Assistant Director of Institutional Giving

Interfaith America; Illinois; Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Interfaith America seeks an Assistant Director of Institutional Giving to lead grant proposals and reporting, translating program plans into compelling funding narratives. You will steward a portfolio of civic funders and collaborate with program leadership to align strategy with funder priorities.

Based in Chicago or remote from IL, DC, MD, MI, NC, OH, VA, or WI, this role supports growth in our civic initiatives and higher education/workplace work as needed. 80k–90k salary, full benefits.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years in nonprofit development, philanthropy, or civic work.
• Experience with foundations grants management and fundraising strategy.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to meet deadlines and handle multiple priorities.
• Authorization to work in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Co-create fundraising strategy with leadership for civic initiatives.
• Manage a portfolio of civic foundation prospects and funders.
• Coordinate communications with portfolio contacts to strengthen relationships.
• Research new funding opportunities and prepare information for meetings.
• Project manage proposals and grant reports with multiple teams.

Skills

Grant writing

Fundraising strategy

Communication skills

Time management

Salesforce familiarity

Tools

Salesforce

SharePoint

Job description

Interfaith America is a national nonprofit working to realize the promise of a truly pluralistic nation— one where people of all faiths and worldviews respect, relate, and cooperate across deep differences for the common good. Our mission is to activate leaders who will build an interfaith America. Grounded in the principles of interfaith leadership, we equip individuals and institutions to build bridges, strengthen democracy, and create cultures of cooperation.

At Interfaith America, we are ever-adapting and changing. We look for people who set audacious goals and love that one workday may not be like the next. We have a strong commitment to pluralism and building bridges across deep differences. Our programs help people build skills to bridge deep ideological divides. Our work is about staying in relationship with one another and contributing to the common good even when we might disagree on fundamental things. We seek to attract and retain a team of staff comprised of a wide variety of views and backgrounds we need to achieve our vision.

OVERVIEW

The Assistant Director of Institutional Giving will provide critical support for the Interfaith America Advancement Team during a time of exciting organizational growth. They will lead grant proposal and report development processes – developing strategy, tracking timelines and requirements, drafting content, and ensuring high-quality submissions, particularly for opportunities within our civic strategy area (including community service partnerships like the Team Up Project, democracy initiatives, and fellowships, grants, and convenings for faith and civic leaders). They will work closely with program leadership to more deeply understand evolving strategies, intended outcomes, and learning priorities. Through grant submissions and other funder-facing documents, they will be a key translator of program plans into compelling funding narratives, identify opportunities for alignment with prospective and current institutional partners, and share impact and compelling success stories with a portfolio of funding partners. Our civic initiatives will be the primary focus for this position’s institutional giving portfolio but they will also work on higher education and workplace initiatives as needed.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Co-creates the fundraising strategy with Director of Foundation Relations and other senior leaders, for sustaining and growing our work with our civic and community initiatives.
• Manage a portfolio of civic foundation prospects and funders, including cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities, and oversee maintenance of related records across platforms.
• Support Executive Team members in maintaining regular communication with portfolio contacts – coordinating touchpoints, briefings, and updates to strengthen relationships.
• Research new civic foundation funding opportunities aligned with organizational priorities and programmatic needs and prepare information for funding meetings.

Grant Proposal and Report Writing

• Project manage processes for producing high‑quality letters of inquiry, concept notes, and grant proposals in collaboration with advancement, program, finance, and senior leadership teams.
• Develop and manage proposal calendars, timelines, and deadlines to ensure timely and competitive submissions.
• Draft compelling narratives that clearly articulate program objectives, impact, strategy, and alignment with funder priorities.
• Prepare interim and final grant reports – including coordination with program team members and others – to ensure accuracy, strong storytelling, and alignment with funder expectations.
• Collaborate with the Grants Compliance and Reporting Manager to monitor and prepare financial reports and updates on deliverables in alignment with funder requirements.

Partnerships, Coordination, and Systems Management

• Work closely with program leads to gathering information to fully understand programs and impact, develop funding strategies, produce successful proposals, and fulfill reporting requirements.
• Develop briefing documents and other resources on current programs to share with funding prospects and other external stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain relationships with a portfolio of funders and other external partners, including understanding alignment with their interests and facilitating strategic outreach and communications.
• Maintain accurate funder records and strategy documents and support Advancement Team members in management of Salesforce, SharePoint, and other records.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 5-8 years of experience in nonprofit organizations, development or philanthropy offices, civic or community institutions, or other relevant experience
• Experience with foundations grants management, writing and/or fundraising strategy
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to balance and prioritize multiple ongoing projects from multiple stakeholders
• Ability to meet deadlines and work well under pressure
• Strong attention to detail
• Willing to learn and utilize organization-wide constituent relationship management software (Salesforce)
• Authorization to work in the United States

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS (NOT REQUIRED)

• High level of religious literacy and fluency in diversity, pluralism, and inclusion
• Experience in the civic sector (e.g., experience with community engagement, leadership development, or democracy initiatives)

Supervisor: Director of Foundation Relations

Location: Working from our Chicago office or remote from IL, DC, MD, MI, NC, OH, VA, and WI. Remote staff are required to travel to our Chicago office 4 times per year.

Compensation: $80,000 - $90,000 annually

Application is open until filled.

Benefits: As the Assistant Director of Institutional Giving

position is a full-time, regular hire role, this position is eligible for the full suite of Interfaith America's benefit offerings. Interfaith America offers medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance. For employee-only coverage of medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance, Interfaith America covers 100% of the premium costs. Interfaith America also offers a retirement plan and a generous paid time off plan. More information can be found here: https://www.interfaithamerica.org/careers/

Other Requirements:

This position requires the ability, with or without reasonable accommodation, to: maintain regular attendance; travel across the US; work cooperatively with others; adhere to Interfaith America personnel policies and safety rules; sit and/or stand for extended periods of time; operate standard office equipment, including computers, telephones, photocopiers, and projectors; communicate orally, in writing, and via computers and digital devices; and requires close visual acuity to prepare and analyze data and figures, transcribe, view a computer terminal and other office equipment.

Interfaith America is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of religion, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, marital status, or any other status protected by applicable law. Reasonable accommodation will be provided as needed to enable qualified applicants with a disability to participate in pre-employment procedures.