Fundraising Strategist (Consultant)

Humanity United for Equity (HUE) is a registered nonprofit disrupting the systems that keep people from living healthy, fulfilling lives. We address the full spectrum of social determinants of health — safe housing, mental health, workforce development, education, and food access — through a community-centered ecosystem built on dignity, access, and real solutions.

All In. All Together. All Thriving.

We are a brand new organization preparing for our July 2026 launch and we are building the financial and communications foundation that will carry us through Year 1 and beyond.

What We're Looking For:

We need a seasoned nonprofit fundraising strategist who can build our revenue development function from the ground up — and deliver a comprehensive Fundraising & Messaging Playbook that our entire team can execute from day one.

Our CEO is a respected community leader and health equity strategist — not a fundraising professional — so we need someone who can design the strategy, develop the messaging, and coach leadership to show up confidently in every room and on every platform.

This is a founding-stage engagement. You won't be inheriting a system — you'll be building one. Every word, framework, and tool you produce will shape how the world first experiences HUE.

Scope of Work

Fundraising Strategy:

- Audit HUE's current revenue landscape and identify the highest-impact funding opportunities

- Develop a diversified fundraising strategy focused on:

- Individual donor development (major gifts, recurring giving, annual campaigns)

- Private and community foundation grants

- Corporate partnerships and sponsorships

- Hospital and health system community benefit funding

- MCO (Managed Care Organization) partnerships

- Earned revenue streams (corporate wellness, speaking, training, partner contracts)

- Build a 12-month fundraising calendar with clear revenue targets and milestones

- Set up or optimize donor pipeline management in Neon One CRM

Fundraising & Messaging Playbook:

This is a core deliverable. We need a practical, ready-to-use playbook that covers:

- Donor Messaging: What to say to individual donors at every stage — first outreach, cultivation, the ask, stewardship, and renewal. Scripts, talking points, and email templates included.

- Corporate & Funder Messaging: How to approach and communicate with corporate sponsors, health systems, and foundation funders. Tailored language for each audience type.

- Community Messaging: How HUE talks to the communities we serve — language that builds trust, invites participation, and moves people from awareness to action without charity framing.

- Podcast & Content Strategy: How The Outcry Podcast connects to fundraising — episode angles that build donor trust, calls-to-action that convert listeners to supporters, and content that deepens community relationships.

- Social Media & Campaign Messaging: Fundraising-specific language for campaigns, giving days, and community mobilization across platforms.

- CEO Talking Points: Ready-to-use scripts and frameworks so the CEO can speak confidently to donors, funders, partners, and community members in any setting.

Website Language & Consistency:

A critical part of this role is ensuring our website language is fully aligned with our investment and fundraising messaging. Specifically:

- Audit existing and planned website copy for alignment with donor, funder, and community messaging

- Develop or refine website language for key pages — including About, Our Work, Get Involved, Donate, and any investor/partner-facing pages

- Ensure the language used to invite community members, donors, and corporate partners is consistent across the website, playbook, and all outreach materials

- Create a messaging consistency guide — a simple reference document the team uses to ensure every touchpoint (web, email, social, in-person) speaks with one unified voice

- Align website calls-to-action with fundraising strategy (e.g., donation prompts, newsletter signups, partnership inquiries)

CEO Coaching & Preparation:

- Brief and prepare the CEO for donor meetings, funder calls, and pitch opportunities

- Build internal fundraising capacity through templates, talking points, and documented processes

- Ensure the CEO's voice, story, and vision are authentically reflected in all strategy, messaging, and web language

Ideal Consultant Profile:

- 4+ years of nonprofit fundraising strategy experience with a proven track record

- Demonstrated success building or scaling fundraising programs at early-stage nonprofits

- Experience developing donor messaging, fundraising scripts, communications playbooks, and website copy

- Strong understanding of brand voice consistency across multiple channels and audiences

- Deep knowledge of individual donor development, corporate partnerships, and foundation funding

- Familiarity with health equity, SDOH, mental health, housing, or community-based organizations

- Understanding of how content (podcasts, social media, websites) can be leveraged as a fundraising tool

- Comfortable working directly with and coaching executive leadership

- Self-directed and able to build strategy with minimal hand--holding

- Experience with Neon One or similar nonprofit CRM platforms is a plus

What We Are NOT Looking For:

- Strategists whose approach relies heavily on federal or state government grants — we are intentionally diversifying away from government funding given the current climate

- Generalists — we need someone with deep, specialized fundraising strategy and messaging expertise

- Someone who delivers a strategy deck but no practical tools — we need a playbook our team can actually execute

- Someone who treats the website, donor messaging, and community language as separate silos — consistency across every touchpoint is non-negotiable

Engagement Details:

- Engagement Type: Contract (project-based or hourly — open to proposals)

- Timeline: Immediate start preferred; ongoing engagement possible for the right fit

- Budget: Open to proposals — please include your rate, estimated scope, and how you would structure deliverables

How to Apply:

Submit a proposal through Upwork that includes:

- Your experience building fundraising strategy and messaging for nonprofit organizations

- A specific example of a fundraising plan, playbook, or messaging framework you developed and its results

- Examples of website copy or brand voice work you've done for a nonprofit or mission-driven organization

- Your approach to building a unified voice across donor, community, and web-facing communications

- Your rate and availability

HUE is committed to equity and inclusion. We strongly encourage proposals from Black, Brown, LGBTQ+, and other historically underrepresented consultants.

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