Foundations Relations Officer

About the role:

Reproductive Freedom for All is looking for a Foundation Relations Officer who will put their fundraising and writing talents to use alongside a team of passionate advocates fighting on the front lines for reproductive freedom.

Location: Hybrid (~85-90% WFH); based in Washington, DC, New York City, San Francisco/Bay Area, or Chicago metro areas

Reports to: Senior Director of Foundations & Development Communications

This position is: Full-time, Exempt, Union, Level: IV

Salary range: $62,000-$85,000

The Foundation Relations Officer will work directly with the Senior Director of Foundations & Development Communications to develop and implement a fundraising strategy for foundation donors under $150,000 annually, with the goal of consistently securing new funders and growing the portfolio. They will make direct solicitations (as appropriate); staff donor calls and meetings; manage the prospect pipeline process for Foundations; and work with the Senior Manager of Development Communications and Senior Director of Foundations & Development Communications on the development of proposals, reports, and other development materials (this role may also require some proposal and report writing, as needed).

This position will be largely (~85-90%) work from home; candidates should be based in or around the Washington, DC, New York City, San Francisco/Bay Area, or Chicago metro areas, with the ability to attend in-person donor meetings, travel for in-person donor trips, and work in an office, as required.

The ideal candidate is skilled at leading a portfolio and developing strategies for growth; researching, cultivating, and engaging with foundation funders; and adapting their prose to a variety of audiences and styles. They possess strong communication skills, work well across teams to achieve mutual goals, have strong attention to detail, and understand how to manage projects from start to finish. They also come to this work with a collaborative, open mindset, and are eager to help us expand and diversify our donor base to include more young donors and donors of color.

In this role, you will:

• Work directly with the Senior Director of Foundations & Development Communications to develop and implement a fundraising strategy for a portfolio of 30-40 foundation donors that give under $150,000 annually. This includes research, cultivation, and communications, all with the goal of consistently securing new funders and growing the portfolio;
• Make direct solicitations as appropriate;
• Staff donor calls and meetings, including drafting memos, prepping program staff, and collaborating with program staff to cultivate and steward donor relationships;
• Manage systems to track and cultivate donors and prospects while maintaining clear and up-to-date records;
• Work with the Senior Manager of Development Communications and Senior Director of Foundations & Development Communications on the development of proposals, reports, and other development materials for your foundation donors. This role may also require some proposal and report writing (as needed);
• Manage the prospect pipeline process for Foundations, including working with our researcher to vet and identify prospects to bring to the Senior Director of Foundations & Development Communications; when appropriate, drafting proposed cultivation plans and executing those plans; and identifying and implementing areas for process improvement, with a continuous aim toward excellence;
• Identify opportunities for process improvements throughout the Foundations team, including deadline tracking/calendar/schedule management, collateral development and production, file and document management, etc.;
• Work with our Development Operations team to manage day-to-day grant operations, including proposal and report deadline tracking; foundation acknowledgments; contribution coding; donor memos; grant records maintenance for audit compliance; mail/email list pulls; donor record updates, and other tasks as required; and
• Other duties consistent with the responsibilities and qualifications outlined in this job description may be assigned.

Qualifications (What You Bring)

• Ability to synthesize complex information and turn it into a compelling story that drives support of our work from foundations-from smaller family foundations to major, established organizations;
• Clear interest in and understanding of how to lead and grow a portfolio, with a willingness to delve deep into donor research-using tools such as Foundation Directory Online, 990s, or Chronicle of Philanthropy to mine through documents, pull together memos, and identify potential funders, with the express goal of diversifying our donor base to include more younger donors and donors of color;
• Project management skills and the ability to juggle deadlines, manage details to ensure smooth day-to-day operations, and be flexible in an environment where priorities can shift quickly;
• Demonstrated commitment to the mission of Reproductive Freedom for All and enthusiasm for reproductive health and freedom advocacy;
• At least 4 years of experience in fundraising, preferably with foundation donors;
• Bachelor's degree OR equivalent work experience accepted;
• Computer literacy in Microsoft Office and Google programs, development research tools, and development CRMs;
• Knowledge of diverse groups, desire to work with a multicultural workforce, and demonstrated sensitivity to and appreciation of cultural differences;
• Commitment to ensuring anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion, which are at the heart of our work and our organization; and
• Ability and willingness to attend in-person donor meetings, travel for in-person donor trips, and work in an office as required (~10-15%); this position will otherwise largely be work from home (~85-90%).

Nice-to-haves (or excited-to-learns):

• Experience in proposal and general development writing;
• Experience with foundation donors, and in political and/or direct advocacy campaigns in the public or private sectors.