Manager of Foundation Relations

The National Building Museum inspires curiosity about the world
we design and build.

 

We are a private non-profit institution that transforms
understanding of the history and impact of architecture,
engineering, landscape architecture, and design. The National
Building Museum educates, entertains, and engages people about the
built environment and challenges them to advocate for a sustainable
and equitable future.

Position Description

We are in a tremendous period of growth and are seeking a
Manager of Foundation Relations to significantly advance the impact
of the Museum through strategic and effective grant writing and
management. This position will be an important thought partner and
develop and manage the execution of a comprehensive foundation
fundraising program designed to increase the amount of support from
institutions over the next several years.

The successful candidate will manage and actively grow the
Museum’s portfolio of private, family, and corporate foundation
donors and government agencies. They will work across the Museum to
identify strategic grant opportunities, cultivate and build
relationships with current and new funders, and spreadhead
application preparation and post-award management with appropriate
staff. The ideal candidate will have experience building strong and
effective relationships internally with curatorial, education,
collections, and finance colleagues and senior leadership and
externally with foundation representatives. They will be a key
member of a fast-paced team and organization, reporting to and
working closely with the Director of Foundations & Strategic
Initiatives, additionally they will work collaboratively with the
Vice President of External Affairs & Development (EA&D) and
other members of the EA&D team.

Essential Duties and
Responsibilities

• Manage identification, strategy, cultivation, solicitation, and
  stewardship of current and new foundation and government
  funders.
• Develop strategies to advance the Museum’s work by researching
  and identifying sources of support, generating new proposals, and
  maintaining effective communication ties with funder
  prospects.
• Analyze application requirements and guidance from funders and
  work closely with colleagues in curatorial, education, collections,
  and finance, and senior leadership to develop project goals,
  objectives, performance measures, work plan, and project
  budget.
• Prepare grant materials including but not limited to proposals,
  letters of inquiry, concept papers, reports, grant agreements,
  meeting presentations, and acknowledgement letters.
• Manage and coordinate stewardship strategies to ensure
  effective execution of grant deliverables, including keeping
  program and finance staff on track managing expenses and project
  objectives, synthesizing project data, activity, and results, and
  developing compelling grant reports.
• Manage and monitor financial reporting requirements, including
  expense requirements and submitting invoices and payment
  requests.
• Identify and cultivate foundation donors through research and
  relationship-building, tailoring engagement strategies to their
  interests and actively growing the Museum’s foundation partners and
  donors.
• Maintain foundation records and track development engagement
  activities in CRM database Altru, including grant deadlines and
  awards, relevant interactions, and follow-ups.
• Attend relevant meetings/conferences for major government and
  foundation entities, representing the Museum and staying abreast of
  philanthropic trends and updates to procedures.
• Serve as a member of the EA&D team, participating in
  department meetings and activities, and assisting with department
  priorities.

 

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• At least three years of fundraising experience with an
  established track record writing proposals and managing grants, or
  applicable experience.
• Superior organizational and project management skills, with
  meticulous attention to detail.
• Ability to plan, coordinate, organize, prioritize, and
  simultaneously implement multiple projects requiring input from
  colleagues.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
• Creative problem solver and collaborative leader with strong
  interpersonal, mediation, and facilitation skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; experience with
  fundraising and/or CRM database, Altru preferred.
• Some evening and weekend hours.

Our Commitment

At the Museum, we pursue diversity and endeavor to create an
inclusive and accessible environment for our staff, visitors,
stakeholders, and Board members. We value diverse perspectives and
believe the power of diversity enriches us all. Creating an
inclusive environment is critical to every individual’s work. We
are an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage candidates from
historically underrepresented groups to apply.

 

What We Offer

Full-time employees are eligible for the following benefits:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision
• Employer paid Life insurance and disability
• 403 (b) plan with match
• Generous PTO policy
• 11 paid company holidays
• Museum Shop discounts
• Free on-site parking