Director of Foundation Relations

June 7th, 2023
Director of Foundation Relations

Director of Foundation Relations

  • Full Time
  • Mid-Level
  • Applications have closed
Job Category: Development
Location: Manhattan
Job Sectors: Community Improvement, Human Services, Other
Salary Range: $90,000 - $110,000

About The Center

Since our founding in 1983, The LGBT Community Center (The Center) has been a place of hope and a refuge for the LGBTQ+ community in New York. We are today – as we were then – a place of safety, connection, activism, and joy.

As we celebrate our 40th Anniversary, the time is right to reflect on the past and share our vision for the next 40 years, supported by new thinking around what “community” means in these times. Recent years have shaped us in ways that have spurred a profound commitment- in theory and practice- to racial, economic, and gender equity. We have a renewed sense of purpose to center the perspectives and needs of Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Color (BIPOC), as well as transgender and gender expansive (TGE) communities.  Our new core values will guide the direction we take today and in the years to come, committing us to the following: advocating for racial, gender, and economic justice using an intersectional lens; taking a community-driven approach; elevating collaboration; and fostering healing and joy.

At 40, we look back with both pride for all we’ve accomplished and made possible but also with humility in acknowledgment of the mistakes we’ve made along the way. There is still so much more to do together as we continue to build a future where our entire community shines.

The last few years have challenged the way people access services, interact with each other, and engage with their communities. We are plugged in digitally at a higher speed and scale, and yet isolation and threats to our community have never been more acute.

The fact is, even with virtual options, we know that the community centers movement is growing and thriving. There are 300 LGBTQ+ community centers in the country, and that number continues to climb. A staggering one in five LGBTQ+ people regularly use services at their local community center.  A source of healing, joy, and communal power, LGBT Centers are more vital and valuable than ever. We believe in the enduring power of this treasured space and the role it will play in years to come. 

To learn more about how the Center is serving the community, please visit gaycenter.org.

 

Position Summary

The Director of Foundation Relations will be responsible for developing and executing The Center’s overall private funding strategy. This encompasses leading the solicitation, stewardship, and engagement strategy for foundation grantmakers and key external partners. 

As we look to the future, we know that our success will be measured by how agile we are in responding to the changing needs and demographics of our community. In collaboration with the Chief Development Officer, the Director of Foundation Relations will develop and execute a fundraising strategy that aligns with the organization’s racial and gender equity commitments and emerging program priorities, including three key areas of critical investment:

  • Launching a comprehensive LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Clinic that offers long-term solutions; one of the few holistic clinics designed to treat LGBTQ+ people
  • Combating isolation by investing in Arts + Culture offerings, events that promote civic engagement and mobilize communities to act, and bring celebration and play back to The Center
  •  Redoubling our commitment to Youth + Families programming to ensure a brighter future for our whole community

The Director of Foundation Relations will serve as a visible advocate for the organization’s private grant-seeking efforts and cultivate a diverse range of funding partners for The Center.  This position has supervisory responsibilities for external fundraising consultants responsible for grant writing and reporting for foundation and government proposals.

 

Essential Duties + Responsibilities

  • Lead and direct institutional partnership strategies at The Center in collaboration with the Chief Development Officer
  • Cultivate and steward funding partners throughout the course of the year and develop and execute engagement strategies
  • Establish an impactful institutional donor acknowledgment strategy
  • Lead relationships with foundation donors and prospects, scheduling meetings and participating in events and programs where such relationships can be established and grown
  • Create compelling grant proposals for submission to potential, existing, or lapsed foundation partners
  • Research, develop, and execute strategies for solicitation of new institutional partnerships
  • Support the Executive Director, senior staff, and board members in their outreach to institutional partners, including articulating giving priorities and sharing relevant reports to maximize engagement and funding support
  • Partner with the Communications team to develop and maintain key partnership materials as well as communications and social media assets to support partner recognition and visibility
  • Oversee moves management tracking and revenue reporting for all institutional gifts in Salesforce

 

Experience + Alignment to Culture + Values

Experience

  • Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent professional and educational experience
  • Minimum of five (5) years of fundraising/sales experience in a fast-paced business or nonprofit environment
  • Prior experience with foundation fundraising and reporting requirements
  • Knowledge of nonprofit fundraising standards for gift recording and acknowledgment requirements as well as a basic understanding of fund accounting principles; experience partnering with finance colleagues to create programmatic budgets
  • Experience partnering with program colleagues to strategize, empower, and instill a culture of innovation and philanthropy
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills with strong attention to detail
  • Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously and to set and stick to priorities 
  • Prior experience successfully managing multiple projects, meeting fundraising goals, and management of donor relations 
  • Computer proficiency with Word and Excel, including mail merge and formulas
  • Excellent knowledge of relational database management systems (Salesforce knowledge is a plus); moves management and project management platforms are also a plus
  • Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to interact with a wide range of personalities, including staff, volunteers, and members of the public
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team
  • High level of intellectual curiosity, initiative, dependability, flexibility, and sense of humor

