annual targets, with emphasis on the following outcomes:

Performance Area

Expected Outcome

Qualified pipeline

A healthy, well-researched pipeline is maintained with clear alignment, estimated value, probability, relationship status, and next action.

Proposal performance

High-quality proposals and concept notes are submitted on time and achieve agreed targets for volume, value, and success rate.

Revenue secured

Annual restricted and unrestricted philanthropic revenue goals are met or exceeded through new awards, renewals, and expanded grants.

Funder relationships

Priority funders receive consistent, tailored engagement, and relationships progress from identification to cultivation, solicitation, award, and renewal.

Grant stewardship

Narrative reports, funder updates, and other deliverables are accurate, compelling, and completed by required deadlines.

Renewal and retention

Existing grants are positioned for renewal through early planning, strong stewardship, and demonstrated results.

Pipeline accuracy

CRM records, forecasts, grant calendars, contact notes, and next steps remain complete, current, and reliable.

Internal coordination

Proposal development and grant management are coordinated efficiently across programs, regions, finance, communications, and leadership.

Content development

Reusable cases for support, program descriptions, evidence, and proposal resources remain current and improve fundraising efficiency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, international development, business, communications, public policy, or a related field; an advanced degree is beneficial.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofit fundraising, foundation relations, institutional giving, grant development, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated success identifying foundation prospects and developing competitive grant proposals that resulted in philanthropic funding.
• Strong knowledge of the foundation funding cycle, including prospect research, cultivation, solicitation, proposal development, reporting, renewal, and stewardship.
• Excellent writing and editing skills, with the ability to turn complex programs, data, and ideas into clear and persuasive funding narratives.
• Experience developing program concepts, theories of change, outcomes, workplans, and proposal budgets in collaboration with program and finance colleagues.
• Strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple proposals, deadlines, contributors, and funder requirements simultaneously.
• Ability to build relationships with philanthropic partners and communicate confidently with program officers, senior leaders, Board members, and colleagues across cultures and geographies.
• Experience in women’s economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, market systems, small business development, workforce development, global development, or related fields is strongly preferred.
• Sound judgment, attention to detail, discretion, follow-through, and a collaborative, service-oriented approach.

Required Software and Technical Skills

• Strong proficiency with Microsoft 365, especially Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint.
• Experience using a customer relationship management or fundraising system to manage prospects, contacts, opportunities, activities, grant deadlines, and forecasts; Hubspot experience is preferred.
• Experience with foundation and philanthropic research tools and the ability to synthesize public filings, funding histories, guidelines, and relationship information.
• Ability to use collaboration, project management, and document management tools to coordinate complex proposal and reporting processes.
• Comfort using data, dashboards, and responsible AI-enabled research and drafting tools to improve fundraising insight and productivity while protecting confidential information.