Associate Director, Foundations

Meridian International Center; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 68,000 - 94,000; Full time

Job summary

Meridian International Center in Washington, D.C. seeks an Associate Director, Foundations to build lasting partnerships with foundations supporting global engagement and diplomacy.

You will translate mission-driven programs into six- and seven-figure support, guiding strategy, prospect research, and relationship stewardship across Open Diplomacy centers. The role involves leading grant writing, budget development, and proposal management, with a path to higher-level fundraising leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 5-7 years of experience in grant writing, institutional fundraising, and/or business development at a nonprofit organization.
• Demonstrated experience of researching, writing, and submitting successful foundation proposals.
• Or any equivalent combination of training, education, and experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the position.

Responsibilities

• Proactively identify and research new foundation prospects using Instrumental and other prospect research platforms, aligned to each center's funding priorities.
• Build and maintain a multi-year foundation pipeline that supports all Open Diplomacy Centers.
• Qualify and prioritize prospects based on mission alignment, funding potential, relationship access, eligibility, and staff capacity.
• Support the cultivation of prospects and existing funders alongside senior staff, bringing in the right internal expert or senior leader for each relationship while personally sustaining the outreach.

Skills

Grant writing

Prospect research

CRM management

Inter-cultural comms

Excellent writing

Project coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Salesforce

Instrumental

Canva

Zoom

Job description

FLSA Classification: EXEMPT

Direct Report Titles: NONE

Summary of Position

The Associate Director, Foundations plays a vital role in advancing Meridian's mission by building meaningful, lasting partnerships with foundations that share our commitment to global engagement and diplomacy. Working closely with Meridian's programmatic centers, this position helps translate ambitious, mission-driven programs into multi-year, six- and seven-figure foundation support, enabling deeper impact and sustained growth across our Open Diplomacy framework. The Associate Director will help refine Meridian's foundation fundraising strategy and establish fiscal year goals, lead prospect research, proposal writing, and relationship stewardship, partnering closely with center leads and senior staff who bring deep subject-matter expertise to the table.

This position is located in Washington D.C. and Meridian requires MD, DC, or VA residence for all employees. The position may work partially remotely until further notice.

Meridian International

Description

Title: Associate Director, Foundations

Salary: $68,250-$93,713

Employment Status: FULL-TIME

FLSA Classification: EXEMPT

Direct Report Titles: NONE

Supervisor Title: Vice President, CE

Summary of Position

The Associate Director, Foundations plays a vital role in advancing Meridian's mission by building meaningful, lasting partnerships with foundations that share our commitment to global engagement and diplomacy. Working closely with Meridian's programmatic centers, this position helps translate ambitious, mission-driven programs into multi-year, six- and seven-figure foundation support, enabling deeper impact and sustained growth across our Open Diplomacy framework. The Associate Director will help refine Meridian's foundation fundraising strategy and establish fiscal year goals, lead prospect research, proposal writing, and relationship stewardship, partnering closely with center leads and senior staff who bring deep subject-matter expertise to the table.

This position is located in Washington D.C. and Meridian requires MD, DC, or VA residence for all employees. The position may work partially remotely until further notice.

Requirements

Position Responsibilities

Donor Cultivation & Prospect Development

• Proactively identify and research new foundation prospects using Instrumental and other prospect research platforms, aligned to each center's funding priorities.
• Build and maintain a multi-year foundation pipeline that supports all Open Diplomacy Centers
• Qualify and prioritize prospects based on mission alignment, funding potential, relationship access, eligibility, and staff capacity.
• Support the cultivation of prospects and existing funders alongside senior staff, bringing in the right internal expert or senior leader for each relationship while personally sustaining the outreach.

Relationship Management

• Serve as the day-to-day point of contact for foundation program officers, arranging higher-level meetings between funders and Meridian senior staff.
• Work across centers to understand each portfolio well enough to represent them credibly to funders.
• Partner with each center to develop "pitch-ready" program materials suited to foundation audiences.
• Support funder site visits, briefings, or convenings as needed.

Proposal & Grant Writing

• Compose letters of inquiry, proposals, budgets, and reports, drawing on guidance and content support from center and thematic leads, but owning the writing itself.
• Ensure every submission reflects Meridian's ambition and professionalism, consistent with the standard foundations expect to fund vision and develop compelling, evidence-based proposals that connect Meridian’s expertise, intended outcomes, and organizational capacity to each foundation’s priorities.
• Manage proposal development from initial concept through submission, establishing timelines, coordinating contributions, and securing required internal approvals.
• Work with finance and program staff to develop accurate, fundable program budgets to accompany each proposal.

Pipeline Data, Tracking & Reporting

• Help develop annual goals with the supervisor covering qualified prospects, cultivation milestones, proposal submissions, renewals, and revenue
• Keep Salesforce CRM accurate and current so it reliably reflects the full foundations pipeline and tracking goals.
• Track deadlines, deliverables, and reporting requirements across all active and prospective foundation relationships.
• Provide regular updates to leadership on pipeline status and progress toward revenue goals.
• In collaboration with our compliance and finance team, review grant agreements and award letters for restrictions, reporting requirements, and deliverable terms, flagging any compliance considerations to program staff.
• Responsible for completing all organizational administrative responsibilities in a timely manner and meeting all organizational administrative deadlines.
• Other duties as assigned

Education/Experience

• A bachelor's degree is required.
• 5-7 years of experience in grant writing, institutional fundraising, and/or business development at a nonprofit organization.
• Demonstrated experience of researching, writing, and submitting successful foundation proposals.
• Or any equivalent combination of training, education, and experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the position.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Strong generalist who can quickly learn the substance of multiple program areas well enough to represent them to external funders.
• Independently manage research, writing, outreach, CRM maintenance, and deadline tracking, while coordinating with program, finance, and leadership colleagues.
• Persistent, proactive communicator who builds trust with internal stakeholders and stays on top of moving pieces across a complex pipeline.
• Excellent writing ability, with comfort producing polished, deadline-driven proposals independently.
• Research-minded self-starter comfortable identifying and qualifying new opportunities without significant oversight.
• Detail-oriented and highly organized, with genuine enthusiasm for the operational work of fundraising - research, writing, data entry, and tracking alike.
• Strong inter-cultural communication skills; maturity, cultural sensitivity, and tact suitable for working with individuals from around the world.

Technical Requirements

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams is necessary for this role.
• Experience with Salesforce is required; experience with Instrumental, Canva and Zoom is helpful.

Employer’s Statement

Meridian is committed to empowering global leaders and amplifying voices from a wide variety of backgrounds to create pathways for greater understanding, shared values, and respect. Connecting people has been our foundation for more than 65 years. If you share our values and enthusiasm for promoting non-partisan collaboration to address global challenges and opportunities, you can find a home at Meridian.

As an equal opportunity employer, Meridian is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, personal appearance, family responsibilities, marital status, matriculation, political affiliation, veteran or military status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, District of Columbia, or local law. This commitment applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, transfer, compensation, discipline, layoff, recall, and termination.

Meridian provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities and to individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs and practices, and for pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, as required by applicable law. Applicants who require an accommodation during the application or interview process are encouraged to contact Human Resources.

Meridian offers a comprehensive benefits package, which may include medical, dental, retirement, life and disability insurance, voluntary benefits, paid leave, and paid holidays. Eligibility and coverage are subject to the applicable plan documents and Meridian policies.