Director of Institutional Partnerships

Position: Director of Institutional Partnerships Reports To: Vice President of Development Preferred Locations: Minneapolis, Nashville, Dallas, or NYC Remote with Travel Soles4Souls Mission: Soles4Souls turns shoes and clothing into educational and economic opportunities. Our CORE values: Transparency, Entrepreneurial, Accountable, Meaningful – represent who we are! Summary: The Director of Institutional Partnerships is a senior frontline fundraiser with a singular mandate: secure and grow significant corporate and foundation support for the organization. This role is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding a portfolio of institutional funders capable of making six- and seven-figure gifts. The Director spends the majority of their time externally — meeting with foundation officers, building corporate partnerships, attending sector events, and closing gifts. Working cross-departmentally, this leader collaborates closely with marketing, business development, program, and finance teams to identify funding opportunities, align messaging, and ensure funder commitments are met. This is not a grant or proposal-writing role; it is a relationship-driven, results-first position for a proven institutional fundraiser with a documented track record of closing major gifts and growing institutional revenue year over year. Primary Responsibilities: Frontline Fundraising & Portfolio Management • Build and manage an institutional giving portfolio, starting with an initial base of 5 partners and growing to 25–50 active corporate and foundation partners at the six- and seven-figure gift level; own the full funding relationship lifecycle from identification through renewal. • 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. Multi-Year Institutional Giving Strategy • Partner with senior leadership to develop, own, and execute a comprehensive multi-year institutional giving strategy that spans general operating, programmatic, and special project funding. • 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 aggressively prospecting new funders while deepening investment from existing partners through multi-year funding strategies. • Provide regular pipeline reports and revenue forecasts to the VP of Development; contribute to annual budgeting for institutional giving. Corporate Partnership Development • 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 that communicate organizational impact and value. • 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 that deepens their investment. Foundation Relations • Develop and maintain deep trust-based relationships with foundation program officers and decision-makers at the regional and national level. • Lead strategy and outreach for major foundation solicitations; identify emerging foundations and new funding priorities aligned with organizational programs. • Coordinate with program and finance staff on proposal development, grant budgets, compliance, and reporting to ensure all funder requirements are met on time. • Actively research institutional sources of funding and emerging philanthropic trends to continuously surface new opportunities. Cross-Functional Collaboration • Work cross-departmentally to identify funding opportunities that align with organizational programs and priorities. • Collaborate closely with the Community Partnerships team, whose members secure local and regional corporate and foundation support, to identify national escalation opportunities, converting existing relationships from regional to enterprise-level partnerships. • Collaborate closely with the Major Gifts team to align donor strategy, avoid overlapping, and identify prospects who may have both personal and institutional philanthropic capacity. • Partner with the Marketing team on funder-facing materials, impact reports, and storytelling that supports cultivation and stewardship efforts. Qualifications: • More than 5 years of progressively responsible institutional fundraising experience, with a clear, documented record of closing six- and seven-figure gifts from corporations and/or foundations. • Results-oriented, frontline fundraiser, candidates should be 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. Not required but a plus: • Experience with government funding sources (federal, state, or municipal grants); candidates with this background are encouraged to highlight it, though it is not a primary focus of this role. • International institutional giving experience, particularly with global foundations or multinational corporate partners. IF APPLICABLE: Physical Demands: There may be times when you are working at our warehouse or in a capacity outside of your physical office space. Please note that these physical requirements are not exhaustive, and Soles4Souls may add additional job-related physical demands to these if the need arises: • Lifting: The ability to lift and carry objects weighing up to 50 pounds if necessary. • Standing: Must be able to stand for extended periods of time. • Sitting: Sit for long periods while working at a desk or computer. • Walking: Walk or move around the work area as needed. • Bending and Stooping: Occasionally bend, stoop, kneel, or crouch to access equipment or perform tasks. • Reaching: Reach overhead, horizontally, and down to access materials or equipment. • Vision: Must have clear vision, including close vision, distance vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus. • Hearing: Hear and communicate effectively in person and over the phone. • Manual Dexterity: Use hands and fingers to handle, feel, or operate objects, tools, or controls. • Repetitive Motion: Perform repetitive tasks, such as data entry, for extended periods of time. • Work Environment: Be able to work in various environments, including indoor and outdoor settings, and be exposed to varying weather conditions if applicable. Compensation: Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including skills, depth of work experience and relevant licenses/credentials. Benefits include medical insurance with 80% employer coverage, HRA account, 100% dental insurance & vision coverage, long-term disability, life, 401K with up to 6% employer match, professional development benefits, open FTO and paid parental leave. Salary $85K-$100K S4S is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse staff and strongly encourages applications from candidates of color and other diverse backgrounds.