Director, Corporate & Foundation Engagement

Position:          Director of Corporate and Foundation Engagement

Reports to:      VP, Institutional Advancement
Collaborate:    Institutional Advancement, Programs (including State Offices), Finance and Accounting teams, and senior leadership
Liaise:             Externally with funding partners
Location:         Washington, DC; Hybrid
 

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW

The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) envisions a nation where marginalized children flourish, leaders prioritize their well-being and communities wield the power to ensure they thrive. CDF’s Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities

We serve and advocate for the largest, most diverse generation in America: the 74 million children and youth under the age of 18 and 30 million young adults under the age of 25, with particular attention to those living in poverty and communities of color. CDF partners with policymakers, aligned organizations and funders in this service. The Children’s Defense Fund is the only national, multi-issue advocacy organization working at the intersection of child well-being and racial justice by wielding the moral authority of programmatic proximity and community organizing to inform public policy. For more information visit www.childrensdefense.org.
 

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to and working closely with the VP of Institutional Advancement, the Director, Corporate & Foundation Relations will develop and implement a national strategy to secure institutional and corporate funding for CDF. The Director will carry a portfolio of national funders and work closely with and support the VPs of Institutional Advancement and Programs and Strategy to build sustained funding partnerships that respond to CDF programmatic and general operating needs. The Director will also oversee and provide guidance to state offices in support of regional institutional fundraising efforts, including overseeing strategy implementation for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding relationships with institutional funders including corporate entities for sponsorships, in-kind, and other opportunities. Taking an entrepreneurial approach, the Director monitors corporate philanthropy trends and the foundation funding landscape to identify opportunities that align CDF’s goals with potential partners. In time, the Director will also supervise two managers of corporate and foundation relations respectively who will provide grant-writing and corporate engagement support and be the primary contact for and oversee the work of a grants support consultancy that provides additional grant writing and prospecting support to State Offices, Policy, Leadership Development & Organizing, and Freedom Schools programs.

The ideal candidate will have a successful track record of institutional and corporate relationship management, a comprehensive understanding of and expertise in writing complex funding proposals using a theory of change model, and superior knowledge of the institutional funder landscape, particularly in the policy and advocacy space, along with strong personnel management, and excellent organizational skills.

Key Responsibilities

1. Identify, cultivate, and solicit gifts from public, private and corporate foundations, businesses, and organizations nationally.
2. Serve as a highly visible external representative of CDF. Establish and maintain strong social and professional relationships with key community, corporate and organizational leaders and influencers to maximize funding opportunities.
3. Create opportunities for strategic partner and CDF engagement meetings, including the CEO, VP, other CDF staff and/or CDF board members as appropriate.
4. Develop and implement strategies for approaching funders for renewed or increased funding, including tracking and meeting deadlines for proposals and reports to donors.
5. Provide strategic oversight and be primary liaison to Grants consultancy on prospecting, grant submissions, and reports to funders
6. Provide ongoing stewardship for funders, sponsors and prospects, keeping them abreast of programs of interest, CDF trends and engagement opportunities.
7. In coordination with the VP, engage with CDF state offices when specific major relationships could or should directly connect with CDF’s specific work in those geographic areas.
8. Write concept papers, proposals and create presentations, as necessary to close strategic partnerships and oversee fulfilment of partnership agreements.
9. Collaborate on strategy with program leads on ways existing and potential work could align with donor interests and how to position our work.
10. Work with events team and committees on development of sponsorship opportunities and prospectus for delivery to potential partners.
11. Work with program staff and leadership to stay informed of their priorities, activities, and impact and to support, advise, and collaborate on funding opportunities.
12. Foster strategic connections and communications between staff and donors, including keeping donors informed of CDF’s activities relevant to their interests and preparing talking points and background for CDF staff prior to meetings with donors.
13. Ensure follow-up pertaining to all assigned strategic partner activities and sponsorship solicitations.
14. Identify and represent CDF at relevant conferences and other events to raise awareness of CDF and engage new business.
15. Manage and complete additional assignments from the VP, and other CDF Leadership when appropriate, particularly those that have natural synergies with developing and growing a national strategic partners program.

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• A minimum of seven years of relevant experience working within the nonprofit sector.
• Proven track record of success securing and stewarding six and seven-figure gifts and sponsorships from foundations and / or corporations and organizations.
• Experience developing and implementing institutional and corporate funding strategy.
• Knowledge of the institutional philanthropy landscape and trends.
• Knowledge of the corporate giving landscape and trends.
• Experience making public presentations with the ability to convey passion and enthusiasm to various audiences.
• Experience supervising the work of others to ensure timely funding submissions and reports.
• Proficiency in using office 365, relationship management software and foundations databases.

• Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience securing funds for national umbrella organizations with regional structures.
• Experience with Raiser’s Edge or RE NXT; Foundations Online.

• Strategic and entrepreneurial mindset with strong business acumen
• Superior writing and editing skills with attention to detail and demonstrated experience in creating powerful, compelling, tailored written and oral communications for fundraising.
• Polished and effective public representative capable of initiating and building relationships with prospective corporate / foundation executives and program officers, major donors, board members and senior staff.
• Self-starter capable of working independently and under tight and sometimes competing deadlines.
• Ability to work effectively and maintain positive relationships with internal staff members and external constituents.
• Ability to analyze, interpret and convey CDF program and policy data and trends to key stakeholders.
• Commitment to continuous learning and professional development; keeping pace with ever-changing corporate philanthropy landscape and best practices.
• High degree of professionalism and diplomacy.
• Collaborative and comfortable interfacing with senior leaders.
• Demonstrated passion for CDF’s mission.

• Creative and Innovative Thinking - Experiments with new ideas, methodologies, and procedures; generates unique but workable and useful solutions to difficult problems.
• Customer Focused - Seeks ways to improve service delivery. Assesses the organization and its services from the customer’s point of view. Emphasizes a team approach to providing great customer service.
• Relationship Building - Builds constructive working relationships characterized by a high level of acceptance, cooperation, mutual respect.
• Attention to Detail - Diligently attends to details and pursues quality in accomplishing tasks.
• Communication - Listens to others and communicates in an effective manner.

• Indoor, office setting (3 days/week); Indoor, from home (2 days/week).
• Regular in-person (and/or virtual) meetings with prospects (3-4/week).
• Travel within the US required (approximately 2 – 8 times per year).
• Some evenings and weekends may be required.

Additional comments

Children's Defense Fund is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, economic status, or status as an individual with a disability. Consideration will be given to qualified candidates on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Salary commensurate with experience. Attractive benefits package. 

A background check and/or pre-employment assessments will be performed in compliance with local, state, and federal law on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer.

Note: This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of all responsibilities required and does not restrict management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Questions regarding the role or position description may be submitted to Human Resources at humanresources@childrensdefense.org.