Development Manager

Employment Type: Flexible / hybrid

Location: Singapore

Reports To: Executive Director

Applications close Friday 10 April - see below on how to apply.

About The Island Foundation

The Island Foundation (TIF) is a Singapore-registered nonprofit organisation dedicated to strengthening Learning for Sustainability across small-island and coastal communities in the Riau Islands, Indonesia.

Since 2010, TIF has worked in close partnership with local communities, educators, and Indigenous groups to co-design learning programs that are culturally grounded, locally relevant, and responsive to the realities of island communities.

Our work focuses on three interconnected areas:

Learning Centres that provide after-school learning experiences rooted in local culture, place-based learning, and environmental awareness.
Teacher Training and Educator Networks that build strong pedagogy, local leadership, and community-based education capacity.
Community Engagement and Partnerships that connect local stakeholders with universities, researchers, district governments, and donors to strengthen learning ecosystems and long-term sustainability.

TIF is entering an exciting phase of experimentation, specialisation, and strategic growth as we prepare for our next multi-year strategy toward 2030. This includes deepening our work with Indigenous communities, strengthening partnerships with local universities such as UMRAH, expanding programme replication into new island geographies, and contributing more actively to regional discussions on education, sustainability, and climate-resilient futures for coastal communities.

We are a small, agile, and mission-driven team that works across Singapore, Bintan, Lingga, Batam, and emerging geographies. Our work is grounded in trust, long-term relationships, and a belief in community-led and culturally respectful approaches to education and sustainability.

Position Overview

The Development Manager will play an important role in strengthening the organisational systems that support The Island Foundation’s fundraising, partnerships, and external engagement.

Working closely with the Executive Director, this role helps ensure that donor relationships, funding opportunities, communications, and reporting processes remain well organised and responsive.

This role is well suited to someone who enjoys bringing structure to complex work, managing multiple streams of activity, and supporting an organisation’s growth. The Development Manager will help prepare and coordinate proposals, donor communications, events, and reporting processes while maintaining visibility over fundraising pipelines and commitments.

Because the Executive Director frequently travels between Singapore and Indonesia, this role requires someone who is organised, proactive, and comfortable working independently.

The role blends elements of fundraising coordination, administration, communications, and partnership support, making it ideal for someone who enjoys working across a variety of responsibilities within a small mission-driven organisation.

Who This Role May Suit

This role will suit someone who:

Enjoys creating structure and systems in a busy organisation
Is comfortable managing multiple tasks while keeping an eye on bigger priorities
Enjoys writing, coordinating projects, and supporting partnerships
Wants to contribute to meaningful work in a small and collaborative team.

Candidates may come from backgrounds such as nonprofit development, partnerships, operations, programme coordination, communications, or executive support.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Coordination & Donor Management

Support the coordination and tracking of TIF’s fundraising pipeline, including funding opportunities, donor relationships, and reporting timelines.
Maintain accurate donor records and engagement history within the organisation’s CRM and internal tracking systems.
Assist in preparing grant proposals, concept notes, donor reports, and funding applications.
Coordinate donor communications including updates, acknowledgements, newsletters, and briefing materials.
Help maintain visibility over fundraising targets, funding commitments, and reporting obligations.

Partnerships, Events & Engagement

Support donor and partner engagement activities including meetings, briefings, and follow-up communication.
Coordinate logistics for donor visits, learning journeys, and field visits to TIF’s programmes in the Riau Islands.
Assist with planning events such as roundtables, donor briefings, corporate engagement activities, and programme launches.
Prepare background notes, presentations, and briefing materials for meetings with donors, partners, and Board members.

Communications & Storytelling

Work with programme teams to gather stories, insights, and learnings from TIF’s work in the field.
Draft content for donor updates, proposals, reports, presentations, and external communications.
Support the organisation in identifying opportunities to raise its profile through conferences, publications, and partnerships.

Organisational Coordination & Executive Support

Support the Executive Director by maintaining key planning tools including the fundraising pipeline, partnership trackers, and reporting calendars.
Prepare meeting briefs, donor dossiers, and follow-up notes for external engagements.
Help ensure the organisation stays on track with fundraising goals, reporting obligations, and external commitments.
Provide administrative and coordination support for strategic projects and partnerships as needed.

Selection Criteria

We welcome applicants from a range of professional backgrounds who are excited to contribute to a small, mission-driven organisation.

We are particularly looking for someone who demonstrates:

Strong organisational and administrative skills
Ability to manage multiple tasks, maintain structured systems, and keep processes running smoothly.
Excellent writing and communication skills
Comfortable drafting proposals, reports, professional emails, and donor communications.
Attention to detail and financial awareness
Comfortable tracking budgets, fundraising targets, funding pipelines, and reporting deadlines.
Initiative and reliability
Able to work independently and proactively while supporting a frequently travelling Executive Director.
Relationship skills and professionalism
Comfortable interacting with donors, partners, Board members, and colleagues across different cultural contexts.
Alignment with our mission
Interest in education, sustainability, and community-led development in Southeast Asia.

Desirable (but not required)

Experience working in nonprofit organisations, philanthropy, partnerships, or grant management.
Understanding of Singapore’s nonprofit and philanthropic landscape, or experience working with partners, organisations, or communities in Indonesia.
Experience coordinating events, donor engagement, or partnership activities.
Experience supporting fundraising or partnership development, including grant writing, donor communications, or proposal development.

Why Join The Island Foundation

This role offers the opportunity to contribute to an organisation working at the intersection of education, sustainability, and coastal community resilience.
You will work closely with a small and committed team and gain exposure to regional partnerships, community-led learning initiatives, and philanthropic engagement across Singapore, Indonesia and beyond.
For someone interested in the nonprofit and philanthropy sector, this role offers an opportunity to develop experience across fundraising, partnerships, organisational coordination, and mission-driven work.

How to Apply

Please send the following to info@theislandfoundation.com:

CV
A short cover letter (maximum 1 page) describing why this role interests you
One short writing sample (for example a proposal section, report, or professional communication you have written)

Please include “Development Manager Application – [Your Name]” in the subject line.

Applications are due by Friday 10 April and will be reviewed on a rolling basis.