Director, Foundation Relations
Remote
Development – Development /
Full-time /
Remote
About KIND
Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is a global leader in the protection of unaccompanied and separated children who are forcibly displaced from their countries of origin. Launched in 2008, KIND champions a world in which every child’s rights and well-being are protected throughout their journey to safety.
Building on its extensive programming and successful model in the United States, KIND is expanding in the Americas and Europe to bring its experience to bear in working with unaccompanied and separated children. Our work focuses on addressing the legal and mental health needs of this population; building strong partnerships and engaging in training and capacity strengthening with governments, NGOs, and the private sector; and advocating for systemic and pragmatic reforms to advance the rights of unaccompanied and separated children.
Position Summary:
KIND seeks a Director, Foundation Relations with primary responsibility for the successful planning and execution of cultivation and fundraising strategies designed to deepen foundation funder engagement in support of KIND’s organizational priorities. The incumbent will work strategically and collaboratively to drive the achievement of a $10M-$12M annual foundation revenue target and ultimately increase revenue year over year. The Director, Foundation Relations will manage their own portfolio of existing and prospective donors, while supporting the development and rollout of institutional development best practices and processes. The Director, Foundation Relations will also supervise a foundation relations officer who oversees their own portfolio of relationships.
This position requires exceptional communication skills, substantial experience working with foundations, and a proven track record of cultivating and soliciting six-, seven-, and eight-figure grants. The Director, Foundation Relations is a key member of the institutional development team and reports to the Senior Director, Institutional Development.
KIND’s preference is for the incumbent to be based in the Washington, DC or New York City areas. This position has the potential to be remote dependent on willingness to travel.
Essential Functions:
- Designs, implements, and oversees a comprehensive foundation relations strategy that results in meeting or exceeding an annual foundations revenue target of approximately $10 million with year over year growth.
- Cultivates, solicits, and stewards a portfolio of 70-85 active and prospective donors with the capacity to make six-, seven-, and eight-figure gifts.
- Creates tailored engagement plans, taking into account each prospect’s priorities, motivations, giving patterns, and ask preferences.
- Identifies and implements meaningful engagement opportunities for institutional funders to sustain their interest and long-term support of KIND.
- Develops and maintains strong knowledge of KIND’s program work, priorities, and achievements to effectively represent a wide array of regional, national, and international programs.
- Works in conjunction with the research team to identify new sources of potential revenue with six-figure capacity and design and execute cultivation strategies to increase win rate with new prospects.
- Writes and edits sophisticated strategy memos, regular programmatic updates, and other donor communications – all strategically framed for each foundation’s specific interests.
- Secures meetings with foundation leaders and lead the planning and execution of meetings between with foundation leaders and senior KIND staff, including overseeing or conducting donor research and preparing briefings for KIND senior leadership with strategic agendas and talking points.
- Provides direction, oversight, mentorship, and supervision of the foundation relations officer.
- Informs and reviews proposals and reports led by the grant writing team to ensure that these materials reflect the most recent funder knowledge and relationship developments.
- Documents executed and planned activities in Salesforce; ensures all activities are updated and completed in a timely manner.
- Monitors the philanthropic landscape, staying abreast of philanthropic trends and foundation giving.
- Supports departmental initiatives, including process improvements, updating tools, drafting standard operating procedures, and developing trainings.
Qualifications and Requirement:
- Undergraduate degree required.
- Must be fluent in English.
- Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience including business development, foundation relations, or grant writing.
- A recent record of identifying and securing grants that aggregate to $5M or more annually.
- Proven ability to secure six-, seven-, and eight-figure donations from a variety of institutional donors.
- Experience working on “big-picture strategy” and building processes and systems to improve team efficiency and success.
- Ability to take initiative and work independently with strong business development acumen.
- A team player with highly mature interpersonal skills – including ability to respond productively to direction and feedback, and facility working with staff and leadership at all levels.
- Outstanding attention to detail and accuracy – commitment to a work product that is thorough, complete, and polished.
- Strong analytical skills, creativity, and ability to develop fundraising strategies working in conjunction with program and development leadership.
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to maintain enduring relationships with foundation leadership, program officers, philanthropic advisors, and colleagues.
- Strong communication skills, both oral and written, with an ability to communicate professionally with major donors and senior staff.
- Prior experience in utilizing and managing Salesforce or other CRM.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suites (such as Teams, Excel, etc.).
- Ability to work collaboratively and multi-task in our KIND environment, managing numerous priorities and emerging opportunities.
- Excellent organizational skills with ability to work on multiple projects in a deadline-oriented environment. Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate as appropriate.
- Ability to work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, and communication styles.
- Committed to prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as embracing transparency and authenticity in daily work life.
- Be disciplined and nimble to ensure delivery on our core mission of access to justice and protection of children’s wellbeing and rights.
- Showing the ability to multi-task and work with a sense of urgency in a dynamic, fast paced environment.
- Committed to practicing and supporting wellbeing and a work-home life balance.
- Experience working and communicating in a remote environment.
- While this position can be primarily remote, ability to travel (approximately 30%) and work in an office environment is required as needed.
$92,000 - $115,000 a year
Our Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance with KIND paying 100% of the employee only portion of the premium for one of the two medical plan options, dental, and vision.
- Pre-tax flexible spending account (FSA) for both medical and dependent care.
- Pre-tax transit and parking spending account.
- Employer-paid life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
- Employer-paid short and long-term disability insurance.
For a complete list of benefits, please click here.
Our Focus on Wellness
KIND recognizes that our ability to help our clients starts with helping our team members. KIND has prioritized wellness for employees through Mindfulness and Wellness Trainings, Wellness Platforms, Employee Assistance and Resilience Programs, Time Away and Office Wellness Activities.
For more information regarding our Wellness initiatives please visit this link.
KIND requires all staff be COVID vaccinated with the exception of those who have medical or religious beliefs exemptions.
Application Instructions
To be considered for this role, please submit an employment application at supportkind.org/join-the-team, along with your resume and cover letter.
KIND has an organization-wide commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We strive to create a work environment where everyone has a sense of belonging. Individuals from historically underrepresented or underserved communities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Disclaimer: KIND is committed to an ethical recruitment and hiring process and maintains a firm “no fees” recruitment policy. We will never charge a fee or ask for money as part of the application process. KIND also conducts all interviews via telephone or video conference, and at no time will KIND engage in a text or mobile app-based application or interview process. For more information, please visit the following website: https://supportkind.org/join-the-team/kind-employment-practices/.
