Director - Climate Philanthropy

The India Climate Collaborative is seeking a Director of Climate Philanthropy in Mumbai, India. This senior leadership role focuses on donor engagement, capital mobilization, and strategic organizational growth to advance ICC's mission in climate philanthropy. Responsibilities include shaping ICC’s strategy, building relationships with high-net-worth individuals, and ensuring alignment between funding and climate initiatives. The position is critical for defining ICC's impact and fostering collaboration within the climate ecosystem.
About The ICC
The India Climate Collaborative (ICC) was established in 2020 to coordinate and support Indian philanthropists scaling corporate and family philanthropy in India for climate impact. We unlock philanthropic capital, identify catalytic climate priorities, and create connective infrastructure. We were founded by some of India's pre-eminent corporate and philanthropic leaders, including Rohini Nilekani, Ratan Tata, Anand Mahindra, Nadir Godrej, and others.

Among other donor typologies, the ICC aims to empower and cultivate climate leaders among high net-worth individuals in India. The role of ICC is to direct funds towards those climate priorities that are aligned with India’s ambitious mitigation targets, development goals and to advocate for accelerated climate funding and more integrated action. The ICC plays the role of an advisor to these Climate Leaders, it does not charge its services, nor does it pool grant capital – the funds flow directly from philanthropists to climate solutions and organisations.

The Director of Climate Philanthropy is a senior leadership role critical to advancing ICC’s mission and long-term strategy. While this position leads donor engagement and capital mobilization, its scope is far broader—driving strategic organizational growth, shaping ICC’s institutional positioning, and fostering a culture of collaboration and shared purpose across teams. Reporting to the CEO and working in close partnership with the Director of Climate and the Director of Operations, this role will play a central part in anchoring ICC’s presence as a trusted and credible platform for climate philanthropy in India.

This is not just a fundraising role. It is a leadership position that will help define what the ICC stands for, where it is going, and how it will get there—with funding as one of several critical levers to unlock systemic impact. The Director of Development will work closely with internal leadership and external partners to ensure that ICC’s programmatic priorities are both well-resourced and deeply aligned with the broader philanthropic and climate ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities
• Strategic Leadership & Institutional Development
• Contribute to ICC’s organizational strategy, working closely with the CEO and leadership team to shape direction, define priorities, and ensure alignment between ICC’s mission and its fundraising approaches
• Translate ICC’s vision into long-term resourcing strategies that reflect a deep understanding of both internal program needs and external opportunities in the climate philanthropy landscape
• Collaborate with the Director of Climate to ensure that donor strategies are grounded in sectoral credibility and responsive to the evolving needs of the climate movement in India
• Partner with the Director of Operations to build systems and infrastructure that can sustain large-scale philanthropic funding and ensure transparency, accountability, and impact measurement
• Donor Mobilization & Engagement
• Build and nurture deep, values-aligned relationships with key donors—UHNIs, corporate foundations, and global philanthropic institutions, aligning climate initiatives with their philanthropic interests
• Co-create bespoke donor strategies that align philanthropic capital with high-leverage climate solutions, ensuring long-term commitment and alignment
• Design intelligence-led donor journeys and engagement plans to guide donors toward high-impact funding opportunities.
• Strengthen donor commitments and improve the rate of conversion by tailored engagement strategies
• Building and executing strategies to identify and source new prospects and donors to expand the pipeline of existing donors
• Strategic Partnerships
• Establish and manage partnerships that enhance donor engagement, including platforming initiatives, peer networks, ecosystem coalitions and joint funding mechanisms
• Thought Leadership and Ecosystem Engagement
• Curate sectoral insights and specialized content to inform and support donor decision-making
• Represent ICC at key external events and panels, positioning the organization as a leading voice in climate philanthropy
• Cross-functional Collaboration and Team Leadership
• Act as a strategic connector across ICC teams, ensuring strong alignment and feedback loops between development, programs, operations, and communications
• Define team structure and lead hiring efforts to build a strong development team
• Drive internal processes to enhance ICC’s capacity to manage and deploy large-scale philanthropic funding
• Promote a culture of collaboration, learning, and shared accountability across ICC’s leadership team

Qualifications & Experience
• 15+ years of experience in philanthropy, fundraising, strategic partnerships, with a proven track record of mobilizing significant capital and managing complex donor ecosystems and high-level donor relationships, preferably in the climate, social impact, or development sectors
• Strong understanding of climate philanthropy, domestic and international funding landscapes, and donor engagement strategies
• Demonstrated leadership in building institutions or platforms with mission-driven agendas, ideally in climate, development, or allied sectors
• Exceptional strategic thinking, stakeholder management, and communication skills
• Experience working closely with cross-functional teams to drive organizational growth and alignment
• A collaborative and humble leadership style with a strong commitment to integrity, equity, and impact

Terms of employment: Consultant

Location: Mumbai/Bengaluru/Delhi

Timeline
Prospective candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, and will be interviewed on a rolling basis. Due to the small capacity of our team, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

The India Climate Collaborative, registered as the Council of Philanthropies for Climate Action, is an equal opportunity employer.