Deputy Director, Foundation Relations and Grants

PEN America, a nonprofit organization working at the
intersection of literature and human rights, seeks an experienced
institutional fundraising professional to support the
Foundation               
                 
              Relations and
Grants team. The successful candidate will have exceptional writing
skills, be detail-oriented, and possess the strategic thinking
skills necessary to support the rapid growth of PEN America’s
institutional funding portfolio. This is a full-time position based
in our New York City headquarters and reports to the director,
Foundation Relations and Grants.

This position offers the opportunity to respond to the most
urgent issues of our time by engaging with major institutional
funders, family foundations, and government donors on the city,
state, and federal levels. A newly created role developed to
support the director in managing the substantial growth of PEN
America’s institutional fundraising, the deputy director will
assist with all areas of the team’s work. They will work with
program colleagues to lead, manage, and develop strategy for a
high-profile portfolio of grants and prospects by developing and
managing letters of interest, proposals, and reports and
identifying and coordinating approaches to prospective funders
across the organization. 

The deputy director will also provide as-needed support to the
director in leading and managing their portfolio and will partner
with the director, manager, and coordinator to develop engagement
opportunities for donors and prospects; strengthen team-wide
systems; and build the institutional fundraising capacity of the
organization as a whole. Additionally, the deputy director will
have one direct report and will assume responsibility for providing
oversight and guidance, with a strong focus on their professional
development and learning. 

The successful candidate will be able to write outstanding grant
proposals that demonstrate dexterity with language and the ability
to convey our organizational vision and programming with nuance and
urgency. They will be a seasoned leader and coach, with the ability
to operate on strategic, managerial, and hands-on levels and to
help guide the work across programmatic and administrative
functions. This individual should be able to grasp the wide range
of PEN America activities in response to funding opportunities. The
role requires capacity in the financial side of the grants process,
including developing budgets, requesting payments, and creating
financial reports.  

All applicants should be available to report to the office at
least three days per week, with as much in-person presence as
possible encouraged in this leadership role. This policy is subject
to change.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Work with program teams to lead and
manage a high-profile portfolio of grants and prospects, driving
strategies for growth while also responding to opportunities in a
dynamic environment  
Draft fundraising-related text for
the Chief Executive Officer, and other senior staff as needed
Generate reports for donor analysis,
strategy, decision-making, and submission
Prospect for new foundation funding
opportunities and communicate regularly with program staff on new
prospects, potential program designs, and strategies for
identifying additional funding for current projects
Coordinate with program and finance
staff to compile written grant proposals and reports with narrative
and financial reports and other required documentation
Coordinate with events and program
staff to develop guest lists for donor cultivation events
On an as-needed basis, support the
director as they work with program teams in their portfolio
Develop and maintain a thorough
understanding of grant agreements and maintain donor files
Draft fundraising-related text for
contribution to Board reports, and other materials as needed
Oversee the maintenance of donor
database with responsibility for tracking deadlines,
communications, awards, contact information, follow-up tasks, and
reporting requirements, using Raiser’s Edge
Manage department tracking tools,
including deadline lists and income projections
Other responsibilities as
assigned

All PEN America staff are considered stakeholders in the
development of our shared organization. As such, staff play a role
in varied activities within the workplace as part of their job
responsibilities. These may include committees or task forces to
work on office issues, diversity and inclusion, strategy projects,
training or other initiatives.

 QUALIFICATIONS:

A minimum of eight years of
fundraising experience, and four to six years of institutional
fundraising experience
Exceptional writing skills with
demonstrated ability to prepare dynamic, persuasive proposals and
other funder communications that are calibrated to be responsive to
the funding opportunity
Demonstrate intellectual curiosity
and prowess, equipping the candidate to compellingly present PEN
America’s complex and varied programmatic work
Highly organized with excellent
attention to detail and accuracy is a must, as well as the ability
to meet deadlines and manage multiple projects in a high-volume,
changing environment, and excellent time management skills
A formidable work ethic and
demonstrated stamina and steadiness to thrive in a demanding and
fast-paced environment, to seize opportunities and to partner with
high-performing programmatic staff
Comfort level with PEN America’s
mission, which includes the defense of speech that may be
considered offensive and engagement with a wide range of
ideological constituencies, including PEN chapters and writers in
countries engaged in conflict around the world
Interest in PEN America’s mission and
experience with human rights and/or arts and culture fundraising a
strong plus

Solid communication skills, including
a demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with staff and
ability to present data in a clear and concise manner

Demonstrated comfort and competence
with budgets and financial reporting
Familiarity with Raiser’s Edge for
data management

Salary and Benefits: PEN America offers
competitive compensation and full benefits. The salary range for
this position is $90k-$100k, commensurate with experience.
Candidates whose expectations are outside this range are welcome to
apply, as PEN America is open to considering talented individuals
at varying stages of their careers. PEN America’s benefits package
includes medical, dental, and vision health insurance, paid time
off, 10 paid holidays, pre-tax commuter benefits, and a 403b
retirement plan.

TO APPLY: Please submit a cover letter, resume,
and unedited writing sample to [email protected]. Use “Deputy Director,
Foundations and Grants” with your name as the subject of your email
(for example, “Deputy Director, Foundations and Grants – Jane
Doe”). Please also share where you heard about this position in the
body of your email. Only complete applications will be reviewed,
and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

PEN America is an equal opportunity employer that does not
discriminate in its hiring practices, and actively seeks a diverse
applicant pool to build the strongest possible workforce.

No phone calls, please.

ABOUT PEN AMERICA:

PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human
rights to protect free expression in the United States and
worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power
of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers
and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the
liberties that make it possible.