Alignment to Culture + Values

  • Knowledge, understanding, and experience working with members of the LGBTQ+, Transgender + Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC), People of Color (POC), and immigrant communities, including knowledge of the spectrum of gender identity, transgender issues, immigration, and POC issues
  • Understanding of, and commitment to, undoing structural and institutional racism and bias and the spectrum of gender identity and bias
  • Consideration of the impacts and outcomes in decision-making processes and on underserved and historically oppressed communities
  • A strong commitment to social justice and the mission of The Center

 

Reporting Relationship

This position reports to The Center’s Chief Development Officer and has no staff direct reports.

 

Compensation + Benefits

This is a full-time, exempt position with a salary range of $90,000-$110,000.  

A comprehensive benefits package is provided, including:

  • Medical, dental, and vision benefits for employees and eligible dependents
  • 401(k) retirement savings account with an employer-sponsored contribution of 6%
  • Voluntary life, long-term disability, and short-term disability insurance
  • Fifteen (15) vacation days per year, accrued at 1.25 days per month
  • Twelve (12) sick days per year
  • Two (2) personal days per year
  • Eleven (11) paid holidays
  • Reduced summer workweek (35 hours per week) 
  • Paid parental, family care, and gender-affirming healthcare leave

As a reflection of our firm’s commitment to equity and equal pay for all, Cooper Coleman requires that salary ranges or salary starting points be published for every search we conduct. The practice of not posting salaries perpetuates the gender and racial wage gap and discriminates against women, people of color, and other historically excluded populations by causing individuals to negotiate from a disadvantaged starting point.

 

Location + Schedule

The Center is located at 208 West 13th Street, New York, NY 10011. 

Work hours are typically Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm but may shift depending on scheduling needs. Flexibility is required.

This position is classified as a hybrid role with a minimum of three days onsite per week. 

 

The Center’s Commitment to Equity + Inclusivity

The Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will be afforded equal employment opportunities without discrimination because of race, religion/creed, color, national origin, citizenship status, sex, age, disability, or condition, including HIV/AIDS, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, military status, victims of domestic violence status, or marital status. 

People of color, women, transgender, and gender-expansive people are encouraged to apply.

The Center was born of community activism in response to the AIDS epidemic, ensuring a place for LGBTQ people to access information, care, and support that they were not receiving elsewhere. We opened in 1983 to help people who had doors constantly closed in their faces, ostracized by family and friends, and shunned by the general society. Since that time, we have continually provided a wide array of services and programs to serve our community, with an intentional focus on providing support to those who are most vulnerable. 

We have always taken great care to be a space that responds to community needs; engaging in diversity, equity, and inclusion work is another outgrowth of those ongoing efforts. We recognize that to help LGBTQ individuals and our diverse community achieve parity in health, justice, opportunity, and success outcomes, our organization must hold a strong foundation and competency in, as well as invest organizational focus on, equity and inclusion frameworks, practices, and policies. This is also true in our hiring and retention of staff.

 

Reference Check

Before sending your resume for this position, please read it over for accuracy. Cooper Coleman verifies its candidates’ employment and academic credentials, where applicable, at the time of offer, before finalizing an offer.

 

Submission Instructions (please read carefully)

Cooper Coleman is leading this search on behalf of The Center. To apply, please visit this link (www.coopercoleman.com/current-searches). Inquiries and nominations of qualified candidates can be sent to: 

Paul Towne | [email protected]

Kindly use the position title as the subject line of your email. All inquiries will be held in confidence. 

A cover letter is not required with your initial application but is welcomed to help us understand your fitness for this role during our initial evaluation. Candidates invited for interviews with The Center team will be asked to provide a thoughtful letter of interest indicating their specific qualifications for the opportunity, desire to join The Center, and connection to its mission. 

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the successful candidate has been selected. 

Cooper Coleman LLC is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified candidates and will refer candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or identity, age, ability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis.

The LGBT Community Center - New York

  • 208 W 13th Street
  • New York, New York 10011
  • United States
  • Phone: