Director of Foundations & Corporate Giving

Position Title: Director of Foundations & Corporate Giving

Reports To: Chief Advancement Officer

Community: Org Wide Role

Office Location: San Jose, CA; Redwood City, CA; Oakland, CA; or Richmond, CA (up to 50% hybrid role of in-person and remote)

Status: Full-time, exempt

About Fresh Lifelines for Youth

Fresh Lifelines for Youth is an award-winning non-profit whose mission is to partner with youth to unlock their potential, disrupt the pipeline to prison, and advance justice in California and beyond. By 2030, through partnering with young people, communities, and systems, FLY will contribute to the fight for equity and justice by taking concrete steps to dismantle California’s pipeline to prison, equip 30,000 youth to transform their lives and create meaningful opportunities for them to live healthy, free, and productive lives. For more information about Fresh Lifelines for Youth, please visit: www.flyprogram.org

Director of Foundations and Corporate Giving - Position Summary

The Director of Foundations and Corporate Giving is a senior member of the development team responsible for leading and expanding institutional fundraising efforts. Overseeing a portfolio of foundation and corporate funders, the Director will set and execute strategy to grow and sustain support from institutional partners. This role manages the Grants Manager and works cross-functionally to align funding opportunities with organizational priorities.

This is a strategic and relationship-focused role ideal for a collaborative leader with deep fundraising experience and a track record of securing significant institutional support.

Position Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Oversight

• Develop and lead the organization’s strategy for foundation and corporate giving (which includes sponsorship and grants) to meet annual and multi-year revenue goals.
• Supervise the Grants Manager, providing strategic direction, professional development, and day-to-day support.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to identify organizational priorities and align them with institutional funding opportunities.
• Serve as a key thought partner to the Chief Advancement Officer on institutional funding strategy and team structure.

Fundraising & Relationship Management

• Manage a portfolio of high-level foundation and corporate funders and prospects, with a focus on cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Lead the development of proposals and pitches for high-value grants and partnerships (typically $100,000+).
• Build and maintain relationships with program officers, CSR leaders, and other institutional partners.
• Represent the organization at external meetings, presentations, and networking events as needed.

Team & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with programs, finance, and evaluation teams to develop compelling, data-informed proposals and reports.
• Ensure efficient collaboration across departments to meet funder requirements and deadlines.
• Partner with marketing/communications to create customized materials for corporate partners, including sponsorship and employee engagement opportunities.

Grants Oversight & Systems

• Support the Grants Manager to oversee the grant pipeline, including proposal and reporting calendars.
• Ensure the Grant Manager executes timely submission of all grant materials and a high standard of quality and compliance.
• Monitor performance against goals and provide regular updates to senior leadership.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in the donor database and grant tracking systems.

Compensation & Benefits

This position is a full-time exempt role at a rate of $109,496 annually. Our Total Rewards Package also includes the following: 

• Full medical dental, vision, and chiropractic healthcare and retirement contribution match
• 10+ PTO Days
• 12 Holiday Days
• FLY provides 3-4 additional "rejuvenation days off" twice per year in July and December 
• Annual Wellness Funds 
• Annual Professional Development Funds
• Employee Assistance Program (paid for by FLY)
• Annual Staff Retreat, Holiday Party, End of Year Celebration, Team Off Sites, and other FLY Events. 
• Customize your Work Schedule (dependent on supervisor approval based on positional and departmental needs)
• Hybrid of In-Office and Remote Work (frequency of required in-person work is dependent upon the role)
• 8 Hours of Civic Engagement
• Mileage Reimbursement. 

At FLY, we have adopted a no-negotiation policy. This policy reflects our commitment to equity and ensuring that the offers we make to our candidates reflect competitive and appropriate compensation given the market and the role.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion

At FLY, we embrace a diversity of identities, beliefs, thoughts, and experiences. We commit to creating an organizational culture of equity and inclusion to better serve our youth and communities. FLY is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive for an inclusive culture and a staff team that reflects diversity. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex/gender, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. We strongly encourage women; people of color, people who identify as part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities; people with experience in the juvenile justice or criminal justice systems; and people with disabilities to apply.  Fresh Lifelines for Youth is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at (408) 263-2630 or compliance@flyprogram.org

