Background and Context
Oxfam has maintained a long-standing presence in Kenya since 1963, working in partnership with civil society organisations, community groups, and social movements to address poverty and inequality. As part of Oxfam’s confederation-wide commitment to localisation and the redistribution of power to the Global South, Oxfam Kenya (OKE) has undergone a significant institutional transition, and soon to become a fully autonomous national affiliate with independent governance, leadership, and strategic decision-making authority, while remaining part of the global Oxfam confederation.
As an autonomous Oxfam Global South affiliate, OKE will operate as an independent, local Kenyan organisation that both contributes to, and draws value from, the global Oxfam confederation. This shift carries direct implications for how OKE mobilises and manages resources. Historically, funding has come predominantly through institutional donors, trusts and foundations, and confederation affiliates such as Oxfam GB (OGB), Oxfam Denmark (ODK), Oxfam Novib (ONL), Oxfam International, and Oxfam America (OUS). To secure long-term financial sustainability and, OKE will diversify its income base beyond institutional grants to include public fundraising. This includes resource mobilisation efforts from individuals, the Kenyan public, corporates, legacy giving, the diaspora, and mass- participation or digital/online giving channels.
As the resource mobilization environment continues to evolve, OKE plans to venture into the public fundraising space as a potential income stream source. Kenyans are known for their giving spirit. Platforms such as M-Changa and GlobalGiving all point to significant, still largely untapped, potential for individual and mass-market giving in Kenya. On the other hand, public fundraising requires distinct capabilities, infrastructure, and market understanding that differ from institutional fundraising, and cannot be pursued responsibly without a clear-eyed analysis of the market, the regulatory environment, and OKE’s own readiness and comparative advantage.
OKE is therefore seeking a consultancy to develop; (1) a Public Fundraising Market Analysis that gives a true and contextualized picture of the Kenyan public fundraising space; (2) a Public Fundraising Strategy that translates this market analysis into a realistic, contextualized and OKE owned and driven strategy; and (3) an Overall 5-year OKE Fundraising Strategy that integrates public fundraising alongside OKE’s existing institutional, corporate, trusts and foundations, and philanthropic fundraising work into a single, coherent resource mobilisation strategy aligned with the OKE Strategy 2026–2031.
Purpose of the Consultancy
The purpose of this consultancy is to engage an experienced and professional fundraising consultant (or consulting team/firm) to conduct a rigorous Fundraising market analysis and develop fundraising strategies, aiming to strengthen and diversify OKE’s resource mobilisation base:
- A Public Fundraising Market Analysis: An evidence-based and contextualized assessment of the Kenyan public fundraising landscape, giving opportunities, potential supporters, donor behaviour and giving culture, challenges, SWOT analysis, regulatory and fiscal considerations, giving modalities and infrastructure. The analysis will include OKE’s own comparative advantage and readiness to fundraise from the public (which in our context includes individuals, the Kenyan public, corporates, legacy giving, the diaspora, and mass- participation or digital/online giving channels).
- A Public Fundraising Strategy: a costed, contextualized, OKE owed, and realistic strategy setting out the public fundraising products, channels, partnerships, and investment case through which OKE will grow individual, corporate and mass-market giving over a defined period. The strategy should build directly on the findings of the market analysis.
- An Overall Oxfam Kenya Fundraising Strategy: An integrated resource mobilisation strategy that situates public fundraising alongside OKE’s institutional donor, trusts and foundations, OKE affiliates, and corporate partnerships work. The strategy should provide a single coherent framework, objectives, fundraising approaches, income diversification targets, Key donors (locally, regionally and internationally) per OKE pillars, and organisational implications (systems, capacity, and compliance) for OKE’s fundraising function as a newly autonomous affiliate.
Together, these outputs are intended to give Oxfam Affiliates, OKE’s Senior Management Team, OKE staff and Board, a credible, actionable basis for investment decisions on public fundraising, and to ensure that OKE’s overall approach to resource mobilisation is coherent, diversified, and sustainable in the medium to long term.
