DIRECTOR OF FOUNDATION RELATIONS

Position Summary

In collaboration with the President & CEO, the Director of Foundation Relations is responsible for planning and implementing BoardSource’s foundation fundraising strategies and activities with the goal of deepening relationships within the philanthropic community and increasing philanthropic support for BoardSource on a year-over-year basis.

Primary Responsibilities

The Director of Foundation Relations will serve as a key external representative of BoardSource’s work within the foundation community and engage with foundation funders and prospects to build and deepen relationships that generate  philanthropic dollars and build BoardSource’s reputation and influence within the foundation community. This includes establishing relationships with all of BoardSource’s current funding partners, working to understand their philanthropic goals and priorities, their history of partnership with BoardSource, and cultivating long-term relationships that grow over time. Similarly, the Director of Foundation Relations will identify new potential foundation relationships building opportunities to expand and deepen funding for BoardSource’s essential mission. The Director of Foundation Relations will be a high-level individual contributor, working to develop and guide a multi-year fundraising strategy as well as directly engaging with individual funders, developing proposals and agreements, and overseeing all aspects of grant stewardship, communication, and reporting. A growth opportunity for an individual in this role may be to represent BoardSource as a writer, thinker, and speaker within and amongst philanthropic audiences.

The duties that follow represent the primary responsibilities for this role. All employees are responsible for performing other projects and duties as assigned.

• Develop a multiyear fundraising plan that identifies a diverse base of support for BoardSource’s research and leadership agenda.
• Establish a firm understanding of BoardSource’s work – especially its leadership initiatives and research agenda – to support strategic and effective foundation fundraising strategies.
• Manage relationships with BoardSource’s foundation donors and prospects, with a focus on deepening relationships with existing funding partners and increasing the number of $10,000+ funding relationships that provide general operating support.
• Represent BoardSource and its work within the philanthropic community, working to establish reputation and relationships in ways that cultivate increased philanthropic support.
• Partner with Chief of Staff and other program leaders to develop proposals and write grant reports.
• Oversee the foundation fundraising budget. Create and implement tracking mechanisms to ensure goals are on target.
• Provide oversight – but not direct supervision – to the development-related responsibilities of the Executive Coordinator (EC). This includes engagement with the EC around the scheduling of foundation meetings for the President & CEO and the preparation of meeting briefings for the CEO’s meetings with foundation funders and prospects.

Education, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Bachelor’s degree, or relevant experience, and a minimum of 5 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations
• At least 3 years in foundation fundraising, ideally in an organization that is focused on research, leadership, or nonprofit sector support
• Demonstrated track record in personally identifying and closing foundation grants
• Impeccable writing skills and a demonstrated ability to translate complex ideas into clear and compelling proposals
• The ability to represent and embody BoardSource’s leadership and values – including our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity – in direct relationship with funders and potential funders
• Broad knowledge of the nonprofit sector, including an understanding of sub-segments within the sector and knowledge of emerging trends within the sector
• An existing portfolio of relationships with funders interested in nonprofit leadership desirable, but not expected
• Past or current nonprofit board service a plus
• An optimistic outlook and a flexible, innovative approach to problem-solving
•  Able to travel up to 25% (in a post-pandemic reality)