COVID-19 Vaccination

At FLY, we are committed to the safety of our employees, clients, and all others who enter our workplace. As such, FLY would like to make clear that the COVID-19 vaccination is a condition of employment. However, FLY does allow staff to apply for exemptions based on medical history or sincerely held religious beliefs or practices. This must be approved through FLY’s compliance department. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please contact us at (408) 263-2630 or email compliance@flyprogram.org

What to expect

• Application with 8-10 questions and an applicant screening question. 
  • No Cover Letter Required
• 2-3 Interviews (for many roles, at least 1 would be in person)
• Meet w/FLY youth
• Work Product (Done in advance of the Final Round Interview)

Position Requirements

The ideal candidate will have a deep commitment to equity, social, racial, and economic justice. They will believe in FLY’s vision, mission and values: accountable, dedicated, respectful, equitable and just, loving, innovative, hopeful, and youth-centered. 

The ideal candidate will also have the following;

• Progressive fundraising experience, including leadership of institutional giving strategies.
• Proven track record of securing and managing six- and seven-figure grants and partnerships.
• Strong leadership and people management skills; prior supervisory experience preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to convey complex ideas clearly and compellingly.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
• Proficient in using fundraising databases (e.g., Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge) and grant management tools.
• Deep understanding of the philanthropic landscape and institutional funding trends

Core Competencies: Skills and behaviors that FLY expects and develops all staff to exhibit across all positions at various levels of proficiency (early stage, intermediate  and advanced) 

• Cultural Responsivity: Demonstrates an openness and commitment to equity, justice, and belonging. This includes being aware of one’s own bias and privilege, building an understanding of systems of oppression, and valuing diverse perspectives; you take actions to learn and contribute to an environment that creates power-sharing, access, and opportunity within our community.
• High Quality: The ability to own your work, be accountable, and take initiative to produce high-quality results. This includes setting and achieving standards that demonstrate a high level of care and commitment to our mission, our population, our colleagues and our partners.
• Collaboration: The ability to work effectively within a team and intentionally across teams to contribute to FLY’s mission and agency goals. When working with others, you exercise your strengths and build on the strengths of others.
• Communication: The ability to convey information effectively with consideration of the situation and audience. This includes communicating clearly with people of different backgrounds and cultures in which you demonstrate self-awareness, empathy, and active listening. 
• Problem Solving: Applies critical thinking to problem solving that considers multiple perspectives and actively identifies creative solutions to address individual and systemic challenges. 
• Adaptability: The ability to adapt and respond to change effectively. This includes engaging in continuous learning, maintaining a solutions orientation, and proactively seeking opportunities to be supportive of change that  best serves our mission.

FLY’s Leadership Competencies: Skills and behaviors that FLY expects and develops all staff in Leadership positions to exhibit across various levels of proficiency (early stage, intermediate  and advanced) 

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates self-awareness and the ability to process one’s own emotions and the impact and influence on others. This includes maintaining a compassionate and authentic perspective of issues and information that allows you to effectively work through challenges with teams and to respond with empathy.
• Change Management: The ability to recognize a need and assess the readiness for change. This includes effectively promoting and building commitment toward change and successfully guiding your team through the implementation process. 
• Strategic Decision-making: Effectively structures and facilitates inclusive decision-making processes. This includes responsibly making informed decisions to improve organizational health and impact through the use of key information to problem solve and to identify equitable solutions.
• Develops & Motivates Others: Motivates, inspires and supports teams and individuals through strong coaching, mentorship, and targeted development activities. Builds healthy and effective teams through regular feedback, collaboration, role clarity and conflict resolution.  
• External Relationship Builder: Invests in and builds strong, trusted and ongoing relationships with external partners and cultivates new relationships. This includes the ability to analyze and understand relationships as a strategy for achieving the mission, which often means navigating complex relationships while anchoring to FLY’s values.
• Project Management: The ability to create project plans, implement plans with effective delegation to team members, and manage those plans to intended impact, while adjusting the course when needed. This includes managing at various levels of complexity and scale, as well as anticipating potential barriers and evolving plans to achieve the desired impact.

Note on Qualifications: In FLY’s quest for an equitable hiring process, candidates are encouraged to apply even if they feel they only meet 75% of the position requirements.