Director, Institutional Giving & Partnerships

OVERVIEW

The Director, Institutional Giving & Partnerships develops and leads the comprehensive strategy for securing and sustaining philanthropic support from corporations, foundations, government entities, and other institutional partners for The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. As a member of the Advancement leadership team, the director is accountable for institutional contributed-revenue goals across annual, programmatic, campaign, capital, and other museum priorities.

The incumbent serves as a strategic fundraising leader and an active frontline fundraiser, personally managing a portfolio of the museum’s high-value institutional prospects and partners while leading and coaching staff responsible for corporate partnerships as well as foundations and government relations. The director leads by example by building a diversified institutional pipeline and advancing relationships beyond transactional sponsorships and individual grants toward deeper, multi-year philanthropic partnerships aligned with shared priorities.

The director partners with Annual Giving and Donor Engagement on recognition, stewardship experiences, and events and with Advancement Strategy and Campaign Operations on prospect intelligence, pipeline standards, forecasting, campaign coordination, CRM practices, and reporting.

The Children’s Museum is building and sustaining an inclusive culture that encourages, supports, and celebrates differences. We believe that collaboration and open dialogue among people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives best support our vision and mission.

REPORTS TO: Vice President of Advancement

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Develops and executes a comprehensive institutional giving strategy encompassing corporations, private and community foundations, government funders, and other institutional sources. Establishes annual and multi-year revenue goals, work plans, pipeline targets, and performance measures; leads forecasting; identifies risks and opportunities; and ensures achievement of institutional contributed-revenue goals.

Personally manages a portfolio of high-level institutional prospects and partners. Develops and executes cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies; builds and sustains relationships with corporate executives, foundation leaders, community partners, government representatives, and other decision-makers; and directly solicits significant institutional gifts.

Leads corporate philanthropy and partnership strategy including acquisition, renewal, upgrades, and multi-year commitments. Executes customized partnership plans that balance philanthropic support, mission alignment, audience and employee engagement, and community impact, while maintaining appropriate distinctions among philanthropy, sponsorship, marketing relationships, and other forms of engagement.

Leads private, community, and family foundation and government funding strategies. Evaluates opportunities for strategic fit, likelihood of success, potential revenue, reporting requirements, and organizational capacity; guides significant proposals and funding requests; and ensures funded commitments can be successfully delivered.

Builds and maintains robust and diversified donor/partner prospect pipelines sufficient to achieve annual and campaign goals. Leads direct reporting team to work in concert with data analytics and research colleagues to identify and qualify prospects, establish clear portfolio assignments, lead regular pipeline reviews, ensure up-to-date data input and accuracy. Coordinates strategies with Individual Giving where relationships intersect.

Leads corporate and foundation fundraising strategy for Museum campaigns and major strategic initiatives. Develops corporate and foundation campaign pipelines, identifies significant and multi-year opportunities, coordinates institutional solicitations, and engages museum leadership, Board members, and volunteers appropriately.

Establishes prospect standards and priorities for foundation and corporation proposal development, grants management, reporting, recognition, and stewardship. Partners with internal colleagues in advancement, programs, and finance to ensure proposals and budgets are accurate, commitments are tracked and fulfilled, and funders receive timely and compelling impact reporting, as appropriate.

Maintains accurate contributed revenue forecasts and monitors key performance indicators, including revenue secured, pipeline value, proposals and solicitations, renewal and upgrade rates, new partners, multi-year commitments, and portfolio movement. Uses data and performance information to prioritize resources, identify variances, coach staff, and adjust strategies.

Serves as an active member of the Advancement leadership team and supports colleagues across the museum to align funding opportunities with strategic, infrastructure, programming, event, community, and other organizational priorities. Coordinates comprehensive corporate, foundation and partner relationship approaches and helps colleagues effectively participate in funder relationships.

Leads, coaches, and supports direct reporting staff responsible for corporate partnerships and foundation and government relations accountable. Establishes clear individual and team revenue goals, portfolio expectations, performance measures, and accountability; fosters proactive relationship development, disciplined follow-through, collaboration, and measurable results. Manages budgets, consultants, vendors, and other institutional fundraising resources.

Represents the museum externally with institutional funders, corporate and civic leaders, and philanthropic partners, and engages the President and CEO, Vice President of Advancement, Board members, museum leaders, and volunteers strategically in institutional relationships.

REQUIREMENTS

Bachelor’s degree preferred with five (5) years of fundraising management experience including demonstrated success securing significant institutional philanthropic support; preferably in corporate and foundation relations.

Three (3) years of people management experience, with demonstrated ability to lead, coach, develop, and hold professional fundraising staff accountable for measurable results.

Demonstrated expertise in institutional philanthropy, including corporate partnerships, foundation and government relations, significant proposal strategy, grants management, stewardship, and multi-year relationship development.

Proven ability to personally cultivate, solicit, negotiate, and secure significant gifts or commitments from corporations, foundations, government entities, and other institutional partners.

Experience establishing and managing revenue goals, prospect pipelines, portfolios, forecasts, and fundraising performance measures using CRM systems, data, and analytics.

Experience working with nonprofit boards, senior leaders, donors, funders, volunteers, program staff, and cross-functional teams as fundraising partners and resources preferred.

Highly self-directed with strong initiative, discernment, problem-solving and negotiation skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities and consistently achieve individual and team goals.

Exceptional written and oral communication skills, including the ability to translate complex museum priorities into compelling institutional funding opportunities and proposals.

Demonstrated knowledge of fundraising principles, ethics, and practices and the ability to appropriately distinguish philanthropic support from sponsorship, marketing, and other corporate relationships.

Places a high value on diversity and inclusion by promoting diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion activities. Maintains a professional demeanor through inclusive language, tact, and sensitivity.

Proven proficiency with and ability to learn and utilize fundraising CRM, database, forecasting, reporting, and productivity software platforms.

ADA REQUIREMENTS

• Must be able to perceive space, read documents and reports, and view a computer monitor.
• Must be able to communicate in person, virtually, and telephonically in one-on-one and group settings with institutional funders, museum colleagues, volunteers, and community partners, including planning and executing projects and presenting ideas.
• Must be able to lift objects up to 25 pounds of weight.
• Required ability to remain stationary for extended periods and to traverse the campus and grounds regularly. Must be able to navigate local and regional travel to engage institutional partners and funders.