Director of Grants & Strategic Partnerships

Position Overview:

The Director of Grants and Strategic Partnerships leads The Wright’s efforts to secure funding through grants (government, corporate, private) while cultivating key partnerships to expand community impact and financial sustainability. This position manages the entire grant lifecycle, develops strategic relationships with stakeholders, and oversees, reports on, and aligns these efforts with organizational goals and strategic plans. This position reports to the Vice President of Development. This position may supervise staff or interns.

Essential Functions:

• Grant Management & Strategy: Identifying funding opportunities ,managing grant writing, and ensuring compliance with requirements.
• Strategic Partnerships: Cultivating and maintaining relationships with corporate, private, and governmental funders to align with organizational goals.
• Reporting & Compliance: Managing grant deliverables, tracking progress, and communicating impact to partners.
• Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Working with teams to define funding needs and develop proposals. 

Additional Key Responsibilities: 

• In partnership with institution leadership, support development strategy and oversee ongoing development efforts with public/private institutions. 
• Work with key internal and external stakeholders to identify resources needed, funding prospects, and execute funding approaches.
• Design and implement an annual giving campaign in the form of an annual development plan that includes strategies and goals for annual  giving. 
• Support and partner with VP of  Development on all major fundraising initiatives. 
• Oversee development and execution of all fundraising proposals, including corporate sponsorship and local and national grants and grant compliance/reporting.
• Ensure prompt acknowledgement of foundation gifts. 
• Submit grant requests, letters of inquiry, and proposals.
• Tracks performance against grant proposals and awarded grants, as well as sources of funds. 
• Prioritizes projects to keep multiple projects moving in a timely manner, meets deadlines, and manages supplemental material required for proposals. 
• Provides writing support for major donor and individual contribution letters and acknowledgements. 
• Prepares and produces final written reports as part of evaluation of final results for grants. 
• Oversee the hiring, training, and mentoring of the development team, as well as additional staff, interns or contractors related to special projects.
• Devise and implement special fundraising projects as needed (e.g., capital campaign, programmatic campaigns, etc.)
• Oversee all donor information using our membership database system, provide statistical analysis to board and senior leaders as needed, and support staff responsible for daily system functions and gift processing.
• Other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree required; master’s degree preferred in English, Journalism, Art, or related area. 
• Five or more years of professional experience with grant writing and management in a nonprofit organization. 
• Proven success leading and managing fundraising at the organizational level.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral; ability to influence and engage a wide range of donors and build long-term relationships.
• Flexible and adaptable style; a leader who can positively impact both strategic and tactical fundraising initiatives.
• Ability to work both independently without close oversight, but also a team player who will productively engage with others at varying levels of seniority within and outside the organization.
• High energy and passion for the Museum’s mission.
• Exceptional computer literacy skills and familiarity with development related databases. 
• Strong organizational and time management skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• A willingness and ability to work some evenings and weekends is essential.