Background:
UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.
UN Women’s India Country Office (ICO), based in New Delhi, India, works to accelerate the advancement of gender equality and the empowerment of women through the strengthening of strategic partnerships, technical and policy advisory services and advocacy with governmental, inter-governmental and civil society partners. In addition, UN Women ICO is also leading and coordinating the UN system’s work on gender equality, including through ensuring accountability for results.
Achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment is an essential element of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – the roadmap to a more equal, just, peaceful, and sustainable world. UN Women India is implementing a donor funded project titled: ‘Gender Equality Xcelerate: Transformative Pathways towards Gender Justice’ for women’s social, economic, and political equality and empowerment towards achievement of the 2030 agenda.
The overarching objective of this project is to strengthen women’s leadership in economic, social and political spheres. The project will be implemented in India over a period of four years (2024-2027) in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Odisha and Bihar.
The following are the broad intended outcomes of the project:
UN Women's institutional impact on advancing gender equality is accelerated through outcome-driven advocacy efforts. Government and non-government stakeholders prioritize, monitor, and evaluate investments for gender equality and women’s empowerment at the grassroots level. Transforming norms, strengthening response mechanisms, and empowering stakeholders for a survivor-centric environment through effectively utilizing the Nirbhaya Funds.As part of the project, UN Women seeks to engage a consultant to aid in resource mobilization from high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) for gender equality and women’s empowerment. Reporting to the Head, Strategic Communication and Partnerships, India Country Office (ICO), the Consultant will support in devising a strategy, mobilizing resources from HNWIs and contribute to other resource mobilization efforts for the country office, as required.
Under the supervision of Head, Strategic Communications and Partnerships, the Consultant will undertake the following tasks -
Develop a 3-year strategy for resource mobilization from high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) for UN Women ICO:
Conduct market research to identify potential HNWIs who align with UN Women’s values and mission (e.g., through wealth databases, philanthropic networks, and individual outreach). Segment donors based on their giving patterns, interests, geographies, and philanthropic history (e.g., focusing on sectors such as gender equality, education, and economic empowerment). Identify potential HNWI donors for gender equality and women’s empowerment: Develop a sustainable fundraising strategy and action plan for mobilizing and retaining high-value donors, focusing on the unique needs and motivations of HNWIs towards gender equality.Execute the targeted HNWI resource mobilization strategy- Engage HNWIs effectively to raise funds and build long-term partnerships to support UN Women’s strategic goals in gender equality, women’s empowerment, and sustainable development.
Develop tailored engagement strategies for 3-5 donors, including one-on-one meetings, personalized communications, and bespoke impact reports. Foster relationships through consistent, meaningful interactions that go beyond transactional donations, emphasizing partnership and collaboration. Engage HNWIs in UN Women’s advocacy work to strengthen their commitment and sense of ownership over projects.Design and execute fundraising initiatives
Develop exclusive and personalized campaigns that resonate with HNWIs, focusing on areas of high impact such as women’s economic empowerment, gender-responsive budgeting, and climate resilience. Create options for one-time donations, multi-year commitments, or giving circles that allow donors to pool resources for larger, more impactful initiatives.Tailored fundraising campaigns:
Exclusive events and initiatives:
High-Profile Events: Organize 2-3 intimate, high-impact events such as donor galas, roundtables, or impact briefings, where HNWIs can interact directly with UN Women’s leadership and beneficiaries. Donor Recognition Events: Hold special recognition events to celebrate the contributions of HNWIs and show appreciation for their commitment. Collaborate with communications and partnerships teams: Develop a cohesive, compelling messaging strategy to promote fundraising efforts across multiple platforms for HNIs (e.g., digital, print, social media). Leverage existing public relations and media partnerships to amplify fundraising initiatives and gain visibility for donor contributions.Build and maintain donor relationships
Act as the key point of contact for HNWIs, ensuring that they receive ongoing updates on the organization’s progress and the impact of their donations. Maintain close communication through regular phone calls, meetings, personalized emails, and handwritten notes, providing updates and insights into project progress. Serve as the primary contact for HNWIs:Impact reporting:
Create detailed impact reports that highlight how HNWI contributions have driven change, showcasing the tangible outcomes of their donations (e.g., number of women supported, schools established, policies changed). Include personalized case studies, showing the direct impact on individuals and communities, with a focus on human stories.Opportunities for engagement:
Identify recognition opportunities for HNWIs (e.g., naming rights for programs or events, public acknowledgement at high-profile events, exclusive donor experiences). Establish donor engagement opportunities such as site visits, virtual briefings, or advisory roles in steering committees, making HNWIs feel part of the strategic journey.Coordinate high-quality proposals
Work closely with program managers to ensure that proposals are aligned with UN Women’s goals, impactful, and financially sound. Ensure that proposals are tailored to UN Women’s mandate and interest areas of HNWI donors, highlighting areas that are most relevant to them.Collaborate with program managers:
Prepare high-quality proposals and reports: Ensure proposals are compelling and well-structured, detailing not only the financials but also the long-term impact of the project. Provide timely reports that showcase both financial transparency and the social impact of HNWI donations. Include visuals, testimonials, and data-driven results to make reports engaging and easy to digest.Strengthen internal capacity-
Training UN Women Staff: Develop and deliver training sessions for UN Women staff on best practices for engaging with HNWIs, including communication techniques, relationship-building strategies, and donor stewardship. Equip staff with the tools and knowledge needed to approach HNWIs with confidence and professionalism. Collaborate with communications teams: Work alongside the communications team to create impact stories and content that demonstrates the significance of donor contributions, ensuring it aligns with the overall brand and messaging of UN Women. Visibility of success stories: Highlight HNWI involvement and contributions in public-facing communications, ensuring that donors are recognized for their commitment.Any other responsibilities assigned by the supervisor.
