Senior Foundation Relations Manager

afj; United States; Remote; USD 93,000 - 104,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Insurance (medical, dental, vision)

401K with employer contribution

Paid vacation and time off

Parental leave

Job summary

Alliance for Justice is seeking a Senior Foundation Relations Manager who will work closely with the Senior Director, Foundation Relations to secure grant revenue through timely proposals and reports, grow relationships with foundations, and develop a robust pipeline.

This role handles administration of foundation relationships, reporting with Finance, data management in EveryAction, and coordination via ClickUp to keep deadlines and boilerplate language current.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in foundation fundraising or 5+ years in development with a foundation focus.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and ClickUp.
• Experience with EveryAction database.
• Excellent written communication and attention to deadlines.
• Ability to manage multiple projects with minimal supervision.
• Resourceful and independent problem solving.

Responsibilities

• Assist Senior Director in LOIs, reports, and proposals; draft templates and proofs.
• Manage a portfolio of funders up to $75k/year; grow relationships.
• Coordinate with Finance for budgets and with program teams for deliverables.
• Draft briefing memos on foundations and manage grant deadlines in ClickUp.
• Maintain EA database records and track grants in the Grants Module.
• Support foundation grant agreements and donor communications.

Skills

Foundation fundraising

Proposal writing

Written communication

Attention to detail

Independent work

Multitasking

Relationship building

Project management

Tools

EveryAction

ClickUp

Microsoft Office

Job description

Alliance for Justice (AFJ) is a national association of over 140 organizations representing a broad array of groups committed to progressive values and the creation of an equitable, just, and free society. AFJ's programs comprise four core pillars:

• Our Bolder Advocacy program builds progressive power by providing nonprofit advocates with the training, technical assistance, and resources they need to comply with the federal and state laws associated with nonprofit advocacy. Bolder Advocacy is the nation's leading resource for foundations and nonprofits who want to engage more actively and knowledgeably in the policymaking process.
• AFJ Law deepens our support of nonprofits’ advocacy, strengthen the progressive movement’s ability to advocate within the bounds of IRS restrictions on tax‑exempt organizations, and ensure compliance to keep their organizations safe. AFJ Law goes beyond providing technical assistance to providing legal advice on nonprofit clients’ activities.
• Our Justice Program works to ensure that our state and federal courts protect our democracy and our core rights and values, preserve human rights, and provide access to justice for all. We research federal judicial nominees, educate the public and elected leaders about them, and advocate for demographically and professionally diverse nominees, who will protect our rights.
• Our Outreach & Membership team deepens and expands the engagement of AFJ's core constituencies, including supporting our member organizations with Bolder Advocacy, judicial nominations, and capacity building resources to advance their missions. We also educate and mobilize members, partners, and advocates with the tools and AFJ resources they need to advocate for courts that protect the rights of all us and defend nonprofits’ role in protecting our democracy.

AFJ Action promotes a national conversation about the importance of the courts and other key AFJ issues through advocacy, research, and mobilizing progressive advocates and voters. It also serves as the leading expert on the legal framework for 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy efforts because we believe it will take all of us to defend our democracy.

Job Description

AFJ's Senior Foundation Relations Manager works closely with Senior Director, Foundation Relations to ensure AFJ meets its grant revenue goals through the timely submission of proposals and reports, a focus on growing and deepening relationships with AFJ's foundations and developing a prospective foundation pipeline. This role is also responsible for many of the administrative management tasks for AFJ's foundation relationships. This role will report directly to the Senior Director, Foundation Relations.

Duties and Responsibilities Grant Writing

• Support Senior Director, Foundation Relations in the completion of LOI, report and proposal deadlines. Build templates of LOI, reports, and proposals for entire foundation relations portfolio; create first drafts for Senior Director, Foundation Relations as directed; provide proofing and formatting for final drafts prior to submission; and submit as requested.
• Manage a portfolio of funders $75k/per year and below to maximize the relationship with support from the Senior Director, Foundation Relations as needed. Present ideas for relationship building and grant growth. Responsible for management of this portfolio.
• Along with the Senior Director, Foundation Relations liaise with Finance to receive the required budgets for reports and proposals.
• Pull data on grant deliverables working with program teams as needed for reports and internal grant check‑ins.
• Research and prepare briefing memos on foundations as requested - prior to meetings and/or to develop pipeline of prospects.
• Through ClickUp, manage grant deadlines working with the Senior Director, Foundation Relations to map out project plan timelines.
• Utilize ClickUp to project manage other work as needed - stewardship plans, templates for funder outreach, semi‑annual review of materials etc.
• Manage quarterly internal grant check ins for grants with project deliverables to ensure progress remains on track.
• Oversee quarterly updates of grant boilerplate language and maintain library of standard templates and language.

