Director, Institutional Development
Washington, DC
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 strategic and experienced fundraising professional to expand revenue generation from KIND’s portfolio of institutional prospects. Working under the direction of the Senior Director, Institutional Development, this individual will be responsible for deepening funder engagement and ensuring compliance with grant requirements. The incumbent will manage their own portfolio of existing and prospective donors, supervise a small team, and support the development and rollout of best practices and processes.
This position requires exceptional communication skills, substantial grant management experience, and a proven track record of cultivating and soliciting six-and seven-figure grants from foundation and government funders.
This is a remote position based from any location in the U.S.
This position is contingent upon continued funding.
Essential Functions
- Strategy and Leadership
- Develops and leads a comprehensive foundation fundraising strategy to grow and diversify KIND’s foundation revenue, with a target of $10–12 million annually.
- Serves as grant manager and primary Development point of contact for all government grants, ensuring compliance, timely renewals, and responsiveness to funder inquiries.
- Monitors the philanthropic landscape, staying abreast of trends and opportunities.
- Identifies and assesses new funding opportunities aligned with KIND’s programmatic goals.
- Supports revenue targeting and mid-year reforecasting.
- Supervises and mentors a small team.
- Portfolio Management
- Manages a portfolio of 55-70 current and prospective donors, with a focus on securing six-, seven-, and eight-figure gifts from foundations and government agencies; ensure effective moves management and serve as the primary Development point of contact with these funders.
- Cultivates and maintains relationships with foundation staff, government funding agencies, and philanthropic advisors
- Drafts compelling cultivation materials, program updates, and strategic communications tailored to each funder.
- 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 prospect researcher to identify new sources of potential revenue and develop strategies to introduce KIND to new audiences.
- Secures and executes key meetings with funders, including preparing KIND senior leadership with agendas and talking points.
- Addresses funder inquiries, requests, and audits with professionalism and accuracy.
- Proposals and Reporting
- Leads or supports proposal development, including reviewing RFPs, coordinating internal inputs, and preparing submission materials.
- Coordinates with grant writers to ensure proposals and reports reflect the latest relationship and programmatic developments. Reviews reports and proposals and ensure on-time and high-quality submissions.
- Maintains thorough knowledge of grant terms and conditions, reporting requirements, and grant/contract renewal processes.
- Works cross-functionally to oversee award execution and ensure a smooth transition to post award implementation.
- Operations and Administration
- Contributes to the development and improvement of department processes, tools, and templates.
- Documents all planned and executed activities, opportunities, and deliverables in Salesforce.
Qualifications and Requirements
- Undergraduate degree required.
- A clear passion for KIND’s mission at a time when our work to protect the legal rights and well-being of unaccompanied children has never been more necessary.
- Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in institutional fundraising, including direct experience with foundations and government funding.
- Proven track record of securing $5M+ annually, with demonstrated success cultivating large multi-year grants from foundations and government agencies.
- Experience with grant management.
- Exceptional communication skills, both oral and written, with an ability to communicate professionally with funders, partners, and senior staff.
- Outstanding attention to detail and accuracy – commitment to a work product that is thorough, complete, and polished.
- Experience supervising and mentoring staff.
- Prior experience in utilizing and managing Salesforce or other CRM.
- A proven track record of working well with others, adapting to others’ work styles, and professional interactions with co-workers and/or vendors.
- While this position can be primarily remote, ability to travel (approximately 15%) and work in an office environment as needed is required.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (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 the ability to work on multiple projects in a deadline-oriented environment; ability to prioritize tasks and delegate as appropriate.
- Ability to work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, and communication styles.
- Demonstrate discipline and adaptability to effectively deliver on our core mission of ensuring access to justice and safeguarding children’s well-being and rights.
- Ability to multitask 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 preferred but not required.
$98,272 - $122,841 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 three 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.
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.
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/.
