Terms of Reference 

Consultancy for the Development and Implementation of Comprehensive Fundraising Strategies for RWAMREC and the Bandebereho Program Scale-up"

Background:

About RWAMREC
The Rwanda Men's Resource Centre (RWAMREC) is a non-governmental organization working on gender equality and GBV prevention through the promotion of positive masculinities and engaging men and boys. RWAMREC operates in 27 districts across all four provinces of Rwanda and the city of Kigali, working within six strategic areas: Community Empowerment, Healthy Families, Gender Justice, Youth Mentorship, Diversity and Inclusion, and Capacity Building. The organization implements various programs and projects aimed at addressing Gender-based Violence, socio-economic empowerment of women, and the overall health and welfare of women, families, and communities in Rwanda. Please refer to the RWAMREC strategic plan attached here.

About the Bandebereho Program

Bandebereho, RWAMREC’s flagship program, empowers Rwandan families by engaging men in reproductive, maternal, and child health, as well as caregiving and family violence prevention—challenging the traditionally limited male involvement in caregiving and maternal and child health. Using fatherhood as an entry point, Bandebereho effectively addresses harmful gender norms. The program has demonstrated success, reaching 20,000  families with significant reductions in intimate partner violence and improved health outcomes for women and children, as evidenced by two rounds of randomized controlled trials. The program aims to expand its reach to 104,000 families by 2027, with a vision for full integration into Rwanda's Community Health system beyond 2027. Currently, RWAMREC is conducting a baseline, and cost analysis to inform the national scale-up strategy for Bandebereho.

RWAMREC’s Strategic Plan

RWAMREC is in the midst of implementing a five-year strategic plan (2022-2026), which requires a budget of RWF 15.654 billion (approximately USD 12 million). To date, approximately USD 5.6 million, or 46% of the target, has been raised. A mid-term review of this strategic plan is underway, to reassess our goals, targets, and implementation strategies, thereby extending to 2028. In this context, RWAMREC seeks to hire a fundraising expert to develop and operationalize a comprehensive multi-year fundraising strategy for the organization.  This strategy will encompass resource mobilization efforts aligned with RWAMREC’s strategic goals and a specific strategy to mobilize resources for the Bandebereho national scale-up.

The RWAMREC fundraising strategy will aim to raise the necessary funds over the next five years, including its detailed and costed practical implementation plan. It will also provide guidance on adapting the plan over time. The strategy should not only address existing gaps but also lay the foundation for future fundraising needs.

Scope of Work

Rwamrec is seeking a consultant or a consultancy firm; to develop 1) A 3-year costed fundraising strategy, 2) a Fundraising roadmap for Bandebereho scale-up, 3) Design, develop, or strengthen internal systems, 4) Strengthen internal capacities to uptake the systems.

To ensure continuity beyond the consultancy period, the consultant is expected to work closely with the existing Rwamrec team throughout this assignment. They will collaborate with the management team, particularly the office of the Executive Director, the Director of Programs, and the Head of Resource Mobilization. The consultant will establish an actionable succession plan for the conclusion of the assignment, detailing clear roles and responsibilities for the Resource Mobilization team and identifying upcoming fundraising projects that will require follow-up.

The scope of work provided is not exhaustive, primarily due to the dynamic nature of the fundraising landscape and evolving roles within Rwamrec. Therefore, the consultant is expected to work closely and collaborate with the Rwamrec team to fully understand the scope and establish success metrics prior to the commencement of the assignment

Objectives:

The objectives of this assignment are to:

Develop a comprehensive, costed 3-year fundraising strategy (2025-2028) for RWAMREC that aligns with the organization's updated strategic plan. The strategy should clearly outline

• Financial targets, broken down into annual targets
• Diverse funding sources, that the organization is well positioned to secure, during the said period
• Provide detailed actions and timelines to support RWAMREC's long-term sustainability and growth.

Design, develop, and launch a costed 2-year fundraising roadmap (2025-2027) for the national scale-up of the Bandebereho program, leveraging the overall RWAMREC fundraising strategy and the Bandebereho scale-up strategy.

• By the of Sept  2025,  secure at least 500,000 USD in initial commitments
• By the end of Aug 2025, establish a robust pipeline to achieve the full 1M USD funding goal  USD 1M, to close the current fundraising gap for the Banbebereho scale-up

Strengthen RWAMREC's internal business development capacities through a two-pronged approach: (1) Designing, developing, and/or enhancing operational systems, and (2) building the internal capacity to effectively implement and utilize these systems. The focus is on establishing well-documented procedures, rather than software-based solutions, to ensure consistent and effective application of these systems both during and after the consultancy period.

Enhance Internal Business Development Systems

• Design and develop a robust end-to-end fundraising system for RWAMREC. Some of the systems may include, donor mapping and scoping, Positioning, Bid management, Grant or proposal development, Impact reporting & storytelling,  
• Build the internal capacity of RWAMREC staff to effectively adopt and utilize the fundraising systems, supporting long-term growth and sustainability.

Diversify RWAMREC’s Funding Portfolio

• Develop and implement targeted strategies to engage and secure funding from non-traditional global donors who are not currently part of RWAMREC's existing funding sources.

