Director of Institutional Giving

Position

SHI NA seeks an experienced foundation relations professional to lead stewardship of our North American institutional funding relationships and partnerships, manage the full grants portfolio, and lead the support of new philanthropic partnerships for priority initiatives and programs. This role requires strong grant writing and editing skills, experience cultivating major institutional funders, deep familiarity with the North American Jewish foundation sector, and a demonstrated commitment to SHI’s mission. The Director of Institutional Giving will supervise 2-3 staff, ensure funder grant proposal offerings and report requirements are met, collaborate closely with program professionals, finance officers and executive leadership, and report directly to the Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement as part of a global development team spanning North America and Israel.

This position is based at SHI NA’s Manhattan headquarters and requires in-person work four days a week.

Responsibilities

Build and maintain strong relationships with foundation professionals throughout the grant process; serve as a primary foundation relations contact in partnership with Hartman leadership and program staff to promote SHI NA’s programmatic and research priorities in North America;
Oversee grant writing and reporting processes, working with development and program staff to meet deadlines, maintain organized systems, and advance critical fundraising objectives.
Pursue and secure major grants for Hartman priority initiatives from current funders and new prospects, including major Jewish foundations, family foundations, and Jewish Federations;
Serve as lead writer and creative editor, and oversee high-quality LOIs, proposals, and reports that persuasively communicate SHI NA’s mission, vision, programs, strategy, learning and evaluation efforts, and impact in ways tailored to each funder’s interests;
Work closely with the finance team to ensure grant budgets and foundation narratives are accurate, aligned, and responsive to funder requirements;
Develop and deliver creative funder cultivation and reporting presentations to major prospects/funding partners;
Coordinate educational initiatives to engage North American foundation professionals with the ideas, scholarship and activity of the Institute.
Required experience: A minimum of 12 years of experience in fundraising and philanthropy, with significant experience in foundation relations, institutional giving, grant strategy, and major funder cultivation. Experience working in or with Jewish communal, educational, philanthropic, or Israel-related organizations is strongly preferred. Proven track record of managing multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously and developing donor friendly messaging from organizational programming and activity.

Qualifications

Superior writing, editing, relationship-building, and interpersonal communication skills
Exceptionally organized and detail-oriented, with demonstrated ability to manage complex processes and meet deadlines
High emotional intelligence and proven success building relationships internally across multiple teams with complex dynamics and externally with funders.
Experience leading, mentoring, and developing teams, with a commitment to fostering professional growth and collaboration.
Highly professional demeanor
Proven experience and up to date comfort in using Artificial Intelligence tools to produce quality donor-facing materials and presentations
Compelling and persuasive public presenter
Proven ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced, high-energy environment
Deep familiarity with the North American Jewish philanthropic landscape, including Jewish giving to Israel
Experience working with budgets and strong fiscal acumen
Capable of working independently as well as collaboratively
Able to manage multiple complex tasks, work under tight deadlines, and adapt to shifting priorities.
Proficient in Microsoft Office applications
Experience working with customer relationship management systems; proficiency with Salesforce is a plus
Good sense of humor
MA/MS or equivalent in related field (such as Non-Profit Management, Communications) preferred