Expected Deliverables:
Deliverable 1: Inception Report:
• Detailed work plan and methodology
• Content headings to be agreed in advance with UN Women
June 2025 (within 2 weeks of contract start date)
Deliverable 2: Interim Report 1:
• Three-year strategy and action plan for resource mobilisation from HNWIs
• Mapping of HNWIs
• Tailored engagement strategy for targeted HNWIs July 2025 (2 weeks after approved Inception Report)
Deliverable 3: Interim Report 2:
• Develop messaging to promote fundraising efforts across multiple platforms for
HNIs
• Organize one High-Profile Events to engage with HNIs and develop impact report September 2025 (6 weeks after approved Interim Report 1)
Deliverable 4: Interim Report 3:
• Organize 4 High-Profile Events to engage with HNIs and develop impact report
December 2025 (8 weeks after approved Interim Report 2)
Deliverable 5: Final report: April 2026 (Last month of contract)
• Develop concept notes and proposals
• 6-8 women’s organization working on women’s issues funded
• Key results and impact, partnership analysis, recommended focus areas, scale
up and sustainability measures
Competencies :
Core Values:
Integrity; Professionalism; Respect for Diversity.Core Competencies:
Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues; Accountability; Creative Problem Solving; Effective Communication; Inclusive Collaboration; Stakeholder Engagement; Leading by Example.Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework:
Functional Competencies:
Technical Proficiency: Demonstrated experience in fundraising, proposal writing, in the social sector, especially with HNWIs. Proficiency in donor psychology, market research, and wealth management. Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Excellent oral and written communication skills to impact donor contributions. Ability to create compelling content for visibility and engagement. Relationship Building: Strong networking, negotiation and persuasion skills to secure donations and long-term partnerships with HNIs. Event Planning & Execution: Ability to plan and execute high-profile, exclusive events that create meaningful engagement opportunities for HNWIs.Education:
Master’s degree in Fundraising, Business Administration (MBA), International Relations, or a related field (preferred) or a Bachelor’s Degree with a demonstrable experience in HNI fundraising. Certifications in Fundraising (CFRE) or Nonprofit Management (optional but advantageous).Experience:
Minimum 5 years of experience in fundraising, particularly focused on HNWIs or major donor engagement in the nonprofit sector. Proven track record of designing and executing targeted fundraising campaigns and securing high-value donations from HNWIs. Experience in relationship management, including creating personalized engagement strategies, maintaining donor portfolios, and providing regular impact reports.Language:
Fluency in English, including strong English writing skills, is required Fluency in Hindi and/or another Indian language is required Knowledge of another UN official working language is an asset.Application:
Interested applicants should apply to this announcement through UN Women jobs site:
Careers at UN Women | UN Women – Headquarters
UN Women will only be able to respond to those applications in which there is further interest. Applications received after the close date will not be accepted. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.Evaluation and Selection Criteria
Criteria for shortlisting of CVs will be based on the following assessment:
Required Degree and Qualification (5 points); Minimum Experience relevant to the assignment (10 points); Working knowledge and experience of writing on Gender Issues (5 points);The evaluation process for selection of the candidate will be based on the following assessment:
Writing sample (30 points) Interview (70 points)Please Note:
For an assignment requiring travel, consultants of 65 years or more require full medical examination and statement of fitness to work to engage in the consultancy. Consultants are required to submit doctor's certificate to state fitness to work and travel for this assignment. Due to large number of potential applicants, only competitively selected candidates will be contacted for remaining steps of the service procurement process. The consultant is expected to use their own computer equipment. The office will not provide any computer equipment for this assignment. Travel and DSA will be booked and settled as per SSA norms directly by UN Women on submission of F-10 form with original ticket stubs, vouchers, etc. as per actuals.Statements :
In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.
Diversity and inclusion:
At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.
If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.
UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)
Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.