Senior Institutional Grants Strategist

North Shore Animal League America, Inc.; Port Washington (NY); On-site; USD 84,000 - 103,000; Full time

Job summary

North Shore Animal League America seeks an experienced Institutional Giving Officer to lead and grow support from foundations, corporations, government agencies, and other institutional funders. This role oversees strategy, prospect research, grant writing, stewardship, reporting, and relationship management.

The ideal candidate writes persuasively, builds strong relationships, and demonstrates strategic thinking with a track record of securing significant grants.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in grant writing, foundation relations, or institutional fundraising.
• Proven success securing five-figure grants and gifts.
• Excellent writing, editing, and communication skills for persuasive funding proposals.
• Strong organizational, project management, and deadline management abilities.
• Experience with donor databases and fundraising software.
• Demonstrated strategic thinking and planning skills.
• Proven ability to build and steward relationships with donors, funders, and key stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement an institutional giving strategy to increase foundation, corporate, and government support.
• Identify, qualify, cultivate, and solicit prospective institutional funders.
• Manage a portfolio of institutional donors and prospects.
• Monitor funding trends and identify new grant opportunities aligned with organizational priorities.
• Collaborate with leadership to establish annual fundraising goals and long-term revenue strategies.
• Lead the preparation and submission of compelling grant proposals, letters of inquiry, sponsorship requests, and funding applications.
• Collaborate with program leaders, finance staff, and subject matter experts to develop proposal content.
• Ensure all submissions meet funder guidelines, deadlines, and organizational standards.
• Tailor proposals to align with funder priorities while communicating organizational impact.
• Maintain a comprehensive grants calendar and monitor proposal, award, and reporting deadlines.
• Prepare timely narrative and financial reports for funders.
• Track grant expenditures and program outcomes in partnership with finance and program teams.
• Maintain accurate grant and donor records within the donor database.
• Ensure compliance with all grant requirements and reporting obligations.
• Cultivate and steward relationships with foundation officers, corporate giving representatives, and other institutional partners.
• Coordinate meetings, site visits, presentations, and stewardship activities.
• Partner with senior leadership and colleagues to develop and execute donor engagement strategies.
• Represent the organization at networking events, conferences, and funder meetings as appropriate.
• Monitor institutional giving performance against annual fundraising goals.
• Prepare pipeline, forecasting, and fundraising reports for leadership.
• Analyze funding data and trends to identify opportunities for growth and increased revenue.
• Recommend strategies to strengthen institutional partnerships and maximize funding opportunities.

Skills

Grant writing

Foundation relations

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder communication

Project management

Donor relations

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Donor databases

Fundraising software

AI tools for grant review

Job description

North Shore Animal League America seeks an experienced Institutional Giving Officer to lead and grow support from foundations, corporations, government agencies, and other institutional funders. This role oversees strategy, prospect research, grant writing, stewardship, reporting, and relationship management.

The ideal candidate writes persuasively, builds strong relationships, and demonstrates strategic thinking with a track record of securing significant grants.