MIT D-Lab invites letters of interest from experienced fundraising consultants for a 12-month contract to support its fundraising strategy and implementation.
D-Lab is an interdisciplinary program at MIT that develops and advances collaborative approaches and practical solutions to global poverty challenges. Through education, research, and community engagement, D-Lab works with students and community-based innovators in more than 30 countries to co-create solutions that improve lives in low-resource environments.
D-Lab seeks to strengthen and diversify its funding base, with a goal of raising at least $1.5 million by September 2027 and building a funding pipeline of approximately $5 million. D-Lab’s funding sources include a combination of sponsored awards (grants), philanthropic gifts, and MIT institutional support. Its annual budget has typically been $4-5 million, and is currently ~$2.5 million as a result of USAID’s closure.
The consultant will work closely with D-Lab leadership (Executive Director, Associate Director for Research, and Associate Director for Practice) to identify and cultivate aligned foundation and individual donor prospects, develop funding strategies and proposals, support donor engagement, and strengthen D-Lab’s fundraising infrastructure for long-term sustainability.
To support D-Lab’s goal, the consultant is expected to:
- Support prospecting, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities targeting private foundations, family foundations, donor-advised funds, individual donors, philanthropic advisors, and other institutional funders;
- Source new foundation prospects, individual donor leads, and partnership opportunities;
- Draft or substantially support outreach emails, concept notes, letters of interest, proposals, donor briefings, and other funder-facing materials;
- Conduct, facilitate, and support donor and prospect conversations in coordination with D-Lab leadership;
- Maintain regular communication with D-Lab’s fundraising team and participate in regular check-in meetings (likely every two weeks);
- Report on fundraising activities, engagement history, next steps, and deliverables;
- Maintain the confidentiality of all donor, financial, strategic, and organizational information provided by D-Lab and MIT.
Ideal candidates will have demonstrated experience with foundation and individual donor fundraising, strong proposal development skills, relevant philanthropic networks, and experience working with nonprofit organizations, ideally through some combination of social impact, international development, and/or higher education organizations.
This is a consultancy contract, not a staff position. MIT D-Lab will not be able to sponsor visas. The work can be performed remotely, but the consultant should be proximate to relevant donors (or able to travel) to facilitate in-person engagements.
Please submit a Letter of Interest (including cost proposal and your CV) by August 5, 2026 to Ana Pantelic, Executive Director of MIT D-Lab. The anticipated engagement will begin on or around August 15, 2026 and continue for 12 months.