Director of Institutional Partnerships

Soles4Souls

3d•$85,000 - $100,000•Remote

About The Position

The Director of Institutional Partnerships is a senior frontline fundraiser responsible for securing and growing significant corporate and foundation support for Soles4Souls. This role focuses on identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding a portfolio of institutional funders capable of making six- and seven-figure gifts. The Director will spend most of their time externally, engaging with foundation officers, building corporate partnerships, attending industry events, and closing gifts. This position requires cross-departmental collaboration with marketing, business development, program, and finance teams to identify funding opportunities, align messaging, and ensure funder commitments are met. It is a relationship-driven, results-first role, not focused on grant or proposal writing, for a proven institutional fundraiser with a track record of closing major gifts and increasing institutional revenue.

Requirements

More than 5 years of progressively responsible institutional fundraising experience.
Clear, documented record of closing six- and seven-figure gifts from corporations and/or foundations.
Results-oriented, frontline fundraiser, prepared to speak specifically to gifts closed, revenue goals met, and portfolio growth achieved.
Demonstrated experience developing or contributing to a multi-year institutional giving strategy at an organizational level.
Exceptional relationship-building skills; able to engage and influence C-suite executives, foundation leadership, and program officers with credibility and confidence.
Knowledge of CSR trends, foundation grantmaking processes, and best practices in corporate and foundation fundraising.
Experience with prospect research tools such as Instrumentl, iWave, or LinkedIn Navigator.
Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to develop compelling proposals and synthesize organizational priorities persuasively.
Strategic, self-directed, and highly accountable; able to manage a large portfolio and multiple deadlines with minimal supervision.
Live Soles4Souls’ values – TEAM – Transparent, Entrepreneurial, Accountable, Meaningful.
Bachelor’s degree required.

Nice To Haves

Experience with government funding sources (federal, state, or municipal grants).
International institutional giving experience, particularly with global foundations or multinational corporate partners.

Responsibilities

Build and manage an institutional giving portfolio, growing from an initial base of 5 partners to 25-50 active corporate and foundation partners at the six- and seven-figure gift level, owning the full funding relationship lifecycle.
Drive all phases of the fundraising cycle—prospect identification, research, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship—with a focus on closing gifts and growing the portfolio.
Set and consistently meet or exceed annual institutional revenue goals; track and report on pipeline activity, revenue projections, and closed gifts regularly.
Maintain complete and accurate records of all prospect activity, proposals, correspondence, and meetings in the CRM.
Partner with senior leadership to develop, own, and execute a comprehensive multi-year institutional giving strategy.
Set annual institutional giving goals in collaboration with the VP of Development and other senior leaders; contribute institutional giving projections to the organization’s overall development planning.
Grow the institutional portfolio year over year by prospecting new funders and deepening investment from existing partners.
Provide regular pipeline reports and revenue forecasts to the VP of Development; contribute to annual budgeting for institutional giving.
Proactively identify and pursue new corporate funding relationships outside of the footwear and apparel industries, including multi-year philanthropic partnerships.
Negotiate funding agreements and partnership terms; develop compelling proposals and presentations.
Stay current on corporate social responsibility (CSR) trends and corporate philanthropic priorities to identify alignment opportunities.
Collaborate with the communications team to ensure corporate partners receive timely, compelling impact reports and recognition.
Develop and maintain deep trust-based relationships with foundation program officers and decision-makers.
Lead strategy and outreach for major foundation solicitations; identify emerging foundations and new funding priorities.
Coordinate with program and finance staff on proposal development, grant budgets, compliance, and reporting.
Actively research institutional sources of funding and emerging philanthropic trends.
Work cross-departmentally to identify funding opportunities that align with organizational programs and priorities.
Collaborate with the Community Partnerships team to identify national escalation opportunities.
Collaborate closely with the Major Gifts team to align donor strategy and identify prospects with both personal and institutional philanthropic capacity.
Partner with the Marketing team on funder-facing materials, impact reports, and storytelling.