Points of Light Institute

Compensation

Full Description

Join Points of Light and Change the World As the world's largest organization dedicated to increasing volunteer service, Points of Light engages more than 3.8 million volunteers across 32 countries. Cast from the vision of one thousand points of light shared by its founder, President George H.W. Bush, in his 1989 inaugural address, Points of Light was founded in 1990 as an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization to encourage and empower the spirit of service. The organization extends President Bush's vision that "any definition of a successful life must include serving others." Today, Points of Light continues to transcend politics and borders to inspire millions of individuals worldwide to take action. Salary: $85,000 - $90,000 Join Us: Be part of a movement that changes lives and communities. Please read the position description below. For more information, visit pointsoflight.org. Reports to: Vice President, Institutional Partnerships Department: Development Location: Points of Light is a remote-first organization. Any U.S. location in the Eastern or Central time zone in a market with a major airport. Washington, DC preferred. Position Summary: Points of Light seeks an experienced and strategic Director of Foundation Relations to help drive our foundation engagement and fundraising strategy. The Director will manage a portfolio of foundation relationships, lead high-quality proposal development, and secure significant philanthropic investments in support of Points of Light's mission to inspire, equip, and mobilize people to take action that changes the world. This role combines fundraising, relationship management, and grant writing leadership. The Director will serve as the principal writer for foundation proposals and related materials, leading the full lifecycle of proposals valued up to $500,000. For opportunities that exceed this threshold or involve greater complexity, the Director will collaborate with Points of Light's internal grant writing team to ensure quality, alignment, and timely delivery. The Director will collaborate across departments, and partner closely with the Vice President, Institutional Partnerships, to advance Points of Light's philanthropic goals. The Director will be a strategic, collaborative, and highly skilled development professional with experience cultivating and managing foundation partnerships at the regional and national levels. They will drive Points of Light's foundation fundraising efforts by developing strategies, coordinating outreach, and building strong relationships with program officers and philanthropic leaders. Working across departments, the Director will align program priorities with funder interests to create tailored engagement opportunities and secure multi-year partnerships, operational support, and impact-driven grants that advance Points of Light's strategic goals Position Functions and Responsibilities include: Fundraising and Pipeline Management: • New Business Pipeline Development: Support the development and execution of a foundation pipeline aligned with Points of Light's mission and strategic priorities. Identify and qualify new funding opportunities across private, community, and family foundations. • Portfolio Management: Manage a portfolio of foundation relationships valued at approximately $3-5Mannually, leading cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities to secure multi-year and project-based funding. • Proposal Development: Serve as the principal writer for proposals and reports valued up to $500,000, ensuring clarity, alignment, and timely submission. Collaborate with the internal grant writing team on proposals exceeding this threshold or involving greater complexity. • Relationship Building: Cultivate and steward relationships with program officers and foundation leaders to deepen engagement and advance shared priorities. Represent Points of Light in meetings, calls, and events that strengthen foundation partnerships. • Collaboration and Budget Alignment: Partner with program and finance teams to prepare budgets, deliverables, and metrics that meet funder requirements and ensure accountability for grant outcomes. • Revenue Tracking and Reporting: Track and report on fundraising progress in Salesforce, maintaining up to date and accurate records of proposals, prospects, and awards to ensure pipeline visibility. • Industry Engagement and Trends: Stay informed on foundation funding priorities and sector trends to identify emerging opportunities and strengthen Points of Light's positioning. Strategy, Leadership, and Collaboration: • Comprehensive Strategy: Partner with the Vice President, Institutional Partnerships, to implement a proactive foundation engagement strategy that expands and strengthens Points of Light's relationships with institutional funders. • Funding Opportunities: Identify and help shape compelling funding opportunities that align Points of Light's programs, research, and other organizational initiatives with foundation priorities. • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Programs, Finance, Marketing and Communications, and Research and Evaluation teams to develop high-quality proposals, budgets, data, and deliverables that meet funder expectations. • Customized Concepts: Collaborate with staff across departments to design tailored proposals and concept papers that align funder objectives with organizational priorities. • Internal Alignment: Coordinate with Development Operations to ensure internal processes for proposal development, tracking, and stewardship are efficient and consistent. • Leadership Engagement: Support Points of Light leadership including the Vice President and Chief Development Officer in preparing C-suite executives, program leads, and board members for engagement with key foundation partners. • Strategic Insight: Monitor trends in institutional philanthropy