Director, Foundation Relations

Director, Foundation Relations

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society mobilizes people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges of everyone affected by MS. To fulfill this mission, the Society funds cutting-edge research, drives change through advocacy, facilitates professional education, collaborates with MS organizations around the world, and provides programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move their lives forward. Staff members engage volunteers through effective and timely communications, facilitating meaningful opportunities, and continually seeking and providing feedback for reciprocal growth and learning.

Job Summary : The Director, Foundation Relations is responsible for developing and managing a portfolio of foundation partnerships within a regional structure to support organizational revenue goals and growth. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President, Foundation Relations, this role serves as a key relationship manager for identifying, cultivating, and stewarding foundation partners, responsible for prospecting for new foundation partners, effective grant proposal development, managing deadlines, compliance, and reporting. The Director works closely with cross-functional teams to maximize foundation support and contribute to sustainable revenue growth aligned with organizational priorities. The Director plays a central role in implementing national strategy while identifying new opportunities for foundation partnership.

Main Responsibilities

• Independently manage a portfolio of foundation partners overseeing identification, cultivation, and stewardship activities to maximize funding opportunities.
• Develop and execute portfolio management and revenue growth strategies in collaboration with the AVP to secure external funding from grantmaking foundations in support of the strategic priorities of the National MS Society.
• Oversee the planning, development, and submission of comprehensive, customized, and compelling grant proposals, cases for support, impact reports, and compliance documentationensuring alignment with the Society's funding framework and adherence to all deadlines.
• Utilize foundation prospecting tools to identify, qualify, ensure alignment with and build relationships with new foundation prospects.
• Proactively grow the foundations portfolio through prospect research, donor engagement, and data-informed market research to identify new funding opportunities.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to align foundation strategies and support integrated fundraising efforts.
• Partner closely with finance and mission-delivery programs staff to ensure requests for restricted funding align with program priorities and capacity.
• Maintain efficient processes for grant tracking, reporting, and database management to ensure data accuracy and timely communications.
• Use CRM tools (Salesforce) to maintain an accurate and up-to-date donor database, monitor fundraising metrics within your portfolio, and provide regular reports and insights to the AVP and senior leadership.
• Participate in budget and revenue projection activities.
• Outstanding organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, set priorities, and meet deadlines within a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
• Engage in strategic planning with the AVP, VP and other leadership team members.
• Support the AVP in representing the organization at industry events as needed.

What We're Looking For

Location Requirements

Compensation | Benefits

The estimated hiring compensation range for this role is $85,000 - $105,000. Final offers will be based on the candidate's geographic location, consider career experience and may vary from this range due to these and other factors. You will have the opportunity for a highly competitive, comprehensive benefit package that the Society provides to employees. Your benefits include a considerable Paid Time Off Plan; Paid Holidays; 401k Retirement Savings Plan with Society match; Commuter Benefit Plan; Comprehensive Health & Welfare benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, Flex Spending Accounts, Life Insurance, Disability Coverage, Spring Health Membership offering free therapy and professional coaching, as well as additional voluntary benefit offerings. Not to mention, you will join an incredible mission focused team of people! We're committed to supporting the growth of every employee through a structured and transparent approach to career development. We use Talent Portraits to define clear expectations, development opportunities, and advancement paths whether you're growing as a people leader or deepening your expertise as an individual contributor. Each role is thoughtfully placed within one of these pathways (Leadership or Partner) to help you understand how it fits into our broader organization and your potential career journey. This position is classified as Professional - Knowledge Exert.

Application Instructions

We appreciate your consideration of our job opportunities and strive to make it as effortless as possible to apply for our positions. With only a few required sections and the option to use our resume parsing tool, we aim to streamline the application experience, saving you time and effort. Additionally, if you wish to include a cover letter with your application, please feel free to attach it along with your resume, and any other documents required, to the Resume / CV document upload section at the bottom of the My Experience page. We appreciate your interest in joining our team and look forward to receiving your application! Important : You will not be able to modify your application after you submit it. The "My Experience" page is the only opportunity to add your cover letter and supporting document attachments. If you experience any trouble submitting your materials, please check out our FAQ & Contact Us page.