Role of the Consultant
The consultant will act as an independent technical expert, bringing external market intelligence, and fundraising and resource mobilisation strategy expertise. The consultant will work closely with OKE’s Funding Team, Senior Management Team, and relevant confederation Institutional/Public Fundraising team to ensure the deliverables are contextualized, grounded in OKE’s affiliation reality and organisational strategy.
The consultant will:
- Conduct a comprehensive and contextualized scan and analysis of the Kenyan public fundraising market (which includes the different categories of public fundraising that we have identified). This will include donor behaviour and giving trends, online/digital and mobile giving infrastructure and trends, regulatory considerations, challenges, risks and mitigation plans and the peer landscape from other NGOs/INGO, crowdfunding, individual giving platforms, traditional and other emerging public giving models.
- Assess OKE’s internal readiness for public fundraising, including brand strength and public image, supporter data, digital assets, compliance and governance requirements, and staffing and skills gaps.
- Facilitate consultations, interviews, and donor or supporter testing, with relevant internal and external stakeholders, including OKE staff, Board, Oxfam confederation fundraising counterparts, NGO sector peers, and potential public fundraising partners and/or platforms.
- Identify and prioritise viable public fundraising products and channels for OKE (for example individual/regular giving, digital and mobile giving, mass-participation and community fundraising, diaspora giving, legacy giving, and crowdfunding partnerships), with a realistic view on cost, timeframe, and return on investment for each.
- Develop a 5-year Public Fundraising Strategy with clear objectives, costs, income projections, resourcing and systems requirements, risk assessment and mitigation plan, and a monitoring framework.
- Integrate the public fundraising strategy with OKE’s existing institutional, corporate, and philanthropic fundraising approaches into one Overall 5-year OKE Fundraising Strategy; including clear objectives, approaches, SWOT analysis, income diversification analysis, monitoring framework, workplan, and fundraising annual targets.
- Present findings and draft strategies to OKE’s Funding team, Senior Management Team, OKE Board and Oxfam wider public fundraising team and incorporate feedback through an interactive, Kenyan led and owned drafting process.
Expected Outputs
The consultant is expected to deliver outputs that are evidence-based, contextualized, practical, realistic, Kenyan-led and owned, and directly usable for OKE’s internal planning, investment decisions, and Board approval processes. All draft outputs will go through a review and validation process with the Funding team, Senior Management Team and wider Oxfam Fundraising Team before finalisation.
- Inception report, including refined methodology, detailed workplan, and data-collection tools, agreed with OKE within the first week of the assignment.
- Public Fundraising Market Analysis report, covering market sizing and opportunity assessment, donor and supporter behaviour, competitor/peer benchmarking, regulatory and fiscal landscape, digital and mobile giving infrastructure, and an assessment of OKE’s internal readiness (SWOT).
- 5-year Public Fundraising Strategy (with an accompanying executive summary/pitch document/PPT presentation suitable for staff, Board and Oxfam confederation audiences), including prioritised products and channels, a phased implementation roadmap, indicative income projections and investment requirements, resourcing and systems recommendations, and a risk matrix.
- An overall 5-year Oxfam Kenya Fundraising Strategy, integrating public fundraising with institutional, trusts and foundations, and corporate partnerships income streams into a single coherent strategy with diversification targets, clear objectives, fundraising approaches, costing and a high-level monitoring framework.
- A validation workshop and a final presentation of findings and recommendations to OKE’s Staff, Senior Management Team, Board and Oxfam confederation Fundraising team.
- A concise implementation and resourcing brief summarising immediate next steps, quick wins, and priority investments for the first 12 months.
Process and Timeline
The consultancy is expected to be delivered over a maximum period of seven (7) weeks from contract signing and onboarding, structured in four phases as set out below. OKE will provide access to relevant internal documents, data, and staff time. The consultant is expected to schedule internal and external consultative meetings. The consultant is expected to propose a detailed workplan at inception, within the overall timeframe below.
Phase
Key activities
Indicative duration
1. Inception
Desk review of existing OKE documents, donor data, and prior fundraising assessments; inception meetingwith OKE Fundingteam and SMT; refinement of methodology, workplan, and data-collection tools; submission of inception report.
