Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) India- Terms of Reference
Background: MSF is an international medical humanitarian organization founded in 1971 by journalists and doctors who provide medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, pandemics, disasters, and those excluded from healthcare. MSF’s actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of impartiality, independence, and neutrality. MSF has been actively involved in India for the past 25 years, since 1999, focusing on mental healthcare, treatment for Advanced HIV, tuberculosis (TB and DRTB), hepatitis C, and essential healthcare.
Medecins Sans Frontieres India (MSF India) is an Indian legal entity which was incorporated on March 6, 2013 and registered as Section 8 Company under the provisions of Companies Act, 2013. The principal activities of the Company as defined below:
- To implement and provide medical aid to people in distress, to victims of natural and man-made disasters, and to victim of armed conflict irrespective of race, religion, creed or political convictions by itself or by supporting and assisting associations comprised of medical doctors and health sector workers aiming to help people who are affected by way of coordinating communication activities and fostering public awareness, recruiting medical and non-medical personnel and support operational directorates offering medical/technical content expertise.
- To act and undertake the activities keeping in mind the universal medical ethics and international humanitarian law.
- To interact with civil society and humanitarian initiatives for promoting the social cause in India.
Objective: The objective of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to invite qualified agencies for a long-term engagement to plan, deploy, and manage Face-to-Face (F2F) fundraising operations for MSF India, with the objective of acquiring and retaining regular (monthly) donors. Selected agencies will be responsible for delivering ethical, compliant, and high-quality donor acquisition aligned with MSF’s mission, values, and brand guidelines, while meeting agreed performance and quality benchmarks.
Purpose of Assignment
MSF India aims to significantly scale its Individual Giving programme to build a predictable, sustainable, and locally anchored donor base supporting MSF’s medical humanitarian work. To achieve this, MSF India plans to acquire 40,000 regular donors every year starting 2026 through high-quality Face-to-Face Fundraising (F2F) across key cities (with a preference in Pune, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore & Hyderabad) in India.
To support this long-term acquisition plan, MSF India intends to identify eligible, credible & experienced agencies capable of delivering large-scale, high-quality regular donor acquisition through F2F channels across streets & venues.
The F2F programme is a critical component of MSF’s growth strategy, enabling deeper public engagement, stronger brand visibility, and sustained financial support for emergency medical operations.
2. Objective
To acquire monthly (regular giving) donors across India through face-to-face fundraising channels, focusing on audiences aged 27 years and above and capable of supporting MSF with a recurring monthly contribution.
Specific objectives include:
- Annual onboarding of 40,000 new pledge donors from 2026 onwards.
- Ensuring high donor quality, transparency, and ethical fundraising practices aligned with MSF’s values.
- Strengthening MSF’s presence in priority metros.
3. Estimated Duration of Agreement
Annual – Will be extended based on deliverables.
4. Qualifications / Experience Required
Participating agencies must demonstrate expertise in nonprofit fundraising—preferably through face-to-face donor acquisition.
- Experience
- Minimum 3 years of experience in F2F fundraising, or donor acquisition.
OR
Newly formed agencies whose leadership team has relevant experience in this domain can apply.
- Capacity Requirements
- Minimum 15–20 trained F2F fundraisers available for immediate deployment across agreed cities.
- Ability to scale teams to support MSF’s multi-year growth target.
- Strong recruitment, training, and retention capabilities.
- Language Skills
- Proficiency in English and relevant regional languages.
- Sector Understanding
- Familiarity with social impact sectors, public health issues, and humanitarian principles.
- Geographic Presence
- Agencies must list cities where they can operate and their maximum acquisition capacities. Please refer to the list of cities which have been mentioned above.
- Compliance & Ethical Requirements
- Adherence to MSF’s ethical fundraising standards and global F2F guidelines.
5. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Agencies must demonstrate the capacity and proven experience to meet the following key performance indicators (KPIs):
- Long-term Monthly Donor Recruitment:
The agency should have a strong track record in acquiring and retaining long-term monthly donors, with strategies focused on sustainable donor relationships rather than one-time contributions.
- Target Demographic Alignment:
Donor acquisition efforts must be targeted at individuals aged 27 years and above, ensuring alignment with the organization’s donor profile and long-term giving potential.
- Minimum Monthly Contribution Threshold:
The agency must adhere to a minimum recommended monthly donation ask of INR 800–1,000 and demonstrate the ability to position this ask amount effectively during donor engagement without compromising donor trust or comfort.
- Data Accuracy and Validation Standards:
All donor data collected must be accurate, complete, and verifiable. The agency is expected to follow robust data validation processes, ensure compliance with applicable data protection laws, and maintain high standards of data integrity.
- Ethical and Responsible Donor Engagement:
Donor interactions must be conducted in an ethical, transparent, and respectful manner. This includes clear communication of the organization’s mission, informed consent, avoidance of coercive practices, and adherence to all relevant fundraising and regulatory guidelines.
6. Scope of Services
Selected agencies will:
- Recruitment, Training, and Management of F2F Teams:
- Recruit, train, deploy, and supervise face-to-face (F2F) fundraising teams, ensuring that all fundraisers are adequately trained on fundraising protocols, compliance requirements, ethical engagement standards, and MSF’s values and mission.
- Donor Acquisition through F2F Channels:
- Execute donor acquisition activities exclusively through approved F2F fundraising channels, with a focus on acquiring high-quality, long-term monthly donors in line with agreed performance targets.
- Brand Compliance and Mission Communication:
- Ensure strict adherence to MSF’s brand guidelines and messaging, and communicate MSF’s mission, programs, and impact accurately and transparently to prospective donors at all times.
- Reporting and Performance Tracking:
- Submit daily operational and performance reports, including donor sign-ups, conversion rates, cancellations, and any issues or incidents, in the prescribed format and within agreed timelines.
- Maintain donor quality and attrition standards.
7. Required Submission (2-3 Page proposal)
Agencies in their proposals must include:
- Capacity to Meet Committed Targets:
- A clear demonstration of the agency’s operational and financial capacity to meet the proposed donor acquisition targets, including resource availability, performance history, and scalability.
- Organizational Experience and Leadership Profile:
- A concise summary of the agency’s relevant experience in F2F fundraising, along with profiles of key leadership and management personnel responsible for delivery and oversight.
- Geographic Presence and Scale-Up Capability:
- Details of the agency’s current geographic footprint, including cities/regions of operation, and the ability to scale operations up or down based on program requirements.
- Team Size and Recruitment Plan:
- Information on the current and proposed team size, recruitment strategy, onboarding timelines.
- Confirmation of Ability to Meet KPIs:
- A confirmation of the agency’s ability to meet the defined KPIs, supported by past performance metrics, benchmarks, or references where available.
- Training, Quality Assurance, and Ethical Framework:
- A detailed description of the agency’s approach to fundraiser training, monitoring processes, and adherence to ethical fundraising standards.
- Commercials:
- A comprehensive commercial proposal outlining the pricing structure, cost components, payment terms, and any performance-linked or incentive-based elements.
Proposals to be emailed at MSFI.Procurement@New-Delhi.MSF.Org
Deadline for submitting proposals is 5th January 2026.
Only shortlisted agencies will be contacted.
