Director of Foundation Relations

Southern Environmental Law Center; Charlottesville (VA); Hybrid; USD 160,000 - 178,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Relocation reimbursement

Job summary

The Southern Environmental Law Center, based in Charlottesville, VA, seeks a Director of Foundation Relations to lead SELC’s foundation fundraising and to develop strategies that expand support from national foundations. You will manage a growing team, set strategic priorities, and collaborate with senior leadership to advance SELC’s mission and impact.

The position is full-time, exempt, hybrid (remote up to two days per week) with occasional travel, reporting to the Chief Development Officer.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent education/experience.
• Minimum ten years of professional fundraising, grantmaking, or related experience.
• Previous management experience, preferably during revenue growth or institutional expansion.
• Strategic thinking, especially in donor/prospect actions.
• Strong knowledge of philanthropic trends and foundation priorities.
• Ability to articulate complex concepts clearly and with curiosity.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; comfortable with calls and in-person meetings.
• Ability to work with diverse styles in office and with donors/leaders.
• Experience driving change and adapting to new work processes.
• Highly organized with prioritization, multi-project coordination, and resilience under pressure.
• Commitment to ongoing learning and contributing to organizational efforts.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute a comprehensive foundation relations strategy to grow philanthropic support.
• Manage, supervise, and mentor the foundation relations team; oversee hiring and training.
• Design systems to enable efficient, scalable foundation fundraising operations.
• Establish and track metrics toward annual fundraising goals and long-term growth.
• Partner with leadership to strengthen foundation engagement and external influence.
• Oversee a portfolio of major foundation prospects and donors with tailored strategies.
• Collaborate with Chief Development Officer to set goals, priorities, and accountability.
• Translate SELC priorities into compelling foundation funding opportunities.
• Travel occasionally to support region-wide responsibilities.

Skills

Fundraising leadership

Grantmaking

Donor relations

Strategic planning

Team management

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

The Southern Environmental Law Center(SELC)is seeking aDirector of Foundation Relationsin ourCharlottesville, VAoffice. This individual will jointhefundraising leadership teamand report totheChief Development Officer. TheDirector of Foundation Relationswilllead SELC’s foundation relations program and oversee a growing team. The Director will develop and execute strategiesand initiativesto expand philanthropic support from leading environmental and national funders, advancing SELC’s long-term goals and impact.This is an excellent opportunity to joina highly successful, nationally recognized organization that is effectively addressing some of the most pressing and challenging environmental issues throughout the South and the nation. The ideal candidate will bring a deep commitment to SELC’s mission, at least ten years of professional fundraising experience,demonstratedsuccess in foundation relations, and a proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams. SELC has a hybrid work model that offers employees flexibility to workremotely up totwo days per week. This is a full-timeexemptposition. Employmentiscontingenton successfulcompletionof acriminalbackground check.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead and execute a comprehensive foundation relations strategy that increases philanthropic support from national, regional, and local foundations aligned with SELC’s mission and priorities.
• Manage, supervise, andmentorthe foundation relations team, currently two foundation relations officers and two grant administrators. Oversee hiring and training processes for all new foundation staff. Foster a collaborative, high-performing culture and support continued team growth and professional development.
• Lead the strategic buildout of SELC’s foundation fundraising efforts. Design and implement systems and infrastructure to enable the department tooperateefficiently, scale effectively, and achieve long-term strategic goals. Engineer solutions to meet capacity needs.
• Establish and track performance metrics for the foundation relations program, ensuring progress toward annual fundraising goals and long-term growthobjectives.
• Partner with organizational leadership to strengthen SELC’s foundation engagement capacity by institutionalizing practices, systems, and training that support relationship-building with key funders, while cultivating opportunities for SELC leaders to enhance their visibility and influence within the philanthropic community through strategic external engagement and thought leadership.
• Oversee a portfolio of major foundation prospects and donors, developing customized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
• Partner closely with the Chief Development Officer and development leadership to establish fundraising goals andteam workplans, establishing clearpriorities, goals, and accountability measures while fostering strong collaboration and buy-in across the foundation relations team.
• Serve as a strategic partner to organizational leadership in translating SELC’s priorities, emerging work, and impact into compelling foundation funding opportunities.
• This is a position with region-wide focus and responsibility that requiresoccasionaltravel.

Required Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum ten years of professional fundraising, grantmaking, or related experience.
• Previousmanagement experience,preferably during a period of revenue growth or institutional expansion.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically, particularly in the context of donor/prospect actions.
• Strong knowledge of philanthropic trends, foundation priorities, and best practices in institutional giving.
• The ability to quickly grasp and thoughtfully articulate complexconcepts whilemaintaininga sense of intellectual curiosity.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.Comfortablewith picking up the telephone andwelcomesface-to-face contact.
• A demonstratedability to work with a wide range of individual styles, both in the office with colleagues, and externally with donors and volunteer leaders.
• Experiencefacilitatingchange and adjusting to changes in work processes and environments. Open to receivingnew ideasand perspectives.
• Highly organized;Demonstrated successin setting priorities, coordinating multiple projects, handling details, and working effectively under pressure.
• Commitment toongoing personal learning and aneagernessto contribute to our organizational efforts in this area.
• Commitment to environmental, climate, and environmental justice issues, with the ability to quickly learn and develop knowledge on these issues.

Desired Qualifications:

• Familiarity and experience with engaging donors about climate change andenvironmentalissues.
• A genuineinterest in and commitment to helping SELC create and fosteran equitableand inclusive workplace thatwelcomes people from acrossthe rich racial and cultural diversity of our region.

About SELC:

The Southern Environmental Law Center is one of the nation’s most powerful defenders of the environment, rooted in the South. With a longtrack record, SELC takes on the toughest environmental challenges in court, in government, and in our communities to protect our region’s air, water, climate, wildlife, lands, and people. Nonprofit and nonpartisan, the organization has a staff of250, including more than 160 legal and policy experts and advocates. Headquartered in Charlottesville, VA, SELC has offices in Asheville, Atlanta, Birmingham, Chapel Hill, Charleston, Nashville, Richmond, and Washington, DC.

At our core, we are place-based, rooted in our region, and connected with the communities and clients we serve. We believe inan equitableand inclusive workplace that welcomes people from across the rich racial and cultural diversity of our region and values diverse perspectives. We approach our work with the highest level of integrity, holding ourselves tohigh standardswith an emphasis on honesty, accountability, and thoughtfulness. We value collaboration and camaraderie, realizing we are strongest when we work together and knowing that everyone has a critical role to play. We strive for impact through a strategic, bold, pragmatic, and ambitious outlook that is dedicated to achieving powerful results. We believe in these values and in the power of SELC. We hope you consider joining us. Learn more athttps://www.selc.org/.

SELC offers salaries competitive with other leading environmental nonprofits nationally and provides an excellent benefits package.Thesalary range for this position is $160,000 – $177,900,based onexperience.Actual placement within the range will depend on factors such as relevant experience, education, skills, and internal equity considerations.For more details about our benefits package, please visitourCareers page .SELC is a PSLF(Public Service Loan Forgiveness )eligible employer.All employeesare required toresidein our region. SELCwill providerelocationreimbursementup to a specific dollar amountfor thoserelocatingat least 50 miles from their current primary residence.

SELC is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering an inclusive workplace environment.We are eager to welcome new team members who share this commitment. Qualifiedindividualsof all backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.