Foundation Relations Manager

Groundswell Fund•San Francisco, CA

9h•$101,475 - $110,495•Remote

About The Position

The Foundation Relations Manager (FRM) works closely with the Director of Resource Mobilization (DRM) to grow and steward Groundswell’s vibrant and engaged community of foundations, donors, and philanthropic partners. This leader will be the main driver of prospecting, cultivating, securing, and renewing institutional philanthropic support for Groundswell’s strategic vision. The FRM will engage with foundation partners to cultivate, solicit, and steward grants, coordinating appropriate Groundswell program staff involvement at each stage and ensuring full compliance with reports and proposals. This role will help support the long-term sustainable growth of Groundswell and will have a deep personal and professional connection with our core values. Our workplace is proudly a unionized environment. The terms of employment for this role are governed by our handbook and the collective bargaining agreement between Groundswell Fund and Groundswell Workers United, Communication Workers of America (CWA) local 9415. This position is a union eligible role, and membership is a condition of employment. We celebrated our first union contract with Groundswell Workers United in 2024 and are on track for a second union contract beginning in 2027. The ideal candidate for this role is proactive, driven, equal parts relational and detail-oriented, and has the ability to work collaboratively with diverse staff, external partners, and stakeholders in a fast-paced remote environment; is self-motivated and highly organized, with exceptional attention to accuracy; is flexible and can manage multiple deadlines simultaneously; and exercises good judgment in handling confidential information. The candidate will demonstrate their ability to write persuasively and have excellent interpersonal communication skills to engage a wide range of funders.

Requirements

At least five (5) years of experience in institutional giving, funder organizing and/or fundraising, preferably within nonprofit or philanthropic organizations.
Proven success in securing 6-to-7 figure gifts/grants and moving a foundation from prospect to supporter.
Knowledge of prospect research, foundation relations, family foundations, funder communications, and special events.
Experience managing consultants and high-level deliverables across a dotted reporting structure.
Experience translating organizational vision into concrete goals with actionable project plans with exceptional attention to detail without losing sight of the broader vision.
Strong public speaking skills and experience serving as an organizational ambassador.
Computer skills including proficiency with Google Suite, web browsers, and conferencing software (Zoom). Experience with database software and CRMs (Neon), basic web platforms, Slack, Asana, and other project management tools is also essential.
Outstanding organizational and project management skills, including the ability to strategically handle competing priorities and deadlines in a changing environment.
Excellent written and verbal English fluency communication skills, including the ability to communicate concisely for multiple audiences, through multiple mediums (phone, video, email), as well as edit copy for clarity and grammatical accuracy.
Demonstrated ability to understand, represent, and contribute effectively to Groundswell’s mission, vision, and values.
Strong experience, understanding, and skill in applying social lenses of race, class, gender, and decolonization in verbal and written communications.
Must be available to travel up to five times a year for overnight events and donor meetings across the U.S. Travel needs will be evaluated and determined on an ongoing basis with a primary focus on staff safety as we navigate transmittable illness such as COVID-19.
Ability to create powerful, compelling communications and convey complex concepts in an accessible way.
Impeccable judgment and discretion in dealing with sensitive and confidential information.

Nice To Haves

Experience working at social justice organizations, with experience with 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) fundraising.
Familiarity with reproductive justice and gender justice.
Experience working at a fully remote organization.

Responsibilities

Spearhead the growth of Groundswell’s approximately $8M portfolio, in consultation with the DRM, including active prospecting, cultivation, and retention of foundation partners.
Serve as one of the primary Groundswell contacts responsible for stewarding these relationships—directly stewarding a portfolio of funders—and project managing other staff leaders to steward portfolios and relationships. Represent Groundswell in meetings with external funders, partners, and allies.
Lead the expansion of the pipeline for new funding opportunities that align with Groundswell’s programs by conducting prospect research.
Set annual revenue goals for institutional giving, in consultation with the DRM. Develop, monitor, and adjust short- and long-range plans, consistent with best practices, that support those goals and increase our portfolio of funders. Drive revenue projections as well as mid-year revenue re-forecasting.
Plan and manage activities to increase revenue and identify new sources of funding, including briefings, events, virtual and in-person meetings, and other donor/funder gatherings, in collaboration with the Communications and Donor Relations teams.
Conduct and present research on foundation partners, funder networks, and affinity groups, and prepare leadership and colleagues for partner meetings.
Manage the organization’s full grant docket and the calendar of proposal and reporting deadlines, working with grant writing consultants and the Narrative Manager to complete all materials.
Ensure all foundation materials are submitted with a high degree of excellence.
Drive process to collect program information to weave compelling proposal narratives, in collaboration with the program team, Communications team, and Narrative Manager.
Oversee the integrity of foundation data tracked in CRM, ensuring grant compliance and thorough recordkeeping, in collaboration with the Advancement Operations Manager.
Monitor and track foundation commitments and deliverables by producing reports and analysis, and communicate these expectations with DRM and program staff. Ensure appropriate tracking of restricted revenue in coordination with Finance staff.
Establish and track performance measures for evaluating the effectiveness of Groundswell’s institutional giving program.
Refine and document procedures, processes, and systems to support funder engagement and the full grant life cycle.