Director of Strategic Partnerships and Development

About the Organization

Real estate houses the economy. Annually, commercial real estate contributes over $2.3 trillion to US GDP and supports over 15 million jobs. In 2017, the Pension Real Estate Association established the PREA Foundation as an independent nonprofit, prioritizing the need for increased opportunity within the field and an increased pool of talent for the industry.

Today, PREA Foundation is governed by a 24-person Board of global industry leaders, developing programs to broaden access for young professionals to life-changing career opportunities in the commercial real estate industry. Since its founding, PREA Foundation has built a strong base of support from over 230 donors and has raised over $47 million to support its work.

What began in 2018, supporting 70 student interns, has grown into a nationwide network for career access and advancement. In 2024, the Foundation partnered with six grantees, served over 5,000 students, and generated $50 million in economic opportunity through internships and job wages.

By 2028, the Foundation aims to build the largest and most comprehensive talent pipeline in the commercial real estate industry, serving 10,000 students and creating $100 million in economic opportunities.

To learn more about the PREA Foundation, please visit our website.

About the Role

What You'll Do

PREA Foundation is seeking a dynamic and experienced fundraising leader to serve as its inaugural Director of Strategic Partnerships and Development. The ideal candidate is a seasoned fundraising professional with a proven track record of growing and diversifying philanthropic revenue. This is a great opportunity for a fundraiser interested in building out the function within a growing organization that creates economic opportunity for young people. This leader will work closely with the Executive Director as a key member of the leadership team, actively shaping PREA Foundation's fundraising strategy and grantmaking decisions. The Director of Strategic Partnerships and Development will create the structure and systems needed to increase and diversify the PREA Foundation's annual fundraising campaigns. Reporting directly to the Executive Director and collaborating with the team and Board, our fundraising leader will design a revenue strategy that focuses on investments from large foundations and corporations and high net worth individuals. In partnership with the leadership team, this position will expand PREA Foundation's base of financial support to build an enduring and impactful institution.

The successful candidate will have a demonstrated track record of raising revenue from a range of institutional and individual donors and building strong relationships with corporate leaders. In 2025, PREA Foundation's goal is to raise approximately $8M annually to support its programming.

Key Responsibilities

Revenue Generation

• Implement a comprehensive plan for identifying new potential funders and securing commitments primarily from endowed and corporate foundations to support an $8M+ revenue target
• Expand and diversify PREA Foundation's donor base of corporate partners, and explore potential additional revenue streams around major gifts
• Research funding sources and trends, with foresight, to help position PREA Foundation ahead of major funding changes or trends
• Directly manage a portfolio of donors and prospects, including relationships with existing corporate partners
• Possess the ability to think creatively when making asks and cultivating donors to ensure the best long-term value proposition for the organization
• Prospect and cultivate new potential donors with the capacity to make transformative seven figure gifts
• Build relationships with family foundations and donors, understanding their unique philanthropic priorities, decision-making processes, and engagement preferences

Board Development and Engagement

• Support board members in advancing the organization's fundraising strategy, leveraging their networks to identify and cultivate new funding opportunities
• Collaborate with and support Board members in spreading the word about PREA Foundation's work and impact
• Attend board meetings and board committee meetings and report on development activities as needed, in coordination with the Executive Director
• Together with the Executive Director, increase the board's overall capacity to cultivate new donors and to fundraise by developing narratives and impact reports that demonstrate PREA Foundation's impact

Organizational Leadership

• Thrives in a collaborative environment and takes pride in building strong relationships with donors, partners, and the team to advance shared goals
• Refine and enhance PREA Foundation's fundraising infrastructure by building systems and processes to ensure seamless donor stewardship and retention
• Provide regular analytic reports for PREA Foundation staff and the Board that synthesize the fundraising and partnership pipeline forecast
• Serve as leadership representation for the organization and articulate our mission to external constituents
• Engage and mobilize program alumni as advocates and partners to support fundraising initiatives and events
• Motivated to contribute to the growth and development of an impactful and growing organization

Who You'll Work With

You will report to the Executive Director and collaborate with a growing team of 3 employees. You will also frequently collaborate with the 20+ PREA Foundation Board of Directors and the Chair of its fundraising committee.

Required Skills and Experience

• An authentic passion and commitment to PREA Foundation's vision to create life-changing opportunities for young people to access and enter the commercial real estate industry, and a genuine interest in supporting the professional development of leaders within the space
• 10+ years of professional experience, with 5+ years of leadership experience as a fundraiser
• Comfort in building from scratch, demonstrates resilience, and a willingness to take on tasks large and small to achieve goals; previous experience as an entrepreneur or intrapreneur preferred
• Proven revenue generation and diversification experience with a track record of closing six figure gifts from both individual and institutional donors
• Experience leveraging marketing to strengthen fundraising efforts preferred
• Strong cultural competence with an ability to communicate and influence across a wide variety of audiences lines of difference
• Demonstrated ability to craft compelling stories and strategically leverage marketing techniques to engage and connect with potential donors in innovative ways
• Ability to drive strategic thinking and develop creative ideas
• Exceptional organization management skills, with the ability to work hands-on to develop and execute a variety of activities ranging from the highly creative, external, and visible, to the operational and day-to-day
• Experience working in the context of institutional investing and or commercial real estate industry preferred
• Bachelor's degree required

Salary

The expected base salary range for this position is $150,000 to $200,000.

Benefits

• Health coverage plans (medical, vision, and dental)
• Vacation time
• Paid family leave
• 401(k) plan with a 6% match
• Remote work arrangement
• Home office stipend

Application Instructions

Qualified individuals, please apply: https://www.on-ramps.com/jobs/3432