How BD roles have changed in development in 2025

In the wake of funding cuts, contract terminations, and staff layoffs, revenue generation became the priority for many organizations this year. While hiring remains generally slow across the sector, experts told Devex that there is a demand for business development expertise as organizations look for new ways to bring in money amid an increasingly competitive funding landscape. But business development roles today look quite different from what they once were. Unsurprisingly, many organizations are turning away from the sector's long-standing funders. “Business development, fundraising, and income generation used to indirectly mean government funding or institutional funding,” said Firas El Dib, ​​​principal consultant for Prospectus recruitment firm. But “no one's really interested in securing funds from governments anymore.” And this shift is impacting the structure and approach of revenue-focused teams. Momoh Jerry, a grants and financial analyst based in Nigeria, sees the traditional “proposal factory” model of business development “giving way to something much more strategic and human.” People working in these roles are now expected to be connectors that build trust with donors, local partners, and technical teams long before making a funding request, he said. Jerry noted that as donor priorities shift fast, business development teams must pivot with them. So what does this mean for business development roles in 2025? Looking to new markets As organizations move away from institutional funding, there’s a focus on global foundations, such as the Gates Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and MacArthur Foundation, said El Dib. Meanwhile, Serhat Tunar, a business development consultant based in Turkey, sees more organizations looking to Erasmus and other big European Union funds. According to El Dib, many international NGOs are also expanding their high-value fundraising teams — that is, teams focusing on major giving, high-net-worth individuals, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. Alongside rising recruitment for philanthropic specialists, he sees more roles at charities looking to engage corporate partnerships, which involves a good deal of due diligence research. There is a huge opportunity in high-net-worth individuals, particularly in the U.S., said Clare Rodger, chief marketing and growth officer at Save the Children US. The philanthropic community has the ability to step in and create real impact, she said, but they're not going to do it alone, so diversification remains important. Diversification is the name of the game For Rodger’s team, continuing to expand audiences is key. This involves exploring different platforms and engaging new groups, including gamers or influencers. “Done in an authentic way, it can be really helpful in our advocacy work … [and] fundraising work [to] reach new audiences who wouldn't think about us in the way traditionally we've been working,” she said. From digital fundraising to engaging with social impact investors, “it's about having a different menu for different audiences and really thinking purposely about how you build that to create that future business,” Rodger explained. Similarly, in Colombia, Juliana Perdomo, a fundraising and partnership specialist, sees a huge urge to expand funding sources, meaning more exploration of corporate partnerships, blended finance, and individual giving — a market she said is growing in Latin America. According to Perdomo, the private sector in the region is increasingly adopting an impact-led approach and supporting conservation and sustainability efforts, but the humanitarian sector is struggling to engage these partners, as is the development sector, to a lesser extent. For conservation organizations, there’s also an opportunity to increase and diversify funding from banks, which are increasingly interested in sustainability, she said. Looking ahead, Perdomo noted the importance of tapping into the knowledge of organizations in neighboring countries and investing time in understanding and mapping regional market trends. More integrated approaches At Save the Children US, the events of this year have accelerated integration. All funding streams — whether focused on corporate partners, high-net-worth individuals, or institutional donors — have been brought together under one new department focused on marketing and growth, explained Rodger, adding that this is a trend that is happening elsewhere. “You really just need to make your different colors of money and different partnerships work together in a much more joined-up way,” she said. Succeeding in this space now means professionals need to be putting up their hand, looking for ways to learn, and seizing opportunities to collaborate, Rodger said. DAI has also shifted in its approach. Previously, the company’s structure was organized around clients, and business development professionals had considerable experience working with a particular client, such as USAID or the private sector, explained Lucy Volz, vice president of global workforce. Now, the company is less focused on that niche expertise, she said, and is looking at business development more holistically. Local and long-term partnerships Several of the experts Devex spoke to noted an increasing demand for local expertise and networks in new business development roles and proposals. El Dib has found this to be particularly true among small and medium-sized NGOs with programming in Africa, noting a recent candidate search for a business development lead to be based in Kenya. According to Jerry, business development strategies are adapting to localization, and “it’s no longer enough for organizations to say they will subcontract local partners.” He believes funders are increasingly rewarding organizations that give local players leadership roles in design and delivery, while business development teams are acting as facilitators rather than gatekeepers. “It’s a major cultural shift, but it’s making proposals more grounded and credible,” said Jerry. Soft skills more critical than ever These changing approaches are impacting the skills that business development teams need to succeed. For Tunar, networking is more important now than ever and key to finding new clients who want to spend money on specific causes. Business development professionals need to put in the work to understand new clients from different sectors, and adapt the language they use to resonate with them, he noted. At DAI, business development staff are pivoting to pursue new markets — something that utilizes many of their existing skillsets but does require a shift to understand the priorities and needs of those clients, said Volz. A lot of it comes down to being able to tell the story of the company and describe the services that we can provide to them, she said. Data literacy and knowledge of donor trend dashboards, CRM tools, and analytics can help teams spot funding opportunities early, said Jerry, and writing and compliance skills are still important. However, he believes market intelligence and key soft skills, such as storytelling and emotional intelligence, are the most critical traits for effective business development teams going forward. “BD is no longer about chasing opportunities but shaping them — those who thrive now are storytellers, strategists, and bridge-builders rolled into one,” Jerry said.