National Director of Institutional Donors

National Director of Institutional Donors

Reading Partners is changing the education landscape. We are a leader in working to solve the literacy crisis in our country by leveraging community volunteers in under-resourced schools. Our diverse and expansive volunteer base provides one-on-one tutoring to students twice weekly, and our program is proven to help children master the reading fundamentals they need to unlock their potential as successful, happy, and confident readers in school and in life. Our people are our heartbeat and our greatest resource; we are all passionately rallied around our mission to help children become lifelong learners by empowering communities to provide individualized instruction that truly works. Join our stellar, committed team leading the charge to deepen our impact and expand our service. Watch this video to learn more about the mission and core tutoring work of Reading Partners.

The high level:

The National Director of Institutional Donors is a senior leader on Reading Partners’ National Development team, responsible for driving and significantly growing institutional philanthropy efforts at the national level. This role is charged with building and executing a strategic vision for institutional giving—primarily national foundations and federal government opportunities—with an eye toward transformational partnerships that accelerate Reading Partners' impact.

The Director will serve as the organization’s leading strategist and relationship owner for national foundation donors, cultivating a portfolio of high-level funders through sophisticated engagement, vision alignment, and stewardship. They will partner closely with the Chief Growth Officer (CGO) and CEO to raise $3.5M in FY26, with an ambitious multi-year growth trajectory.

This leader will also oversee national government funding, ensure compliance with federal grants, and manage a high-performing team of grant writers. Their work is central to ensuring the long-term sustainability and expansion of Reading Partners’ mission through bold, equity-centered philanthropy.

Location: This position is remote but requires candidates to reside within one of Reading Partners’ operating locations. Reading Partners locations include Baltimore, MD, Charleston, SC, Los Angeles, CA, New York City, NY, North Texas (Dallas and Fort Worth), San Francisco Bay Area, CA, Seattle, WA, Twin Cities, MN, Tulsa, OK, and Washington, D.C.

What you’ll do:

Strategic Portfolio Leadership: National Foundation Funders

• Lead the strategy and execution of the national foundation fundraising portfolio, with ownership over a growing pipeline of six- and seven-figure funders.

• Serve as the primary relationship manager and solicitor for national foundation partners contributing up to $500,000, while co-strategizing with the CGO and CEO on top-tier prospects.

• Architect tailored cultivation and stewardship strategies that deepen donor engagement and position Reading Partners as a best-in-class social impact investment.

• Drive prospecting efforts with a lens toward aligned, long-term partnerships—applying insights from funding trends, philanthropic shifts, and giving practices through a REDI (racial equity, diversity, and inclusion) perspective.

• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications to create high-impact proposals, materials, and reporting that elevate the organization’s visibility and case for support.

Federal Government Funding & Compliance

• Lead the execution of Reading Partners' federal grant strategy and compliance, including stewarding the spend-down and reporting for an $8.8M Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant.

• Identify, assess, and pursue new federal opportunities aligned with programmatic growth; lead cross-functional teams to develop and submit compelling, timely proposals.

• Act as a strategic partner to regions seeking to expand government partnerships at the local and state levels.

National Grants Oversight and Infrastructure

• Lead and coach a high-performing team of two grant writers, ensuring excellence and consistency across all national foundation and government grant deliverables.

• Serve as the strategic owner of national grants systems—guiding the use of Salesforce for tracking and compliance, aligning internal stakeholders on funder requirements, and ensuring donor intent is honored across all interactions.

Organizational Collaboration & Influence

• Function as a thought leader and trusted advisor to regional teams on institutional giving, offering coaching, strategic guidance, and content support for local fundraising.

• Facilitate cross-team learning and storytelling to strengthen donor engagement materials and fundraising alignment.

• Contribute to and co-create national development plans that integrate institutional giving into the organization’s broader fundraising ecosystem.

How you’ll do it:

Executive Leadership & Team Building

• Provide visionary leadership and strategic direction for the national institutional giving portfolio.

• Foster a culture of collaboration, learning, and innovation within the development team and across departments.

