Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, Gesu School

Posted by Gesu School on September 19, 2016

Reporting to the Vice President of Development, the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations will manage all relationships with private and corporate foundation proposals including the timely submission of all grant applications and reports. He/she will be responsible for researching and assessing new grant opportunities and submitting proposals and reports according to corporate and foundation guidelines. Additionally, he/she will be responsible for state and federal funding opportunities and provide legislative advocacy via outreach to Gesu’s local representatives on City Council as well as in the House and Senate.

This position is geared to an individual who is a strong writer and also has an outgoing personality. To be clear, the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations is not intended to be a traditional “grant writer.” While grant proposals will be a large part of this role, Gesu seeks an individual who is equally capable of making introductions, networking, and developing meaningful relationships with corporate and foundation executives, as well as political representatives. The Director of Corporate and Foundation relations will be charged with creating relationships to build sustainable, holistic partnerships with both corporate and foundation donors. The position requires organizational skills, follow through, attentiveness to deadlines, and most importantly, a strong grasp and appreciation for Gesu School’s mission.

Position Responsibilities:

Foundations and Corporate Relations
• Develop and manage a portfolio of 30-40 private and corporate foundation donors and prospects.
• Secure meetings and develop strategic relationships with key executives at area corporations and foundations.
• Coordinate with faculty and staff, in consultation with the Principal, to determine potentially grant fundable projects and programs.
• Develop and execute a plan for submitting proposals and reports to current and prospective funding sources. Create and adhere to a timeline for the year and ensure that proposal guidelines are followed.
• Secure corporate sponsorships for annual events, including Symposium and Gala.
• Plan and execute all cultivation and stewardship events related to corporate and foundation relations.
• Coordinate corporate volunteer days and other opportunities to build more holistic partnerships with corporations.
• Partner with the Vice President and Development team to ensure coordination with all fundraising efforts.
• Meet annual goals (ex. Number of visits secured, number of proposals delivered, dollars raised, etc.)

Legislative Advocacy
• Schedule meetings on and off-site with our local representatives in the House and Senate as well as our City Council representatives to keep them aware of Gesu School’s impact in their district.
• Keep abreast of local, state and national legislation that could impact Gesu’s fundraising and curriculum development.
• Attend legislative briefings as appropriate.

General

The Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations is part of the Development team. He/she will be expected to collaborate with Development staff and provide assistance as determined by the Vice President of Development. Additionally, he/she will be expected to respond to Gesu faculty and administrative requests as deemed appropriate by the President of Gesu School and the Vice President of Development. Experience with Raiser’s Edge is a strong plus.

The Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations will be expected to participate in Gesu events occasionally taking place in the evenings, on weekends and off-site. Candidate must have a car and valid driver’s license.

About Gesu School
Gesu School, located in North Philadelphia, is an independent Catholic School, pre-K to 8th grade, in the Jesuit and IHM traditions serving 450 students. Inspired by the Jesuit and IHM traditions of social justice, faith, hope and love, Gesu School strives, without selective admissions, to provide a quality, innovative education for its neighbor children to empower them to break the cycle of poverty and violence.

Please submit cover letter and resume to Rob Weinstein, Vice President of Development at rob.weinstein@gesuschool.org.