to inform strategy, guide prospecting, and identify areas for innovation or partnership growth. Departmental Coordination: • Process Optimization: Collaborate with Development Operations to strengthen internal processes for proposal development, tracking, and stewardship. Identify opportunities to streamline systems that support efficiency and coordination across teams. • Data Accuracy: Maintain accurate and timely records of foundation activity, including proposals, awards, and partner communications, within Salesforce. Ensure documentation supports effective financial forecasting and stewardship. • Knowledge Sharing: Support consistent communication and collaboration across Institutional Partnerships, Programs, Finance, Marketing and Communications, and Research and Evaluation teams. Facilitate information flow that improves proposal quality, storytelling, and funder engagement. • Reporting and Accountability: Provide updates on portfolio activity, proposal status, and progress toward fundraising goals to the Vice President, Institutional Partnerships, and Chief Development Officer as requested. • Assigned Projects: Lead or contribute to cross-departmental initiatives or special projects as assigned by the Vice President, Institutional Partnerships, or Chief Development Officer. Team Management: • Leadership: Serve as a collaborative leader within the Institutional Partnerships team, providing input, guidance, and strategic support to strengthen overall foundation fundraising efforts. • Coaching and Motivation: Contribute to the professional development of colleagues by sharing best practices, supporting grant writing excellence, and promoting a culture of learning and accountability. • Collaboration and Communication: Foster strong working relationships across departments to ensure alignment and shared success in pursuing institutional funding. • Performance and Partnership: Support cross-functional planning and evaluation processes that improve efficiency and drive fundraising results. • Culture: Model Points of Light's values of innovation, inclusion, and excellence. Contribute to a positive, high-performing, remote work environment where staff feel supported and engaged. Core Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: • Relationship Management: Demonstrated ability to build and sustain relationships with foundation leaders, program officers, and internal partners. Skilled at engaging diverse stakeholders with professionalism and purpose. • Grant Writing Expertise: Proven success writing compelling and well-structured proposals and reports that clearly describe program goals, outcomes, and impact. Able to adapt messaging for different funder audiences. • Fundraising Acumen: Record of securing five and six-figure foundation grants, including multi-year awards, through effective cultivation and stewardship. • Strategic Thinking: Strong analytical and planning skills with the ability to connect organizational priorities to funder interests and create actionable engagement strategies. • Collaboration: Experienced in working across teams, particularly with Programs, Finance, Marketing and Communications, and Research and Evaluation, to ensure alignment of proposals, budgets, metrics, and deliverables. • Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate complex information into clear and persuasive narratives. • Project Management: Excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability to handle multiple priorities and deadlines while maintaining attention to detail. • Integrity and Discretion: High level of professionalism, judgment, and ability to manage confidential information appropriately. • Innovation and Problem Solving: Resourceful and adaptable with the ability to respond to changing priorities and identify new approaches to foundation engagement. • Mission Orientation: Strong commitment to the mission and values of Points of Light and to advancing volunteerism and civic engagement that strengthen communities. Requirements: • Bachelor's degree • Minimum of eight years of progressive development or institutional fundraising experience with a proven record of securing 5-8 figure foundation grants • Demonstrated experience managing a portfolio of foundation relationships and leading proposal development processes from concept through submission and reporting • Strong grant writing and storytelling skills with the ability to communicate program outcomes and impact clearly and persuasively • Proven ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues across departments, including Programs, Finance, Marketing and Communications, and Research and Evaluation • Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with strong attention to detail and follow-through • High level of professionalism and discretion in handling confidential or sensitive information • Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, and familiarity with Salesforce or other CRM platforms • Up to 25% travel required • Ability to create a welcoming work environment for all Culture and Values: Points of Light has a nearly 35-year history that it seeks to honor, while looking toward the future as an innovative thought leader in the social sector. We have a fast-paced, collaborative environment. Our organization values innovation, dedication, teamwork and respectfulness. We enjoy thinking big, but also working hard to deliver our best work. Our team is solution-oriented, looking for someone who is always ready to deliver on ways to solve challenges, internally and with external partners. What We Offer: Competitive compensation and excellent benefits including a robust PTO program: 18 days of PTO and 10 holidays; plus, we are closed for the week between December 25th and January 1st. Medical, dental and vision benefits offered, free life insurance, along with long-term and short-term disability, a 403b program with employer match, and 1 day of volunteer time off per month.