Director of Institutional Partnerships

The Director of Institutional Partnerships and Grants leads The Doe Fund's institutional fundraising portfolio, encompassing foundation, corporate, and government support. This role oversees strategy, pipeline development, proposal and report writing, deadline management, and funder stewardship. The Director is responsible for securing more than $1.2 million in annual foundation and corporate revenue (with anticipated growth), strengthening relationships with institutional partners, identifying relevant government RFPs, and overseeing the development and submission of strong proposals, and ensuring that all communications to funders—across sectors—reflect The Doe Fund's mission and impact with accuracy and dignity. 

As the organization's lead grant writer and primary project manager for institutional funding, the Director produces compelling, tailored proposals; coordinates across departments to gather program, financial, and data inputs; ensures compliance with funder guidelines; and prepares senior leaders for engagement with institutional partners. The Director maintains a deep understanding of The Doe Fund's evolving programs and translates complex information into persuasive, strategic narratives.

This is a senior, execution-focused role requiring exceptional writing, strong project management, and the ability to manage a high-volume portfolio with precision.

Institutional Funding Strategy & Pipeline Development

• Build and maintain a robust, strategically aligned pipeline of foundation, corporate, and government funders to meet or exceed annual revenue targets.

• Strategize and cultivate pathways to institutional partnerships with reputable funders in workforce development, homelessness prevention, and supportive housing, ensuring alignment between funder priorities and The Doe Fund's programmatic strengths.

• Evaluate fit, giving trends, and long-term potential; present recommendations to senior leadership.

• Track trends in philanthropic and public funding to position The Doe Fund competitively.

Portfolio & Deadline Management

• Develop, manage, and continuously refine a centralized grants calendar capturing all deadlines—including LOIs, proposals, reports, updates, stewardship deliverables, and RFP responses. 

• Ensure all stakeholders receive timely reminders, clear assignments, and sufficient lead time for review.

• Maintain a centralized repository of institutional documents (Board list, staff list, budgets, org materials, audits, 990s, program descriptions).

• Establish and refine internal review workflows to ensure accuracy, completeness, and consistent quality.

Proposal Development & Writing (Lead Writer)

• Serve as the organization's lead writer for all foundation and corporate proposals and reports; supervise and support a Government Affairs Specialist in the development and submission of government grants.

• Produce compelling, accurate, tailored narratives that reflect funder priorities and The Doe Fund's programmatic strengths.

• Gather information from program, finance, and executive teams to develop budgets, budget narratives, and data-supported stories.

• Ensure all materials align with The Doe Fund's voice, values, equity commitments, and writing standards.

• Provide a critical review of drafts to guarantee clarity, accuracy, and alignment prior to submission.

Funder Engagement & Stewardship

• Serve as a primary point of contact for foundation, corporate, and institutional partners—particularly grants up to approximately $50,000—building positive, professional relationships over time.

• Participate in funder calls and meetings; provide program updates, clarify proposal details, and address follow-up needs.

• Coordinate site visits: scheduling, materials, agendas, talking points, and logistics.

• Prepare senior leadership for high-level funder conversations, including briefing memos, recommended ask strategies, and background research.

• Ensure timely, accurate stewardship reports and follow-up communications.

• Track conversation outcomes and maintain clear institutional memory for each funder.

Government Funding & RFP Coordination

• Oversee government grant writing in partnership with the Government Affairs Specialist, providing strategy, direction, and quality control.

• Identify relevant RFPs; support go/no-go decision-making with senior leadership.

• Ensure government submissions meet all compliance requirements and reflect organizational capacity and programmatic accuracy.

Cross-Departmental Coordination

• Work closely with program teams to ensure a deep understanding of programs, outcomes, and emerging initiatives.

• Partner with Finance to develop accurate budgets and budget narratives for proposals and reports.

• Collaborate with Communications to maintain consistent language and framing across public-facing and institutional materials.

• Support development-related special projects, events, and initiatives as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required

• At least five years of grant writing or institutional fundraising experience, including lead authorship of complex proposals.

• Demonstrated success managing a diversified institutional portfolio and securing foundation or corporate funding.

• Exceptional writing and editing skills; ability to translate technical program information into compelling narratives.

• Strong financial and analytical skills with experience developing budgets and budget narratives.

• Excellent project management skills and the ability to manage a high-volume, deadline-driven workflow.

• Skilled at managing up to senior leaders and providing strategic direction across teams.

• Familiarity with government funding structures and RFPs preferred.

• Strong commitment to The Doe Fund's mission and values.

• Proficiency with grants management systems, databases, and collaborative drives.

Interested?

Submit your application for review.

Before you go, we want to assure you that we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace reflective of individuals who share our mission and who want to join us in working on the cutting-edge of important social issues. 

We are an equal opportunity employer and we highly encourage applications from candidates regardless of race, color, citizenship, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran or reservist status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.

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