Develop a Fundraising Technical Brand

• Create a robust fundraising technical brand highlighting RWAMREC’s expertise and effectively engaging a wide range of potential donors.

Deliverables:

The consultant is expected to deliver:

• An inception report: The inception report will serve as the foundation for the assignment, providing a detailed work plan, timelines, and methodology based on consultation between the consultant and Rwamrec
• A three-year costed fundraising strategy for RWAMREC with an actionable implementation matrix
• A specific fundraising roadmap for the Bandebereho national scale-up.
• An exhaustive list of ideal prospects for RWAMREC, including specific prospects for Bandebereho, along with detailed profiles of key prospects.
• Basic user manual for the systems developed.
• A final report summarizing the assignment and recommendations, including a succession or gradual role transfer plan  

Timeline:

Start Date: December 2nd 2024
(Proposed) End Date: September 30th, 2025

Milestones:

The assignment will be done through three  interconnected  milestones:

Milestone one: Clear articulation and understanding of the terms of reference, along with the development of a detailed work plan and submission of an inception report. - Last working day for Jan 2025.  

Milestone two - Strategy development and submission

Draft of the Overall Fundraising Strategy for RWAMREC

• Due Date:  By the last working day of January 2025

Draft of the Bandebereho Program Fundraising Roadmap

• Due Date:  By February 15, 2025

Final Version of the Overall Fundraising Strategy for RWAMREC, incorporating leadership feedback

• Due Date:  By March 15, 2025

Final Version of the Bandebereho Program Funding Roadmap, incorporating leadership feedback

• Due Date: By March 15, 2025

Robust pipeline dedicated to the Bandebereho scale-up, clearly outlining all commitments and concrete steps necessary to address the funding gap.

• Due Date: By Sept 30, 2025

Milestone three: Systems Strengthening

Implementation of Three Agreed-Upon Priority Systems

Three priority fundraising and business development systems, identified in collaboration with management, are fully operational. Staff are trained and equipped to effectively adopt and utilize these systems for ongoing organizational growth.

• Due date: By June 30, 2025

Development of a Diversified Funding Portfolio

A diversified funding portfolio is established, with identified potential leads and well-defined strategies to engage with these new funding sources, ensuring a clear pathway to securing additional financial support.

• Due date: By June 30, 2025

Creation of RWAMREC’s Fundraising Technical Brand

A strong fundraising technical brand is developed, positioning RWAMREC as a leader in its sector and effectively engaging potential donors by showcasing the organization’s expertise and impact.

• Due date: By May 31, 2025

Expertise Required:

RWAMREC seeks a dynamic, forward-thinking consultant with proven influence, strategic insight, and a deep network of funders aligned with our mission. This consultant should be ready to leverage their network to drive success and demonstrate strong business acumen. Additionally, they should be a collaborative team player, dedicated to coaching and mentoring the RWAMREC team, sharing skills and expertise to build lasting capacity.

The ideal consultant should possess:

• Required: Proven expertise in developing fundraising strategies for NGOs.
• Required:Experience working with NGOs in Sub-Saharan Africa with a successful track record of securing significant funding (upwards of USD 10 million).
• Required:Strong networks with donors and funding agencies, with an understanding of the local fundraising landscape
• Familiarity with gender equality promotion work, men engage work, and working with women’s rights organizations
• At least a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Internal development, and related fields. A master's degree in Business Administration or related fields will be an added value.
• Experience in donor mapping, donor engagement, and proven ability to establish and maintain strong relationships with donors in the global space
• Experience working with large-scale local NGOs or International NGOs in sub-Saharan Africa holding at least a senior management position in the former, or a mid-management position in the latter.

Evaluation criteria

RWAMREC reserves the right to selection of the consultant, or the consultancy,  and will apply the following criteria; .

Understanding of the assignment ToRs, and overall strategy to be used for implementation. Highest possible points to be awarded = 10

Financial proposal: Highest possible points to be awarded: 30

• Detailed cost breakdown, per milestone
• Indirect costs
• Tax and VAT
• Proposed payment schedule
• Terms of payment
• Assumptions and conditions

Technical proposal:  Highest possible points to be awarded:30

• Detailed description of the approach & methodology for use,
• Proposed work plan & relevant timelines
• Team composition & expertise.
• Risk management & mitigation,
• Monitoring, Evaluation, and reporting plan,
• Capacity building plan, and previous experience.  
• Relevant experience, expertise, and skills of the consultant: Highest possible points to be awarded: 20
• Academic qualifications of consultant and team:10

Submission of Proposals:

Interested candidates/consultants are requested to submit the following documents by 5 PM CAT,  November 15, 2024. Applications submitted late will not be considered.

Candidates should submit the following documents to info@rwamrec.org, with the email subject “Application:  RWAMREC fundraising strategy development consultancy”

1. A technical proposal outlining an indicative methodology, timeline, and delivery dates (maximum 7 pages).
2. A quotation or financial proposal (maximum 3 pages).
3. A detailed CV or company portfolio including two references. max 2 pages

Women are strongly encouraged to apply

Fidele RUTAYISIRE
Executive Director, RWAMREC