Grants Management

• Maintain EveryAction (EA) database records for our Foundations grants ensuring accurate and up to date information including relationships, contacts, deadlines, follow ups and miscellaneous information.
• Maintain Grants Module in EveryAction to track grants including amount, status, purpose, grant period and date received.
• Enter all grants details into the database to be contained in the Grants Module (note: does not input gifts but the balance of information) ensuring deadlines, grant periods, pledge payment dates etc. are complete.
• Create grant acknowledgment letters and track in EA.
• Support processing and routing of foundation grant agreements.
• Serve as secondary support for foundation contacts.

Other

• Support individual giving and other development team members as needed.
• Additional tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

• 3+ years' experience in foundation fundraising or 5+ years in development with a foundation relations focus
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and ClickUp (Project Management Software).
• Comfortable working with database software programs such as EveryAction.
• Excellent written communication skills.
• Outstanding attention to detail and deadlines.
• Resourcefulness and ability to think independently.
• Ability to take ownership of a process and use problem‑solving skills to resolve issues.
• Strong professionalism with the ability to function efficiently in a busy, fast paced environment.
• Ability to manage multiple projects with minimal supervision.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a union position covered under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement with the Washington‑Baltimore News Guild, CWA Local 32035, which includes salary minimums based on job position category. This position is in job group 5 and has a starting annual salary range of $93,425‑$103,582.

We offer a comprehensive and generous benefits program, including:

Insurance

We offer medical, dental, vision benefits, as well as an employee assistance program for physical and mental well‑being.

Retirement

Save for retirement with our 401K plan with a 5% employer contribution. Other insurances include life and disability.

Time Off

• Year 1 (0-12 months): Eleven (11) days of vacation each year (3.66 hours per pay period), with a maximum accrual cap of 17 days.
• Year 2‑4: Sixteen (16) days of vacation each year (5.33 hours per pay period), with a maximum accrual cap of 24 days.
• Year 4+: Twenty‑One (21 days) of vacation each year (7.0 hours per pay period), with a maximum accrual cap of 32 days.

Parental Leave

Eligible employees may take up to sixteen (16) total weeks of leave in connection with the birth of the employee’s child, placement of a child with the employee for adoption, or gaining of a foster child. AFJ will provide eligible employees with twelve (12) weeks of fully paid parental leave for purposes of bonding with a new baby following a birth or placement of a child for adoption or gaining of a foster child.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use a computer and communicate with others while doing so. On occasion, travel by car, train, and/or airplane may be required. Ability to work long hours when needed (though rare). All employees are required to satisfactorily perform the essential duties and responsibilities of their positions. The essential duties and responsibilities listed above are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions of the job.

Work Environment

This is a full‑time position that can be fully remote. For employees located outside of Washington, DC or working remotely in the DC area, travel to events such as staff retreats and other work meetings will be required approximately one to four times per year.

Direct Reports

This position does not currently have any direct supervisory responsibilities but may in the future as the team grows.

DEIA and Equal Employment

At Alliance for Justice, we celebrate the richness that our differences bring. We believe that diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are not just principles, but the foundation of our strength. Every individual brings a distinct and invaluable perspective, and we thrive when all voices are encouraged to speak openly, authentically, and with confidence. By embracing who we are and where we come from, we create a culture where everyone is welcomed, heard, and empowered to contribute to our collective mission.

Alliance for Justice provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type based on actual or perceived race; color; creed; sex; age (18 and over); sexual orientation; national origin; religion; political affiliation; marital or partnership status; familial status; gender, including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions; gender identity; gender expression; military or veteran status; medical condition or history, including cancer and AIDS/HIV; genetic information including predisposition or carrier status and that of family members; disability (mental or physical); physical characteristics or personal appearance, including height, weight, and hair (including hair texture or hairstyle if that style or texture are commonly associated with a particular race or national origin); ethnicity; ancestry; status as a survivor or family member of a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking; or on any basis prohibited by federal or state statute. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

AFJ/AFJAC shall not unlawfully discriminate against any employee or prospective employee due to actual or perceived arrest or criminal record. AFJ/AFJAC will not ask applicants about any arrests that did not lead to convictions. AFJ/AFJAC will not ask job applicants about their conviction record at the application or interview stage. After the employer has extended a conditional offer to the applicant, the employer may choose to run a background check and ask questions about the applicant’s criminal conviction history.

This description is intended to provide an overview of this position and is not all-inclusive. The incumbent in this position will be expected to perform other duties as required. Responsibilities may change over time. This description is provided for informational purposes only and does not form the basis of a contract.