Associate Director, Foundation and Corporate Relations

Cato Institute; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Paid Time Off

Parental Leave

Life and Disability Insurance

401(k) employer match

Transit/Parking benefits

Pet discount plan

Job summary

The Cato Institute seeks an Associate Director, Foundation and Corporate Relations to grow philanthropic support from corporate and foundation partners. The role requires at least five years in fundraising, strong grant and proposal writing, and the ability to manage multiple donor relationships while collaborating with policy teams.

Based in Washington, DC, the position may require occasional travel, evenings, and weekends. Exceptional candidates may be considered for a virtual arrangement.

Qualifications

• Five+ years of fundraising experience with demonstrated success securing and growing philanthropic support.
• Proven grant or proposal writing experience.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• High level of interpersonal and relationship-building skills; able to navigate donor-facing situations.

Responsibilities

• Steward and grow a portfolio of corporate and foundation supporters through regular engagement that strengthens relationships.
• Stay informed on Cato’s research, policy work, and events to connect partners with content of interest.
• Guide outreach and proposal strategy using policy-area relevance for partners.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor Relations

Grant Writing

Proposal Writing

Communication Skills

Relationship Management

Strategic Thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Description

Cato seeks an Associate Director, Foundation and Corporate Relations to help grow philanthropic support from a portfolio of corporate and foundation partners. The ideal candidate will have at least five years of fundraising experience with the ability to manage relationships independently and contribute at a high level to proposal and grant strategy. Reporting to the Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations, they will own a portfolio of these relationships, working closely with the Director on strategy and helping to manage the pipeline as a whole.

The position is based at Cato’s headquarters in Washington, DC, and requires occasional travel and work on weekends and evenings. Exceptional candidates may be considered for a virtual position.

About Cato

The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization—a think tank—dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Its scholars and analysts conduct independent, nonpartisan research on a wide range of policy issues.

Founded in 1977, Cato owes its name to Cato’s Letters, a series of essays published in 18th-century England that presented a vision of a society free from excessive government power. Those essays inspired the architects of the American Revolution. And the simple, timeless principles of that revolution—individual liberty, limited government, and free markets—turn out to be even more powerful in today’s world of global markets and unprecedented access to information than Jefferson or Madison could have imagined. Social and economic freedom is not just the best policy for a free people, it is the indispensable framework for the future.

The Cato Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Steward and grow a portfolio of corporate and foundation supporters through regular, substantive engagement that strengthens relationships and increases philanthropic support
• Stay closely informed on Cato’s research, policy work, and events to proactively connect partners with content aligned with their interests and priorities
• Apply a sophisticated understanding of which policy areas are most relevant to each partner to guide outreach, engagement, and proposal strategy
• Coordinate meetings, briefings, and events connecting supporters with Cato scholars
• Work with teams across the Institute to craft compelling proposals and reports that accurately communicate Cato’s work and impact
• Identify, qualify, and research prospective foundation and corporate partners
• Represent Cato at networking events, following up with new contacts to advance relationships
• Help manage the foundation and corporate pipeline as a whole, in partnership with the Director, including building and executing moves-management plans, soliciting gifts, and maintaining a comprehensive calendar of proposal and reporting deadlines and accurate records in Salesforce

Requirements

Skills and Experience

The successful candidate will be entrepreneurial, able to work independently, and passionate about Cato’s mission.

• At least five years of experience in fundraising, with demonstrated success securing and growing philanthropic support
• Demonstrated grant or proposal writing experience
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• High level of interpersonal and relationship-building skills; excellent judgment in donor-facing situations
• Comfort engaging with complex public policy issues, and the ability to translate Cato’s research into language that resonates with institutional partners’ specific interests
• Ability to manage multiple relationships and deadlines simultaneously A four-year undergraduate degree or equivalent experience
• A belief in Cato’s mission and vision and the ability to articulate that mission to others

Benefits

All Cato employees are offered the following:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Employer contribution to a Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Generous vacation and sick days
• Paid parental leave
• Employer-provided life and disability insurance
• 401(k) employer match
• Transit/ Parking benefits
• Pet discount plan

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. This position does not offer visa sponsorship.