Senior Project Lead

Position: Senior Project Lead (SPL) I Team: Partnerships & Strategic Initiatives (PSI) I Reporting to: Senior Director, PSI I Role: Fundraising I Location: Delhi I Work Experience: 10+ years

Founded in 2012, Central Square Foundation is a non-profit philanthropic foundation working with the vision of ensuring quality school education for all children in India. We believe that effective foundational learning is essential for better learning outcomes for all children in school. Development of foundational literacy and numeracy skills by Class 3 can help children progress to higher levels of learning and is an essential building block in a child's life.

We are driven by our mission to enable the school education system to adopt solutions that are scalable, sustainable and effective, so that all children get equal access to opportunities needed for leading a better life. CSF has prioritised 4 critical areas of work: Foundational Literacy & Numeracy (FLN); EdTech; Early Childhood Education (ECE); and Schools Governance.

Read more about our work here:

About PSI at CSF

To ensure quality school education for all children in the country, CSF establishes strong partnerships with key players within the development sector and with the centre and state governments. These include non-profits, social enterprises, donors, consultants, other enablers, etc. The Partnerships & Strategic Initiatives team envisions, designs, builds and nurtures a variety of projects in collaboration with a host of different stakeholders. A dedicated unit of the team works closely with the CEO on projects of key strategic significance at an organisational level (including fundraising, donor relationships and organisation governance) and also acts as an in-house incubator for new initiatives and issue areas.

Position Overview

The Senior Project Lead, Partnerships & Strategic Initiatives (Fundraising) will be responsible for accelerating Central Square Foundation's CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) fundraising efforts, building donor relationships, and ensuring robust institutional resources for the organisation's mission. The role requires strategic fundraising leadership, strong donor management, and high-quality reporting and engagement, reporting directly to the Senior Director, Partnerships & Strategic Initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• CSR Fundraising Leadership
• Strategically coordinate, plan, and execute fundraising campaigns across all CSF projects, mapping new opportunities and potential funders.
• Lead creation of tailored fundraising collateral, proposals, and presentations for donor engagements and grant applications.
• Manage high-value CSR donor stewardship by producing regular and customised updates, project reports, and impact summaries for CSF leadership, funders, and the board.
• Track fundraising ROI, budgets, and progress metrics to demonstrate effectiveness and financial accountability.
• CSR Donor Engagement and Cultivation
• Establish and nurture deep funding relationships with current and prospective donors, positioning CSF as a trusted and strategic partner.
• Facilitate consistent, high-quality communication to keep donors engaged, informed, and invested in CSF's organisational vision and impact.
• Coordinate and lead submissions for grants and funding opportunities, functioning as a "bid office" for CSF.
• Stakeholder Management and Representation
• Represent CSF at donor forums, award events, conferences, and strategic meetings to enhance visibility and attract philanthropic support.
• Build partnerships with ecosystem actors, government, and allied organisations to expand fundraising networks and pipeline.
• Reporting and Governance
• Anchor fundraising governance by supporting board and leadership meetings with data-driven updates, tailored dashboards, and transparent reporting.

• Collaborate with internal teams (Finance, Communications, HR) for fund allocation strategy, donor communications, and optimisation of fundraising processes.

• Team Management & Capability Building

• Hire, coach, and performance-manage Project Managers/Senior Project Managers; foster a culture of learning agility and mission focus in alignment with CSFs vision, mission, and values.
• Conduct talent reviews for reportees and contribute to vertical-wide organisational development initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in business, public policy, economics, non-profit management, or related fields.

• 10+ years' experience in fundraising, partnership building, or donor management, with a strong track record in grant writing and relationship stewardship.

• Exceptional analytical, research, writing, and oral communication skills; demonstrated capacity for preparing compelling proposals and donor updates.
• High proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and data analysis tools for fundraising pipeline and reporting.
• Proven ability to build trust and credibility with senior leadership, board, and external funders.
• Experience working with philanthropy or social impact-driven organisations is preferred.

Desired Qualities

• Passion for advancing educational equity and leveraging fundraising as a tool for lasting impact.
• Entrepreneurial, self-driven leader with adaptability to thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven context.
• Excellent interpersonal skills for collaboration, networking, and partnership management within and outside the organisation.
• High level of learning agility, attention to detail, and responsiveness to shifting priorities.

This position is ideal for experienced professionals eager to scale fundraising for mission-driven education initiatives, combining donor management acumen with leadership and strategy.