Youth RISE requires a consultant to conduct a workshop on creative fundraising strategies, providing an overview of the different sources of sustainable funding available in particular for harm reduction/community based/youth-led organizations in general.

Background: 

Youth RISE is a network of young people from around the world working in harm reduction and drug policy reform advocacy. Youth RISE mobilizes youth to be engaged in Full Spectrum Harm Reduction and drug policy reform to promote health and human rights. We envision a world where youth are valued, active partners in the political process on local, regional, and international levels. 

Harm reduction services are effective and cost-effective, saving lives and government funds. However, these services are severely underfunded. At the domestic and international levels, funding for harm reduction is inadequate and shrinking (Harm Reduction International, 2023). In addition to the main funders like Robert Carr Fund or Global Fund, it is essential to incorporate tools to raise and seek funds in a sustainable and successful way, to know the different forms of financing available (such as crowdfunding and social enterprise grants for example), and to have a financial strategy with well-defined short, medium and long term objectives. As a youth-led organisation, we have access to a variety of possible donors in relation to youth and possibly Sustainable Development Goals-related funds – but we are not aware of all of these opportunities or how to access other forms of fundraising. We must ensure that the work of our organisation is sustained financially, and therefore require expertise in creating a Financial Sustainability Strategy to do this as well.

Scope of Work: 

Youth RISE requires a consultant to conduct a workshop on creative fundraising strategies, including crowdfunding and grant writing for social enterprises, which aims to provide our International Working Group members, management and partners with an overview of the different sources of sustainable funding available for Youth RISE in particular and to harm reduction/ community based/youth-led organizations in general. In addition, the consultant is required to develop a financial sustainability strategy fit for Youth RISE

Tasks:

  • Design the workshop content to be reviewed by Youth RISE management;
  • Conduct the workshop;
  • Develop a financial sustainability strategy for Youth RISE, with the support of Youth RISE Management and the Board of Directors.

Timeframe and Budget: 

  • This is a consultant contract, and the ‘consultancy fee’ is USD 6,000 in total. 
  • This consultant is expected to carry out and deliver the assignments before November 1st  2023.

Essential Skills and Experience: 

  • Proven experience in fundraising for NGOs working in drug policy and harm reduction, health or human rights;
  • Proven experience implementing creative fundraising strategies such as crowdfunding and social enterprise grants;
  • Proven experience in writing tailored financial sustainability strategies for NGOs; 
  • Proven experience in conducting workshops in an online format;
  • Good command of the English language. 

Preferable Skills and Experience: 

  • Knowledge and understanding of Youth RISE’s work; 
  • Experience working with Youth RISE or other civil society organizations; 
  • Experience working with Young People Who Use Drugs and other young Inadequately Served Populations.

Application process: 

Applications must be submitted by email to carolina@youthrise.org, copying in ruby@youthrise.org, with the Subject Line “YouthRISE fundraising workshop and financial sustainability strategy”. All applicants are required to send CV and Cover Letter by July 16th 23:59 (GMT). Successful applicants will then be notified.