Associate Director, Foundations

Meridian International Center•Washington, DC

2d•$68,250 - $93,713•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director, Foundations advances Meridian’s mission by developing lasting partnerships with foundations that support global engagement and diplomacy. Working with Meridian’s programmatic centers, the role translates mission-driven programs into multi-year foundation support and helps refine fundraising strategy and fiscal-year goals. The Associate Director leads prospect research, proposal writing, and relationship stewardship in partnership with center leads and senior staff. The position is located in Washington, D.C. Meridian requires employees to reside in Maryland, the District of Columbia, or Virginia. The role may work partially remotely until further notice.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
5–7 years of experience in grant writing, institutional fundraising, and/or business development at a nonprofit organization.
Demonstrated experience researching, writing, and submitting successful foundation proposals.
Equivalent combinations of training, education, and experience may demonstrate the ability to perform the essential functions.
Ability to quickly learn multiple program areas well enough to represent them to external funders.
Ability to independently manage research, writing, outreach, CRM maintenance, and deadline tracking while coordinating with program, finance, and leadership colleagues.
Persistent, proactive communication skills and ability to build trust with internal stakeholders and manage moving pieces across a complex pipeline.
Excellent writing ability and comfort producing polished, deadline-driven proposals independently.
Research-minded, self-starting approach to identifying and qualifying opportunities without significant oversight.
Strong organization and attention to detail, with enthusiasm for fundraising operations including research, writing, data entry, and tracking.
Strong intercultural communication skills, maturity, cultural sensitivity, and tact when working with people from around the world.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and in Outlook and Teams.
Experience with Salesforce is required.
Must reside in Maryland, the District of Columbia, or Virginia.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Instrumental, Canva, and Zoom.

Responsibilities

Identify and research foundation prospects using Instrumental and other prospect research platforms, aligned with each center’s funding priorities.
Build and maintain a multi-year foundation pipeline supporting all Open Diplomacy Centers.
Qualify and prioritize prospects based on mission alignment, funding potential, relationship access, eligibility, and staff capacity.
Support cultivation of prospective and existing funders alongside senior staff, involving appropriate internal experts or senior leaders while sustaining outreach.
Serve as the day-to-day contact for foundation program officers and arrange higher-level meetings with Meridian senior staff.
Work across centers to understand their portfolios and represent them credibly to funders.
Partner with centers to develop pitch-ready program materials for foundation audiences.
Support funder site visits, briefings, and convenings as needed.
Write letters of inquiry, proposals, budgets, and reports, drawing on guidance and content from center and thematic leads while owning the writing.
Develop compelling, evidence-based proposals that connect Meridian’s expertise, intended outcomes, and organizational capacity to foundation priorities.
Manage proposal development from concept through submission, setting timelines, coordinating contributions, and obtaining internal approvals.
Work with finance and program staff to develop accurate, fundable program budgets.
Help develop annual goals with the supervisor for qualified prospects, cultivation milestones, submissions, renewals, and revenue.
Maintain accurate and current foundation pipeline information and goals in Salesforce CRM.
Track deadlines, deliverables, and reporting requirements across active and prospective foundation relationships.
Provide leadership with regular updates on pipeline status and progress toward revenue goals.
Review grant agreements and award letters with compliance and finance colleagues, identify restrictions and reporting or deliverable terms, and flag compliance considerations to program staff.
Complete organizational administrative responsibilities and meet administrative deadlines.
Perform other duties as assigned.