Associate Director, Foundation Relations

Associate Director, Foundation Relations

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$95,000.00/yr - $/yr

The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s preeminent scientific and cultural institutions, and has as its mission to discover, interpret, and disseminate information about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe through a wide-ranging program of scientific research, education, and exhibition.

The Associate Director, Foundation Relations plays a key role in advancing the American Museum of Natural History’s foundation fundraising, contributing leadership and strategic direction to grow beyond the team’s current portfolio of funders. This position requires an astute and resourceful professional with exceptional writing and project management skills, capable of managing a significant portfolio of foundation donors and prospects. A core function is to serve as a strategic partner to the Director, Foundation Relations, helping to shape funding strategies for the Museum’s existing and prospective portfolio of foundations funders.

The Associate Director acts as a key internal advisor to Museum colleagues, including in Science, Education, and Exhibitions, by brainstorming funding ideas and developing compelling proposals, reports, and budgets. A key responsibility involves actively identifying new foundation prospects and facilitating dialogue between funders and Museum program staff to build relationships, orchestrate site visits, and advance solicitation strategies. Additionally, this role will contribute to team effectiveness by leveraging a deep understanding of grants management systems to ensure a smooth and efficient workflow.

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Partner with the Director, Foundation Relations to develop and execute the team’s annual goals and strategic plans to grow restricted and unrestricted foundation support.
• Manage a portfolio of high-level existing foundation funders and drive the identification of new prospects through analysis of alignment with Museum priorities, funding capacity, and potential for engagement.
• Develop and execute sophisticated, multi-stage cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies, including by facilitating dialogue and building relationships between foundation funders and Museum program staff, scientists, and educators; and orchestrating and leading impactful site visits.
• Stay current on trends in the foundation funding landscape, as well as in the museum, scientific, and education fields.

Proposal & Content Development

• Serve as a lead writer for the team, personally drafting and editing high-quality, complex letters of inquiry, proposals, interim and final reports, and other funder correspondence.
• Collaborate with Museum scientists, educators, and other program staff to brainstorm funding ideas, assess project concepts, and gather necessary information for proposals.
• Advise internal colleagues on funder priorities and guidelines to strengthen proposal content and align with foundation interests.
• Collaborate on the creation of accurate and timely budgets and financial reports for foundation submissions.

Team Collaboration & Operational Support

• Partner closely with colleagues on the Foundation Relations team, providing peer-level mentorship and sharing best practices to support a collaborative environment.
• Maintain a comprehensive and functional understanding of all team systems—including prospect management, the grants calendar, and gift processing workflows—to ensure seamless collaboration and operational continuity.
• Act as a senior resource on grants management processes, liaising with Advancement Operations and Finance on complex grant agreements and reporting issues as needed.
• Staff periodic Advancement events in evenings or on weekends, as needed.
• Perform other duties as requested, delegated, or assigned.

The expected salary range for the Associate Director, Foundation Relations is $95,000/annual – $115,000/annual. The AMNH offers an extensive benefits package designed to meet the needs of our dedicated and diverse community.

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