Institutional Giving Manager

Madison Square Park Conservancy, Inc.; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Aetna health plans with minimal contribution

Dental and vision coverage

401(k) plan with employer match

Commuter Benefits

Short-term disability

Job summary

A nonprofit organization for public park management is seeking a highly organized Institutional Giving Manager to lead its development team in expanding funder relationships. Responsibilities include managing grants, drafting compelling narratives, and representing the organization at networking events. The ideal candidate will have 3–5 years of experience in fundraising, strong writing skills, and the ability to foster collaborative partnerships. Competitive salary offers and benefits are provided. Cover letter, resume, and references are required for application.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of relevant experience in institutional giving or nonprofit fundraising.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines simultaneously.
• Curiosity and openness to learning.

Responsibilities

• Manage and grow a portfolio of foundation and government funders.
• Draft and edit high-quality applications and reports.
• Represent the organization at meetings and donor events.

Skills

Strong writing and editing abilities

Relationship-building and interpersonal communication

High attention to detail

Proficiency with fundraising databases

Organizational skills

Tools

DonorPerfect

Job description

Madison Square Park Conservancy (MSPC) is the nonprofit entrusted by the City of New York to operate Madison Square Park, a 6.2-acre public space in the heart of Manhattan. Our mission is to conserve, maintain, and program this ever-evolving historic green space, including raising 100% of the park’s operating budget. Our dedicated team takes great pride in caring for and shaping an urban oasis for all to enjoy.

Anchoring a diverse and vibrant live-work community, Madison Square Park is both an intimate neighborhood park and an international destination for 60,000 daily visitors. A public space since 1686, the park has long been a gathering place for people from all walks of life. Today, it is also a public garden, urban forest, wildlife habitat, public art exhibition space, a haven for children and pets to play, and one of New York City’s most transcendent and welcoming places.

As MSPC expands its Development team and prepares for future growth, we are seeking a highly organized, personable, and mission-driven Institutional Giving Manager to help shape the next chapter of our fundraising efforts. This role is ideal for a professional who is eager to continue growing within a dynamic and evolving organization.

Position Overview

The Institutional Giving Manager is a key member of the Development team, responsible for managing and expanding MSPC’s portfolio of institutional funders, which includes private foundations, corporate donors and volunteers, and government grantors.

Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, this individual will manage MSPC’s institutional fundraising efforts, including grants administration, corporate membership, and the development of a strong donor pipeline. The role works closely with our part-time Grant Writer, the Development team, and colleagues across programming.

Funding priorities include general operating support, public art commissions, horticulture and tree care, free public programming, and implementation of a master plan for the southern portion of the park. The ideal candidate is a mission-driven professional with 3–5 years of relevant experience who brings curiosity, kindness, exceptional attention to detail, and a high degree of organizational skills.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and grow a portfolio of foundation and government funders, and corporate members.
• Partner with the part-time Grant Writer to draft and edit high-quality applications, reports and other written materials that accurately reflect the organization’s voice and ongoing work.
• Assist the CDO, Executive Director, and Public Art and Horticulture teams in cultivating and stewarding long-term, values-driven relationships with corporate partners, foundations, and other institutional stakeholders.
• In collaboration with the Park Operations team, manage the administration of seasonal corporate volunteering events.
• With the CDO and other team members, represent the organization in meetings, site visits, and occasional donor cultivation events, including some evenings and weekends.
• Ensure timely and accurate submission of all letters of inquiry, grant proposals, interim updates, final reports, corporate engagement agreements, and other relevant paperwork.
• Identify and research new foundation and corporate funding opportunities and assess alignment with current and future organizational priorities.

Systems & Recordkeeping

• Oversee application and reporting requirements, deadlines, and compliance with all funder guidelines. Track grants, deliverables, and revenue forecasts in collaboration with the Director of Finance.
• Manage the fulfillment of corporate benefits in collaboration with the Development team and Park Operations.
• Maintain meticulous, up-to-date records in the Development database and shared drive, including deadlines, communications, submission history, and revenue projections.
• Build internal systems that support efficient, accurate grants management, corporate benefits tracking, and department-wide coordination.
• Gather, verify, and organize programmatic, financial, and evaluative data needed for applications and reports.

Other Responsibilities

• Lead the marketing and promotion of corporate membership benefits and levels in person, in print and online.
• Contribute to annual development planning, revenue projections, and prospecting strategies.
• Keep updated on foundation news, relevant industry trends, and best practices.

Qualifications and Requirements

• 3–5 years of directly relevant experience in institutional giving, grants management, development, or nonprofit fundraising.
• Strong writing and editing abilities, with the capacity to craft compelling narratives and carefully copy-edit without relying on AI tools.
• Awareness of, and ideally relationships within, the New York City institutional funder landscape.
• Highly detail-oriented, organized, and able to manage multiple deadlines simultaneously.
• Strong relationship-building and interpersonal communication skills; collaborative and professional.
• Ability to work quickly yet methodically, maintaining accuracy under deadline.
• Proficiency with fundraising databases and project management systems (specific experience with DonorPerfect is a plus).
• Comfortable working in a small to mid-sized nonprofit environment where responsiveness, collaboration, and adaptability are essential.
• Curiosity, openness, eagerness to learn, a sense of humor, and passion for the organization’s mission.

Compensation, Benefits and Schedule

Annual Salary: $60,000 to $70,000, depending on experience

Highly competitive benefits package, including:

• Choice of three Aetna health plans with minimal or no employee contribution
• Dental and vision plan with no employee contribution
• 1 personal day
• 12 annual floating holidays
• 401(k) plan with employer match after one year of employment
• Short-term disability, Commuter Benefits, and Health Advocate benefits

Schedule: 40 hours/week on a five-day schedule; minimum three days in the office required, ideally four; availability to work evenings and weekends as needed for meetings, events, or funder engagements.

Application instructions

To apply, please submit your cover letter, resume, and three references (including names, email, and phone number) to [e-mail] . Please include your name and the title of the position you are applying for in the subject line.

Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Madison Square Park Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to complying with all federal, state, and local equal employment opportunity (“EEO”) laws. The Conservancy prohibits discrimination against for employment because of the individual’s race or color, religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, domestic partnership status, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record or any other characteristic protected by law.