Board Leadership Opportunity: Head of Strategic Alliances

The Defeating Epilepsy Foundation® is seeking an energetic, relationship-focused leader to serve as our Head of Strategic Alliances. This volunteer board leadership position will expand our network and build meaningful partnerships that strengthen our mission.

The goal is to connect with businesses, healthcare organizations, educational institutions, nonprofits, and community leaders—developing relationships that can grow into funding, shared resources, professional expertise, and other lasting support.

Your Leadership Role

As Head of Strategic Alliances, you will:

• Expand our network: Identify and connect with organizations and individuals whose interests align with our mission.

• Build lasting relationships: Initiate introductions, arrange meetings, and maintain thoughtful, consistent follow-up.

• Discover shared opportunities: Explore collaborations involving education, community outreach, referrals, events, and program development.

• Open doors to support: Develop relationships that may lead to sponsorships, donations, in-kind contributions, volunteer support, or professional services.

• Represent our mission: Participate in networking events and community meetings to increase awareness of the foundation and its work.

• Connect partners with our team: Coordinate with the President, Director of Philanthropic Growth, Grant Development Chair, and program leaders to move promising opportunities forward.

• Mobilize board connections: Encourage board members to introduce potential partners and help strengthen existing relationships.

• Track progress: Maintain a partnership contact list and share outreach, developing relationships, and next steps at monthly board meetings.

Who We’re Looking For

We welcome someone who enjoys meeting people, brings curiosity to conversations, and can recognize opportunities for mutual benefit.

Experience in networking, community engagement, business development, healthcare, education, or nonprofit partnerships is helpful. Strong communication, organization, initiative, and reliable follow-through are essential.

The ideal candidate understands that strong alliances grow through trust, shared purpose, and sustained engagement.

Commitment and Initial Goals

This is a one-year volunteer board leadership position, renewable annually, with an expected commitment of at least eight hours per month. The Head of Strategic Alliances attends monthly board meetings, presents progress updates, and may use up to two excused absences per year.

During the first 90 days, this leader will work with leadership to:

• Identify priority organizations and potential partners.

• Develop a clear introduction to our mission and partnership opportunities.

• Begin outreach and schedule introductory conversations.

• Create a system for tracking contacts, interests, and follow-up.

• Establish achievable relationship-building goals and identify promising collaborations.

Why Join Us?

A single introduction can lead to a new advocate, a valuable resource, or a partnership that supports our community for years. Your leadership will help create those possibilities and turn them into meaningful action.

Bring your enthusiasm, your ideas, and your ability to connect people. Together, we can build a network that helps our mission grow.