Bonsai Leadership Group is pleased to partner with CorpsAfrica in its search for a Director of Philanthropy. This individual will play a pivotal role in driving CorpsAfrica’s fundraising strategy, strengthening institutional partnerships, and building the systems necessary to support the organization’s ongoing growth.

ABOUT CorpsAFrica

Founded in 2011, CorpsAfrica trains and connects African youth with rural communities to create solutions that alleviate poverty, enhance livelihoods, and build resilience. At its core, CorpsAfrica is building a pan-African movement grounded in volunteerism, entrepreneurship, and community-led change.

CorpsAfrica equips volunteers with skills in human-centered design, asset-based community development, project management, and monitoring and evaluation. Volunteers live with host families in remote villages, immersing themselves in community life for up to a year.

By listening closely, building trust, and working alongside residents, volunteers co-create small-scale, high-impact projects that reflect local priorities and strengthen long-term community ownership.

With operations spanning Morocco, Senegal, Malawi, Rwanda, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa, and Uganda, CorpsAfrica has experienced steady growth over the past 15 years and continues to expand its global reach and influence.

Learn more at corpsafrica.org.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Director of Philanthropy (the Director) will join CorpsAfrica at a pivotal stage of growth, as the organization continues to expand its geographic reach and deepen its impact.

Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, this role leads the institutional fundraising strategy and is accountable for driving revenue from foundations, bilateral and multilateral donors, and other institutional partners. This position also plays a critical role in shaping and advancing CorpsAfrica’s individual giving efforts, building the strategy, structure, and early pipeline needed to grow individual philanthropy over time.

This is a leadership role for an experienced fundraiser who can build, scale, and lead across complex environments in a global organization. Success requires both strategic leadership and strong execution, with a focus on increasing revenue, improving consistency, and positioning CorpsAfrica for long-term philanthropic growth.

Key Responsibilities

Philanthropic Strategy

• Build and actively manage a strong pipeline of funding opportunities aligned with programmatic priorities

• Secure funding from foundations, bilateral and multilateral donors, and other institutional partners while advancing a pipeline of high-potential individual donors

Grant Strategy & Execution

• Oversee the full grant lifecycle, including proposal development, submission, and reporting

• Partner with country teams to develop competitive, high-quality proposals that reflect local context and priorities

• Establish and maintain consistent processes for tracking deadlines, deliverables, and compliance

Donor Portfolio Management & Stewardship

• Manage, grow, and strategically cultivate a personal portfolio of institutional funders and high-value prospects

• Lead cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies tailored to both institutional and individual audiences

• Partner with the Donor Relations Manager to strengthen stewardship systems and donor engagement practices

• Maintain accurate and consistent tracking of donor engagement and activity within CRM systems

Global Team Leadership & Capacity Building

• Provide structure, direction, and coaching to Philanthropy and Partnership Officers across country offices

• Build and strengthen tools, templates, workflows, and shared practices that enable effective fundraising across a distributed team

• Promote alignment between global development strategy and country-level execution

Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Directly manage, coach, and inspire a high-performing team with clear goals and accountability measures

• Collaborate closely with communications and engagement colleagues to align donor messaging, storytelling, and fundraising priorities across institutional and individual audiences

• Partner with senior leadership on planning, forecasting, and performance management to integrate fundraising priorities into organizational planning
  

Desired QUALIFICATIONS & Professional EXPERIENCE

While candidates may come from a range of professional backgrounds, the ideal candidate brings many of the following experiences and attributes:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in nonprofit fundraising, with deep expertise in institutional giving

• Proven track record of securing six- and seven-figure gifts from foundations and institutional donors

• Direct experience developing or significantly expanding an individual giving program, including strategy, pipeline development, or donor engagement

• Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to translate programmatic impact into compelling proposals and donor communications

• Significant experience leading and developing teams, including managing direct reports and influencing across distributed or matrixed environments

• Advanced proficiency with CRM systems, such as Salesforce or a similar platform, with a focus on data integrity, reporting, and pipeline management

• Strategic mindset paired with strong execution skills and the ability to build systems, prioritize effectively, and operate in a fast-paced, evolving environment

• Excellent project management and organizational skills, with attention to detail and follow-through

• Leadership approach grounded in humility, strong listening skills, and respect for diverse perspectives across cultures

Travel

This role requires approximately 30–50% travel within the United States and internationally to conduct in-person donor visits, qualification meetings, and high-impact solicitations.

LOCATION

This is a U.S.-based position, with a strong preference for candidates located in the Washington, DC area. Washington, DC-based employees are expected to work in a hybrid capacity, including in-person collaboration at least two days per week.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The salary range for this position is $120,000 to $145,000 annually, with final compensation based on experience and qualifications.

CorpsAfrica offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance; a 401(k) program with employer contribution; and additional wellness and support benefits.

SHARE YOUR INTEREST

Bonsai Leadership Group has been exclusively retained for this search. To express interest, please submit your resume and a compelling cover letter outlining your interest in the role and relevant experience here.

All inquiries, nominations, and applications will be handled with strict confidentiality.

If you require accommodations during the application process, please contact careers@bonsaileadershipgroup.com. This email is intended for accommodation requests only.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

CorpsAfrica is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including those of different ages, genders, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, marital statuses, physical abilities, and other protected characteristics.