Week 1
2. Market analysis & data collection
Desk research and marketscan; key informant interviews with Oxfam affiliates, public fundraising practitioners, platforms, and peer organisations; review of Kenya’s regulatory, fiscal, and digital-giving environment; benchmarking against comparable INGOs and local platforms.
Weeks 2–3
3. Analysis & strategy formulation
Analysis of findings; identification of viable public fundraising products, channels, and partnerships; drafting of the Public Fundraising Market Analysis and draftPublic Fundraising Strategy; validation workshop with OKE staff, SMT and confederation team.
Weeks 4–5
4. Integration & finalisation
Integration of public fundraising strategy into the overall OKE Fundraising Strategy alongside institutional, trusts and foundation, Oxfam affiliates, corporate, and philanthropic income streams; presentation to Senior Management Team; incorporation of feedback; submission of finaldeliverables to allrelevant stakeholders involved in the process
Weeks 6–7
Payments will be linked to agreed milestones that will be discussed and agreed on at contracting stage. OKE’s general payment preposition is as follows:
Milestone
% of contract value
Signing of contract and submission of inception report
20%
Submission of draft PublicFundraising Market Analysis and draft Public Fundraising Strategy
30%
Submission and validation of the draftoverall Oxfam KenyaFundraising Strategy
20%
Submission and acceptance of all finaldeliverables (incorporating feedback from SMT, Oxfam Confederation and Board)
30%
Consultant Requirements and Minimum Qualifications
OKE is seeking a consultant, or a small consulting team or firm, with demonstrable, hands-on public fundraising expertise and strong contextual understanding of the Kenyan fundraising/giving market. Given the emphasis of this assignment, preference will be given to consultants who can clearly evidence prior public/individual fundraising strategy work in Kenya or comparable East African markets, rather than generalist strategy or organisational development experience alone.
Minimum requirements:
- A minimum of 8–10 years of progressive professional experience in fundraising, with a substantial and demonstrable track record specifically in public fundraising / individual giving (not solely institutional or corporate fundraising).
- Proven, in-depth understanding of the Kenyan fundraising context, including donor behaviour, mobile money and digital giving infrastructure (e.g. M-Pesa-enabled giving), the regulatory and tax environment for NGOs and public fundraising, and local giving platforms and traditions.
- Demonstrated experience designing or growing public fundraising products and channels such as individual/regular giving, legacy giving, digital and mobile fundraising, mass- participation or community fundraising, diaspora giving, or crowdfunding partnerships, ideally within an NGO, INGO, or confederated organisation.
- Strong market research and analytical skills, with the ability to translate data and stakeholder insight into clear, actionable strategy and realistic income projections.
- Familiarity with Oxfam or similar international/confederated NGO structures, and an understanding of the compliance, branding, and governance considerations relevant to public fundraising within such structures, is an advantage.
- Excellent strategic writing, presentation, and facilitation skills, with fluency in English required.
- A relevant university degree (Business, Marketing, Communications, Development Studies, or related field); professional fundraising certification is an added advantage.
- Evidence of at least two comparable assignments successfully delivered in the last five years, with verifiable references.
Required Submissions
Interested consultants/firms should submit the following as part of their application:
- A detailed technical proposal, demonstrating understanding of the assignment and setting out a clear, realistic methodology, workplan, and timeline for delivering the three outputs/products.
- A detailed financial proposal, presenting a milestone-linked budget and the assumptions underlying professional fees and any related costs.
- A curriculum vitae (or CVs, for a team) of the proposed consultant(s), clearly highlighting relevant public fundraising and Kenyan market experience.
- Evidence of at least two comparable public/individual fundraising strategy or market analysis assignments delivered in the last five years, including sample outputs where possible (subject to client confidentiality).
- At least two professional references from clients for similar assignments, including contact details.
- Valid statutory documents (certificate of incorporation/registration, tax compliance certificate) where applying as a firm.
How to apply
Please use the link below to apply for the consultancy:
https://jobs.oxfam.org.uk/jobs/vacancy/tor—development-of-oxfam-kenyas-overall-fundraising-strategy-int11782/24991/description/
More Information
- Job City Kenya
