The Global Fund for Children (GFC) is seeking an experienced consultant for a three-month Grantmaking Operations Assessment and Process Improvement consultancy. The remote opportunity is open to consultants worldwide and is designed for a professional with substantial experience in grantmaking operations, philanthropy, process improvement and the use of Salesforce to manage grants.
The assignment will support GFC during a leadership transition within its grantmaking function. The selected consultant will assess how grants currently move through the organisation, identify operational strengths and bottlenecks, and develop practical recommendations to improve efficiency while maintaining GFC’s trust-based and partner-centred approach.
About the Global Fund for Children
The Global Fund for Children is a trust-based philanthropic intermediary supporting grassroots and community-led organisations working with children and young people across more than 50 countries. The organisation provides flexible funding, capacity strengthening and opportunities for network building, with an emphasis on shifting power towards locally rooted organisations.
GFC operates regional teams across Africa, Asia, Europe and Central Asia, and the Americas. Its grantmaking is managed through Salesforce, including a multilingual grantee portal available in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French.
In its most recent fiscal year, GFC distributed approximately US$10 million in grants. Current projections are approximately US$7 million across more than 300 partner organisations and a small number of individuals.
Consultancy Objectives
The consultancy will provide GFC with an independent assessment of its grantmaking operations and recommendations for strengthening the function in the future.
The consultant will examine the complete grant lifecycle, from partner due diligence and approval through funding disbursement, reporting and grant closeout. Particular attention will be given to the way these processes operate within Salesforce and to opportunities for reducing unnecessary administrative work.
The assessment will consider the experience of three key groups: grantmaking operations staff, internal programme team members and grantee partners.
Grantmaking Process Assessment
The consultant will map the current end-to-end grantmaking workflow in Salesforce, documenting approval stages, handoffs and areas involving manual or duplicated work.
The assessment will also examine whether existing processes create unnecessary administrative burdens for staff or grantees and whether the current system reflects GFC’s trust-based principles, including proportional due diligence, flexibility and responsiveness.
The consultant will review GFC’s grantmaking operations manual, due diligence materials and related documentation, assessing their clarity, consistency and ease of use. Where information is available, the consultant will also benchmark GFC’s practices against comparable trust-based and international philanthropic funders.
Recommendations should be practical and actionable, including potential Salesforce workflow or configuration improvements that can reduce administrative workload and shorten processing times without requiring major custom development.
Team Structure and Organisational Design
A second major component of the assignment will focus on the future structure and capabilities of GFC’s grantmaking operations function.
The consultant will recommend an appropriate team structure based on GFC’s grantmaking volume and complexity, including potential trigger points for increasing capacity as grantmaking activity changes.
The assessment will identify the skills and experience that should be prioritised for any additional hire. This may include an appropriate balance of Salesforce knowledge, grantmaking expertise, process improvement and systems thinking.
The consultant will also advise on how grantmaking operations should interact with functions such as Finance and Learning & Evaluation.
Expected Deliverables
The successful consultant will be expected to produce:
• A current-state process map of GFC’s grantmaking workflow in Salesforce.
• A findings memo outlining strengths, pain points and operational risks.
• Prioritised and actionable process improvement recommendations.
• A distinction between quick wins and longer-term improvements.
• A recommended grantmaking operations team structure and relevant role and skills profiles.
• A final presentation to GFC’s Senior Management Team.
Required Qualifications and Experience
Applicants should have significant hands-on experience designing, managing or advising on grantmaking processes within a foundation, philanthropic intermediary or comparable funding organisation.
Strong functional knowledge of Salesforce for grantmaking is essential. Candidates do not need Salesforce development or coding expertise but should understand how Salesforce-based grantmaking workflows, automation opportunities and data structures operate. Experience with the Nonprofit Success Pack or a comparable grants management system would be advantageous.
Experience with trust-based or participatory philanthropy is highly desirable, particularly the ability to balance operational efficiency with partner-centred funding practices.
Candidates should also have international or global grantmaking experience, including familiarity with cross-border due diligence, compliance and currency-related considerations.
Additional expertise in organisational design, process mapping, change management and stakeholder engagement will be important. The consultant should be comfortable conducting interviews or focus groups with staff at different levels and potentially engaging a small number of grantee partners.
Strong written, visual and verbal communication skills are required, together with cultural and regional sensitivity when working across diverse international contexts.
Engagement Details
Duration: Three months
Format: Virtual/Remote
Location: Worldwide
Anticipated start: September 2026
Reporting to: Deputy Vice President of Programs
Budget: Applicants should provide a fee estimate
Application deadline: 7 September 2026
How to Apply
Interested consultants should submit a brief proposal, CV and two references for related projects by Monday, 7 September 2026.
The consultancy presents an opportunity for an experienced philanthropy or grantmaking professional to help strengthen the operational systems of an international organisation supporting locally led initiatives for children and youth.
GFC is committed to equity and inclusion in its hiring and contracting practices and welcomes applications from consultants with diverse professional backgrounds and lived experience.