Donor Relationship Strategy

• Serve as a senior ambassador and external face of the organization to high-value institutional funders.

• Build enduring, values-based partnerships with donors through nuanced, mission-centered engagement strategies.

Revenue & Growth Planning

• Lead the organization’s strategic prospecting and cultivation efforts—identifying new high-potential funding partners and developing tailored pathways to engagement.

• Apply a growth mindset and entrepreneurial orientation to unlock new philanthropic channels and expand Reading Partners’ base of institutional support.

Strategic Communications

• Create and oversee delivery of high-caliber, customized communications and proposals that reflect Reading Partners’ priorities, voice, and impact.

• Ensure messaging aligns with REDI values and resonates with funders seeking measurable, equity-driven outcomes.

What we offer:

Reading Partners’ compensation and benefits programs are designed to attract, motivate, engage, and retain top talent to propel our mission forward. We aim to set salaries based on objective, external, high-quality market data. Our salaries are adjusted for candidates in different geographic regions. We do our very best to ensure that we’re bringing our best offer - therefore we do not engage in salary negotiations.

• This is a full-time, exempt, and salaried position. The pay range for this position is $109,613 - $128,956 per year and is contingent on geographic location.  After applying, candidates who move forward in the hiring process are provided with the salary for their geographical location. 

• We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, flex spending accounts, generous paid time off, commuter benefits, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and currently a 403(b) match option.

• Unlimited or Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) benefits for regular employees scheduled to work 30 hours or more per week. In addition to paid holidays, we close our offices for one week in early July and between Christmas and New Year's Day. 

• We offer well-being benefits like Spring Health which provides easy access to therapy, coaching, and wellness resources. We also offer Carrot to help staff navigate inclusive hormonal health, fertility, gender-affirming services, and family-building benefits.

• We offer an exciting and dynamic culture, and we commit to investing in and supporting our amazing people to grow their careers with us.

The other things you need to know:

• This position is remote

• Travel: Requires occasional travel for conferences, leadership team meetings, and in-person funder meetings

What’s Next?

If you’re interested in joining our Reading Partners team, please submit the following application materials to our online job posting:

• A cover letter describing your interest in Reading Partners and how your experience has prepared you for this role

• Resume

Reading Partners is an Equal Opportunity Employee

About you!
You will excel in this role if you:

• Bring 5+ years of strategic and progressive fundraising leadership, including 1-3 years managing and supervising high-performing teams.
• Possess proven expertise in identifying, developing, and securing six- and seven-figure grants from national institutional donors through compelling, data-driven proposals.
• Demonstrate a strong history of cultivating and sustaining relationships with senior-level stakeholders, driving alignment and partnership at the executive level.
• Exhibit exceptional written and verbal communication skills, adept at engaging diverse external audiences with clarity and influence.
• Showcase outstanding interpersonal skills, fostering collaboration and trust across cross-functional teams and external partners.
• Have a solid background working with donor management systems, preferably Salesforce, to optimize fundraising operations.
  Navigate complex stakeholder landscapes with diplomacy and strategic insight, confidently leading through challenging and nuanced scenarios.
• Operate as a highly motivated self-starter, relentlessly focused on delivering results and overcoming obstacles to achieve ambitious goals.
• Maintain a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset, embracing challenges as opportunities for innovation and impact.
• Demonstrate experience developing and submitting sophisticated government grant proposals, consistently meeting rigorous deadlines and compliance standards.
• Hold a Bachelor’s degree or possess equivalent professional experience that underscores your fundraising acumen.
• Commit to fostering an inclusive, dynamic, and collaborative workplace culture.
• Display a deep belief in our mission and root your work in our core values.
• Ability to prove eligibility to work legally in the U.S. and that you are at least 18 years of age.

Bonus Points if you:

• Have a high degree of comfort with Salesforce.
• Have experience fundraising in growing national nonprofit organizations, working with high-profile national funders.
• Are an AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, or other national service alum/alumna.
• Have experience working in the launch or growth phases of organizations.