TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIVE-YEAR FUNDRAISING AND RESOURCE MOBILIZATION STRATEGY OF CARITAS GIKONGORO (2026-2030)

1. ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND 

Caritas Gikongoro is a service of Gikongoro Catholic Diocese created in 1993 with the mission of assisting all people in need (poor, vulnerable, oppressed people) by improving their livelihood, improving their health, promoting social and charitable works, as well as promoting a culture of justice and peace. The vision of Caritas Gikongoro is to “Promote the human dignity according to the evangelical values such as love to each other, solidarity, transparence, honesty, justice, truth, complementarity and charity”; while its mission is “to assist the needy people (poor, vulnerable and oppressed) by increasing their revenues, health improvement, accomplishment of social and charitable actions and promoting the culture of peace”.

To achieve this vision and mission, Caritas Gikongoro operates through three main departments such as “social department, Health department, and lastly Development department. Apart from those departments, Caritas Gikongoro collaborates with other diocesan services and commissions such as Economat General Gikongoro, Catholic schools Representation and Justice and Peace Commission (CDJP). Gikongoro Diocese covers the districts of Nyamagabe and Nyaruguru plus a portion of Nyanza and Huye in Southern province and Karongi in Western province.

2. RATIONALE

The increasing needs of vulnerable communities, combined with the changing development and donor environment, require Caritas Gikongoro to adopt a more systematic, strategic, and sustainable approach to fundraising and resource mobilization. While Caritas Gikongoro has developed valuable partnerships and implemented various development interventions, there is a need to strengthen its capacity to identify funding opportunities, diversify funding sources, build and maintain strategic partnerships, and mobilize financial and non-financial resources.

The development of a fundraising strategy will provide Caritas Gikongoro with a clear framework for identifying potential funding opportunities, engaging donors and partners, strengthening proposal development capacity, and improving the sustainability of its Programmes and institutional operations. Caritas Gikongoro therefore seeks the services of a qualified and experienced consultant or consulting firm to facilitate a participatory process for the development of a practical and results-oriented fundraising and resource mobilization strategy.

3. OBJECTIVES OF THE ACTIVITY

3.1. Overall objective: To develop a comprehensive, practical, and sustainable fundraising strategy that will strengthen the resource mobilization capacity of Caritas Gikongoro and support the long-term sustainability and expansion of its Programmes and departments.

3.2. Specific objectives:

• Assess the current fundraising and resource mobilization capacity of Caritas Gikongoro, 
• Review existing and previous funding sources, partnerships, fundraising approaches, and resource mobilization practices;
• Identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges related to fundraising and donor engagement,
• Map and analyse potential donors, funding institutions, development partners, and other resource mobilization opportunities;
• Identify potential opportunities for diversifying funding sources, including institutional donors, foundations, private sector entities, individual donors, faith-based organizations, and other partners; 
• Develop clear fundraising priorities and approaches aligned with the mission, mandate, Programmes, and strategic direction of Caritas Gikongoro;
• Propose mechanisms for strengthening internal fundraising capacity, including proposal development and donor relationship management; 
• Develop a five-year realistic fundraising action plan, including targets, responsibilities, timelines, key performance indicators, mechanisms for monitoring, reviewing, and improving the implementation of the strategy.

4.TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CONSULTANT 

The selected consultant or consulting firm will be responsible for:

1. Hold an initial meeting with Caritas Gikongoro to understand the objectives and expectations of the assignment,
2. Develop and submit an inception report, including a detailed methodology, work plan, and timeline,
3. Review relevant organizational documents, including strategic plans, project documents, annual reports, financial reports, previous proposals, and partnership agreements,
4. Assess the existing fundraising systems, capacities, policies, and practices,
5. Conduct consultations with the management and staff of Caritas Gikongoro, 
6. Engage relevant internal and external stakeholders, including the Catholic Diocese of Gikongoro, development partners, local authorities, and other relevant institutions, 
7. Collect information on stakeholder expectations, partnership opportunities, and potential funding sources,
8. Identify and analyse potential donors and funding opportunities relevant to the areas of intervention of Caritas Gikongoro,
9. Develop a donor mapping, identify potential strategic partnerships and opportunities for collaboration, 
10. Facilitate a workshop to validate the draft fundraising strategy, collect and incorporate feedback from relevant stakeholders, and submit the final fundraising strategy to Caritas Gikongoro.

5. METHODOLOGY

The consultant is expected to apply a participatory, inclusive, and practical methodology throughout the assignment.

The methodology may include but not limited to the desk review of relevant documents and reports, key informant interviews, consultative meetings with management and staff, focus group discussions, where appropriate, organizational capacity assessment, SWOT analysis or other relevant analytical tools, stakeholder and donor mapping, review of national, regional, and international funding opportunities, participatory planning and validation workshops.

The consultant should propose a detailed methodology in the technical proposal and ensure that the fundraising strategy is aligned with the mission, mandate, Programmes, and strategic priorities of Caritas Gikongoro.

6. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES

The consultant or consulting firm will be expected to deliver the following:

1. Inception report containing the understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology, detailed work plan, and timeline;
2. Fundraising and Resource Mobilization assessment report highlighting the current situation, capacities, challenges, opportunities, and recommendations;
3. Donor and Funding Opportunity Mapping Report, including potential donors, funding priorities, and partnership opportunities; 
4. Draft Fundraising Strategy for review and validation by Caritas Gikongoro and relevant stakeholders;
5. Fundraising Action Plan outlining specific activities, responsibilities, targets, timelines, and required resources;
6. Monitoring and Evaluation Framework with clear indicators for tracking the implementation and performance of the fundraising strategy, 
7. Final Fundraising Strategy, incorporating comments and recommendations from the validation process,
8. A presentation of the final strategy to the management and relevant stakeholders of Caritas Gikongoro.

7. REQUIRED PROFILES OF THE CONSULTANT AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

1. The lead consultant should possess at least a Master's degree in Business Administration, Strategic Management, Development Studies, Finance, Project Management, International Development, or another relevant field;
2. A minimum of five years of demonstrated experience in fundraising, resource mobilization, business development, or organizational development; 
3. Proven experience in developing fundraising and resource mobilization strategies for NGOs, faith-based organizations, Catholic institutions, development institutions, or similar organizations (at least three certificates);
4. Demonstrated knowledge of national, regional, and international donor landscapes and funding mechanisms;
5. Experience in donor mapping, partnership development, proposal writing, and grant acquisition;
6. Strong knowledge of fundraising approaches, including institutional fundraising, private sector engagement, foundations, individual giving, and other relevant funding mechanisms;
7. Experience in facilitating participatory consultations and strategic planning processes,
8. Excellent analytical, communication, facilitation, and report writing skills. Fluency in English and Kinyarwanda, knowledge of French will be an added advantage.

8. TIME LINE 

The consultancy work is expected to be completed within 30days working days from the date of contract signature. A detailed timeline should be proposed by the consultant and agreed upon with Caritas Gikongoro. 

The indicative timeline may include: Inception meeting and document review, Organizational fundraising assessment, Stakeholder consultations, Donor and funding opportunity mapping, Validation workshop, Revision and finalization, Submission and presentation of final strategy.

9. APPLICABLE POLICIES AND COMPLIANCE

The selected consultant or consultancy firm shall comply with all applicable policies, procedures, standards, and requirements of the Catholic Diocese of Gikongoro and Caritas Gikongoro throughout the implementation of the assignment. These shall include, but are not limited to, the Safeguarding for all Programs Participants Policy, Gender Policy, Child Protection Policy, Data Protection Policy, and other applicable organizational policies.

The consultant or consultancy firm shall ensure that all information, documents, data, and other materials obtained during the assignment are treated as confidential and used solely for the purpose of this consultancy. The consultant shall also ensure that all consultations, interviews, focus group discussions, and other engagements are conducted in accordance with applicable Safeguarding, ethical, gender, child protection, and data protection requirements.

The consultant or consultancy firm shall work closely with the designated Caritas Gikongoro Strategic Planning Team and comply with reasonable organizational procedures and requirements communicated by Caritas Gikongoro during the assignment.

9. BID DOCUMENTS

Interested bidders must provide the following documents:

1. Technical proposal with a detailed methodology demonstrating an understanding of ToRs, a clear timeframe showing how the deliverables will be achieved, team composition, and evidence of the consultant’s experience in conducting similar assignments;
2. Updated and signed CVs of all proposed team members, accompanied by relevant academic and professional certificates;
3. Financial offer in Rwandan franc with breakdown of all costs associated with the delivery of the above services;
4. Company registration certificate;
5. Valid tax clearance certificate;
6. Valid social security clearance certificate;
7. Proof of VAT registration;

10. APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested consultants or consultancy firms shall submit applications electronically by email to Caritas Gikongoro at info@caritascdjpgikongoro.org no later than October 9, 2026 at 5:00 pm. The Technical Proposal and Financial Proposal shall be submitted in one PDF files together with all supporting documents listed under Section 9. Late, incomplete or non-compliant applications shall not be considered.

Email subject: Application for Consultancy Services for the Development of the Five-Year Fundraising and Resource Mobilization Strategy of Caritas Gikongoro (2026-2030),

Requests for clarification regarding these Terms of Reference shall be submitted by email to info@caritascdjpgikongoro.org no later than October 5, 2026.Caritas Gikongoro reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal, in whole or in part, and to cancel the procurement processwhere necessary and in the best interests of the organisation.

Contact for clarification and submission:
Email: info@caritascdjpgikongoro.org

Telephone: +250 796 269 049
Done at Nyamagabe, September 28, 2026

Father Alexis NDINDABAHIZI
Director of Caritas Gikongoro