Foundation Partnerships Manager

isdglobal; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible and remote working based on ISD's Time Principles

20 days paid time off plus an average of 11 public holidays

401k with competitive company match

Company-sponsored health insurance including health, vision, dental

Job summary

isdglobal is seeking a Foundation Partnerships Manager to expand its foundation funding portfolio in the United States. The role focuses on building relationships with private and community foundations while leading the proposal development process to secure funding for ISD's mission.

The ideal candidate will have strong writing skills, experience in philanthropy, and the ability to effectively engage with funders. This full-time position is based in the Metro D.C. area with a hybrid remote working arrangement.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to develop compelling proposals and concept notes.
• Experience working with non-profit organizations or within a foundation.
• Knowledge of the landscape of foundation funding available.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of high-quality proposals for foundation funders.
• Proactively identify and prioritize new foundation prospects.
• Coordinate inputs across teams for proposal development.

Skills

Strong writing and communication skills

Experience in philanthropy

Relationship-building with foundation program officers

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Job description

Why work for ISD?

ISD's Guiding Principles of integrity, collaboration, agility, and courage define who we are as a team and an organization. These principles reflect our culture and guide the way we work and the choices we make.

ISD is not your ordinary think tank. We turn research into action that changes the world. Our insights don't gather dust on shelves – they power the fight to protect democracy and human rights on the front lines. We’re committed to delivering real change, from the grassroots to the highest levels of global institutions. And we're looking for passionate individuals who share our commitment to making a difference. Join us and be part of an organization that's making an impact.

Our benefits

• Flexible and remote working based on ISD's “Time Principles” of trust, communication and flexibility
• 20 days paid time off plus an average of 11 public holidays observed annually
• Up to 6 weeks of paid sick leave per year
• 1 week of additional paid time off over Christmas, outside of your annual leave entitlement
• Company-sponsored health insurance policy including comprehensive health, vision, and dental plans
• Other ancillary benefits such as FSA/HSA and commuter savings in certain metro areas
• 401k including competitive company match
• Annual personal development budget, remote working allowance, and more!

Salary

$65,000 – $85,000 per annum, depending on experience

Location

Preferably Metro D.C. area, hybrid remote working arrangement preferred. Candidates who are US based working fully remotely will be considered. Please note that we are unable to provide Visa sponsorship or to accept applicants living outside of the US for this role.

Hours

This is a full‑time salaried (exempt) position, 40 hours per week.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

ISD is committed to promoting diversity throughout its workforce and aims for its team to be truly representative of all sections of society. We make a concerted effort to ensure our workplace, employment policies and organisational culture creates an inclusive, positive and progressive environment in which all members of our team are treated with dignity and respect. For further information about this policy or our recruitment practices, please email [e-mail].

The role

The Foundation Partnerships Manager will play a central role in expanding ISD’s foundation funding portfolio in the United States by identifying, cultivating and advancing relationships with private, family, community, and corporate foundations aligned with ISD’s mission. The post holder will lead the development of a strong pipeline of foundation opportunities across ISD’s US priorities, including efforts related to strengthening resilience to extremism and political violence, countering hate and targeted harassment, and addressing the impact of emerging technologies on the information environment, including AI.

Working closely with the US Executive Director and program teams, the Foundation Partnerships Manager will lead the development of compelling, funder-facing concept notes, proposals, and engagement materials that translate ISD’s technical expertise into clear and persuasive narratives for external audiences. This role is primarily focused on external engagement strategy, pipeline development and proposal leadership. As this role focuses on philanthropic fundraising rather than government contracts or procurement-based funding, we seek someone with experience in philanthropy who can work with colleagues on budgeting of restricted grants where necessary.

Key responsibilities include:

Pipeline Development & Foundation Engagement (35%)

• Proactively identify and prioritize new foundation prospects aligned with ISD-US programmatic priorities, including:
• Strengthening local resilience to extremism and political violence (including through Strong Cities)
• Countering hate and targeted harassment, including antisemitism and technology‑facilitated gender‑based violence and harms to minors
• Addressing the impact of emerging technologies on the information environment, including AI
• Lead foundation landscape analysis and develop actionable prospect pipelines, with clear recommendations on positioning and approach
• Support the US Executive Director & Business Development team in go/no‑go decisions based on strategic fit and funder alignment
• Initiate and support relationship‑building with foundation program officers, in coordination with senior leadership
• Identify and leverage opportunities within ISD’s existing networks to expand foundation engagement
• Organize small briefings, roundtables, or convenings (virtual or in‑person) to engage prospective and current funders

Proposal Development & Grant Management (45%)

• Lead development of high‑quality concept notes, LOIs, and full proposals for foundation funders, in close collaboration with program and leadership teams
• Translate technical programmatic work into clear, compelling, funder‑facing narratives
• Coordinate inputs across teams, including technical narratives and supporting materials, in collaboration with ISD’s Operations team for budget development
• Ensure proposals align with donor priorities and ISD strategy
• Track proposal pipelines, submission deadlines, and reporting requirements
• Support grant reporting processes in coordination with program teams

Internal Coordination & Quality Assurance (20%)

• Manage proposal development timelines and ensure effective cross‑team coordination
• Serve as a key liaison between program, operations and leadership to ensure compliance with donor requirements
• Maintain high standards across all external materials, including proposals, concept notes, and donor communications
• Use ISD’s CRM (Monday.com) to track foundation engagement and pipeline progress
• Facilitate regular internal updates on funding opportunities and pipeline status

Please review the full job description for all of the expected responsibilities required.

Success in this role will depend on strong writing and communication skills, sound judgment in assessing funder alignment, and the ability to position ISD’s work across its full programmatic portfolio to generate new funding opportunities and deepen existing relationships.

Please review our job description for essential criteria, and keep in mind that no candidate will meet every requirement. If your experience looks a little different from what we’ve identified, but you think you can bring value to the role, we’d love to hear from you.

How to apply

Please submit your application by 31st May 2026. ISD reserves the right to interview and appoint candidates prior to the advertised closing date.

If you have any further questions about this vacancy or want to speak to a member of our recruitment team, please contact [e-mail].