Consultancy Opportunity: Development of Amboseli Ecosystem Trust Fundraising Strategy

Background

Amboseli Ecosystem Trust (AET) brings together the communities and organisations of Amboseli to develop land use practices that improve the livelihoods and wellbeing through the coexistence of people and wildlife. This is in an effort to keep the Amboseli Ecosystem rangelands open, diverse and healthy for the benefit of people and wildlife. AET intends to develop a comprehensive fundraising strategy. This is in a continued bid to capacity built the organisation, making it a strong and sustainable institution, to continue championing for its mandate; which the conservation and development in the Greater Amboseli Ecosystem.

AET is therefore seeking to engage a consultant to support development of a comprehensive resources mobilisation and fundraising strategy that is informed by past, current and future funding direction both locally and international and that is cognisant of institution goals, mission, vision and the Ecosystem priorities. This activity is carried out in partnership with Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association, under its USAID funded Community Conservancy Policy Support and Implementation Project.

Objective of the Fundraising Strategy

This consultancy will facilitate development of a short, medium and longterm comprehensive roadmap and strategy for AET to tap into diverse sources of funds at county, national and global levels to sustain its operations and programmatic works. The strategy is expected to focus beyond the traditional financing sources of grants, to include private sector opportunities, county governments partnerships, conservation related events, biodiversity investments, philanthropic partners, among others, through which restricted, non-restricted funding shall bd secured. A key feature of the fundraising strategy will be to establish framework for a reserve fund for AET, through which innovative saving mechanisms shall be adopted to sustain the organisation during tough economic times . The strategy is also required to establish the existing funding gaps and priorities, and recommend avenues to sustainably address them.

AET, playing a facilitative role for conservancies growth in the Amboseli landscape, will also look into expanding opportunities for raising funds to support the conservancies and community conservation within its jurisdiction. This includes catalysing biodiversity investments and offsets, carbo credits, wildlife credits, among others. The fundraising strategy will be informed by the AET strategic plan and other relevant current and futuristic conservation and land use plans of the landscape including the Amboseli Ecosystem Management Plan 2020- 2030 and Kajiado county integrated development plans.

Scope of work

1. Review the current strategic plan; work plan; project proposals, The Ecosystem management plan and funding model to better understand the needs;
2. Map the AET activities and obligations to identify funding gaps.
3. Interact with the AET staff, board, the AET council representatives and other relevant stakeholders and partners to understand the vision, mission and focus areas of the organisation;
4. Conduct a comprehensive analysis of potential global and local donors and corporates to map the feasibility of securing multi-year and thematic funding;
5. Map donors’ strategic areas of interest, funds available, grantees, funding windows, requirements and guidelines and interest in funding key AET themes;
6. Map donors’ strategic areas of interest and explore opportunities for partnerships;
7. Establish other resources required to build AET’s capacity on fundraising;
8. Develop a plan to engage new donors (traditional and non-traditional);
9. Develop fundraising principles for AET, methods, strategies for the wide range of sources including bilateral, private sector, conservation organisations, public funding, and foundations;
10. Recommend strategies to develop and maintain strategic partnerships and engagement with key donors and partners;
11. Develop fundraising guidelines

Deliverables

1. An elaborate fundraising strategy that includes an overview of the current fundraising situation, innovative fundraising opportunities and strategies for the short, medium and long term action plan, fundraising guidelines
2. Institutional fundraising guidelines

Period and duration of Consultancy

The consultancy is expected to be conducted over a one (1) month period. It is expected that the consultancy will work closely with AET and KWCA to deliver on the assignment

Expertise and Experience Required

The consultancy wishes to draw expertise with Graduate/ Post Graduate Degree in the relevant field of experience. The expert must be able to demonstrate knowledge ability and experience in diverse funding raising. Experience with fundraising for conservation based entities will be an added advantage.

Application process and timelines

Interested applicants are requested to submit their documents (technical & financial) proposals to jmwato@amboseliecosystem.org and copy gwarigia@kwcakenya.com  by 18th May, 2021, and should be available to conduct the assignment Immediately with submission of all project outputs by 15th June, 2021.