Director of Foundation & Corporate Relations

Northside Achievement Zone•Minneapolis, MN

3d•$106,324 - $125,088•Hybrid

About The Position

The Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ) is dedicated to fostering a culture of achievement in North Minneapolis, ensuring all children graduate high school prepared for college, career, and life. Through strong collaborations with families, schools, nonprofits, and community organizations, NAZ aims to transform outcomes for children and redefine possibilities for the entire community. This role is crucial in advancing NAZ's vision by securing and nurturing the institutional partnerships that sustain its impact.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and at least 5 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, institutional giving, grant writing, or related development work.
Demonstrated success managing foundation, corporate, and/or government funding relationships.
Experience with the full grant lifecycle, from prospect research through reporting and stewardship.
Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation communication skills with the ability to craft compelling, persuasive narratives.
Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously.
Ability to work independently while contributing collaboratively across teams and departments.
Experience working with donor databases such as Salesforce, Raisers Edge, or Bloomerang and proficiency with Google suite of applications.
High degree of professionalism, integrity, discretion, and accountability.

Nice To Haves

Passion for educational equity, racial justice, and community-centered change.
Ability to think strategically while executing with strong attention to detail.
Confidence engaging senior leaders, funders, and community stakeholders.
Curiosity, initiative, and a relationship-centered approach to fundraising.

Responsibilities

Partner with the Chief Development Officer to establish and achieve ambitious annual fundraising goals from foundations, corporations, and government entities.
Develop and manage a comprehensive annual grants and institutional fundraising calendar aligned with NAZ revenue goals.
Cultivate and deepen relationships with institutional funders through strategic engagement and coordinated stewardship.
Identify and pursue new funding opportunities that align with NAZ priorities and emerging community needs.
Coordinate meaningful touch points between funders and NAZ leadership, including the CEO, COO, CDO, Board members, and program leaders.
Lead preparation and strategy for funder site visits and high-level partnership meetings.
Serve as lead writer and project manager for grant proposals, reports, concept papers, budgets, and other institutional communications.
Manage the full grant lifecycle, including prospecting, submission, tracking, compliance, and reporting.
Supervise and coordinate the work of external grant-writing consultant(s).
Collaborate with program and finance teams to gather data, outcomes, narratives, and budgets that support compelling proposals and reports.
Lead collaborative grant opportunities involving partner organizations and cross-sector initiatives.
Partner with program leadership to align funding opportunities with organizational priorities and programmatic growth.
Maintain a strong understanding of NAZ’s programs, partnerships, outcomes, and strategic direction.
Lead sponsorship development efforts for NAZ fundraising events and special initiatives.
Ensure accurate tracking of institutional relationships, deadlines, proposals, and stewardship activities within the donor database.
Stay informed about philanthropic trends, funding landscapes, and emerging best practices in institutional giving.
May supervise assigned Development Team staff, consultants, interns, or contractors, providing leadership, coaching, performance support, and accountability to advance fundraising and partnership goals.