Foundation Relations Specialist

Acton Institute•Grand Rapids, MI

20h•Onsite

About The Position

The Acton Institute seeks a confident, creative, and enthusiastic Foundation Relations Specialist to manage and foster continued growth in raising private philanthropic funds from professional and family foundations to advance their mission. This individual will expand upon existing efforts and work closely with the President, Chief Operating Officer, VP of Development, Chief Financial Officer, External Relations Officers, Directors of Research, Education and Programs, and Marketing, and the entire development team. This person will take a relationship management approach to advancing partnerships with foundation donors and prospects, with full responsibility for the preparation of all written proposals and requests, including both original writing and content gathering from other relevant institute sources. The Foundation Relations Specialist will also be responsible for fulfillment of all reports, recognition, and other benefits promised to institutional donors, and for management of a tracking system for prospective, pending, and active institutional funding transactions. The ideal candidate will have at least three years of previous fundraising experience as well as excellent communication skills, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a clear understanding of Acton’s mission and vision. This is a full-time position located in Grand Rapids, MI.

Requirements

Ability to understand, appreciate, and articulate the Acton Institute’s mission, philosophy, values, strategy, and programs.
BA/BS and three to five years’ experience in fundraising, preferably in foundation relations or major gifts, or equivalent combination of education and experience
Demonstrated ability to work with significant autonomy, and collaboratively
Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills, both oral and written
Be an excellent writer capable of producing persuasive copy with ease and speed
Proficiency in the use of AI tools such as Claude and ChatGPT.
Have a commitment to lifelong learning and passion for the work of the Institute
Have excellent relationship building skills and the ability to give persuasive presentations to achieve desired fundraising results
Demonstrated analytical and strategic thinking capabilities
Sharp attention to detail
Exhibit professional decorum at all times
Treat coworkers and all Acton guests and personnel with respect and work as a team player with all members of the organization
Be flexible, forthright, ambitious, and comfortable in a fast-paced setting

Nice To Haves

Experience with grant writing is a strong plus
Experience with Wealth Engine, Foundation Search, Salesforce and/or other CRM’s is a plus

Responsibilities

Manage a portfolio of active foundation donors tracking all deadlines and fulfilling all proposal and reporting requirements
Together with the External Relations Officers, research, track, and cultivate prospects in various stages of the giving cycle, including lapsed and new potential donors
Collaborate with leadership and the External Relations Officers to strategize, identify and qualify foundation prospects, and cultivate relationships that lead to solicitation and stewardship of foundation gifts in support of institutional priorities
Write foundation proposals and prepare reports
Manage future foundation proposal timelines to meet deadlines
Effective and responsible use of artificial intelligence tools across projects.
Serve as a secondary giving officer for the President and VP of Development by helping plan, develop, and execute strategic presentations, proposals, and other collateral for donor meetings
Produce reports following the completion of grants
Establish metrics and use data to track, analyze, and prepare monthly reports to analyze progress and subsequently determine necessary actions to maximize productivity
Communicate with other departments to gather data necessary for meetings and reports, with special attention to keeping the “Report & Renewal” document up to date
Record and save actions in the CRM database
Assist with special projects as necessary
Participate in other events and advancement activities as needed
Actively pursue professional development
Together with the Donor Relations and Stewardship Manager, write and execute direct mail appeals and if time remains assist in other donor communications.