Senior Director, Philanthropy; Corporate & Foundation Relations
Houston, Harris County, Texas, 77246, USA
Listed on 2026-03-01
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Management
Program / Project Manager, Operations Manager, Business Management, Corporate Strategy
Description
About Us
At the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI), we are a vibrant, nonprofit organization committed to transforming education. We believe that every student deserves access to high-quality math and science education. Since our founding in 2007, we've empowered over 2.9 million students and 72,000 teachers across 1,800 high schools in 43 states. Our staff are the heartbeat of our mission, driving impactful programs that foster success in the 21st-century global economy.
NMSI is a remote-first organization, allowing staff members to work primarily from their home office. Staff must have a dedicated, distraction-free workspace with reliable high-speed internet. We value autonomy, flexibility, and effective communication across time zones, and support a culture of collaboration through virtual tools and regular check-ins.
What You'll Do All Day
As Senior Director, Philanthropy (Corporate & Foundation Relations), you'll lead institutional fundraising efforts focused on corporate and foundation donors. The Senior Director, Philanthropy, directly impacts our mission by being responsible for strategic revenue growth, grant writing excellence, donor relationship management, and cross-functional collaboration.
As a member of the management team, you'll lead your team to achieve high-quality results that align with departmental and organizational goals. You'll translate strategy into execution, set clear expectations, and coach staff for growth. Your role will involve fostering a culture of trust, equity, and collaboration, ensuring team members feel valued and connected to our mission. You'll manage performance with clarity and compassion, celebrate successes, and provide constructive feedback for individual and organizational growth.
Your day-to-day activities will include:
Philanthropy Strategy & Execution
- Own corporate & foundation philanthropy strategy: Including prospecting, portfolio segmentation, donor growth pathways, priority setting, success metrics, and continuous improvement via data-based progress monitoring.
- Manage high-value donor portfolio: Including cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship for a portfolio of corporate and foundation partners capable of six and sevenfigure investments, ensuring disciplined moves management and consistent pipeline advancement.
- Lead grant writing and reporting processes: Including narrative strategy, proposal writing, budget alignment, metrics alignment, and impact reporting - ensuring clarity, quality, and timely cross functional inputs.
- Oversee donor moves management and Salesforce rigor: Including relationship plans, data entry, activity tracking, and forecasting accuracy - all with consistency and quality.
- Build trusted partnership with the CEO and other senior leaders: Brief, prepare, and deploy executives for high stakes donor engagements; join them in external meetings; drive coordinated followup; and ensure a polished, strategic executive presence in all philanthropy touchpoints.
- Coach and develop philanthropy staff: Provide strategic guidance, coaching, and professional development for direct and dotted line reports, fostering strong performance, clear priorities, and inclusive culture.
Leadership, Culture, & People Development
- Implement a shared vision that empowers staff and aligns their strengths with NMSI's mission, long-term strategy, and departmental goals.
- Set clear priorities and responsibilities for direct reports aligned with organizational and departmental goals.
- Represent the organization with integrity, exemplifying our values in all interactions with internal and external stakeholders.
- Delegate effectively and empower team members by encouraging autonomy and innovation within NMSI's Decision-Making Framework.
- Attract, inspire, and develop staff to ensure a strong talent pipeline, foster innovation, and encourage cross-functional collaboration.
- Provide coaching, training, and resources that promote continuous learning, professional growth, and strong performance.
- Cultivate an inclusive, equitable culture rooted in trust, ownership, accountability, and psychological safety.
- Encourage a feedback-rich environment that welcomes challenges and bold ideas, promoting cross-functional collaboration to achieve success.
- Check in regularly with team members, offering guidance and adjusting as needed.
- Improve team-level systems, processes, and resource planning to enable organizational efficiency and long-term sustainability
The Senior Director, Philanthropy will report to the Vice President, Business Development and is a full-time, regular position offering the flexibility to work from anywhere within the contiguous United States. Occasional travel may be required for in-person meetings, conferences, and events.
QualificationsWhat We're Looking For
We seek an individual who is:
- Experienced:
At least five years of progressive responsibility in institutional fundraising, including successfully securing and managing six and sevenfigure corporate and foundation…
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