Position: Fundraising Lead
Location: Bangalore
Fundraising Lead — Chimple / Sutara Learning Foundation
About Chimple
Chimple is a play-based adaptive learning platform delivering foundational literacy and numeracy through 2,000+ interactive games in Hindi, English, Marathi, and Kannada, aligned with NCERT and state curricula. We have implemented in-school programs in 700+ schools and teacher-directed at-home programs across 8 states, reaching 700,000+ students and training 1,500+ teachers. Multiple independent RCT's, including studies by the University of Virginia and Wellesley College, have proven significant learning gains - students using Chimple for 10 minutes daily achieved gains equivalent to an additional academic year. Our Hanur evaluation showed 28% higher grade-level competence and 80% increased attendance.
Chimple is a Global Learning XPRIZE finalist (2016-2018) field-tested with UNESCO, Winner of Maharashtra's AI Innovation Challenge Award(2019), we believe we are just beginning to make an impact and our goal is to reach 1 million children across India by 2030.
Role Overview
We are looking for a Fundraising Lead who can independently drive Chimple’s fundraising efforts and bring in funds for the organization. This is a hands-on, target-driven individual contributor role responsible for the full fundraising cycle — from identifying donors and opening conversations to developing proposals, following up, and closing funding.
The ideal candidate is entrepreneurial, well-networked, persistent, and comfortable working with limited supervision in a small, mission-driven organization.
Key Responsibilities:
- Independently build and manage a fundraising pipeline across CSR partners, foundations, philanthropies, HNIs, family offices, institutional donors, and grant-making organizations.
- Identify new funding opportunities aligned with Chimple’s work in foundational literacy and numeracy, EdTech, AI in education, multilingual learning, and underserved communities.
- Initiate donor outreach, secure meetings, manage follow-ups, and convert opportunities into committed funding.
- Prepare concept notes, grant proposals, CSR proposals, pitch decks, budgets, and donor presentations.
- Represent Chimple in donor conversations, networking events, and partnership discussions.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with prospective and existing donors.
- Coordinate donor reporting, impact updates, renewal proposals, and grant-related documentation.
- Maintain a structured tracker of leads, proposals, donor conversations, deadlines, and closures.
- Work with leadership and internal teams to gather program, product, finance, and impact inputs as needed.
Required Qualifications and Experience
- 5–9 years of experience in fundraising, partnerships, business development, CSR, philanthropy, grants, institutional fundraising, or nonprofit development.
- Demonstrated ability to independently generate leads, build donor relationships, and close funding.
- Strong understanding of the Indian CSR, philanthropy, nonprofit, education, or social impact ecosystem.
- Excellent proposal writing, presentation, and donor communication skills.
- Ability to manage multiple donor conversations and deadlines with strong follow-up discipline.
- Comfort working independently without a large fundraising team or extensive operational support.
Preferred Qualifications
- Existing network among CSR funders, foundations, philanthropies, HNIs, family offices, or education-sector donors.
- Experience raising funds for education, EdTech, child development, FLN, government school programs, or technology-for-good initiatives.
- Ability to translate program plans, product vision, and impact data into compelling donor narratives.
- Interest in technology, AI in education, digital learning, and scalable social impact models.
Skills and Attributes
- Self-driven and entrepreneurial
- Strong ownership mindset
- Target-oriented and persistent
- Excellent storyteller and communicator
- Systematic in pipeline management and follow-up
- Comfortable opening doors and building relationships from scratch
- Motivated by measurable fundraising outcomes
Location : Bangalore / Remote / Hybrid
Reporting : The Fundraising Lead will report to the Founder / CEO or senior leadership team. This is an individual contributor role with high ownership of fundraising outcomes.
Compensation : Compensation will be based on experience, network, and demonstrated fundraising ability. A performance-linked component may be considered.
How to Apply
Interested candidates can send their resume and a brief note describing their fundraising experience, donor network, and examples of funds or partnerships they have helped secure to hr@sutara.org