DIRECTOR, CORPORATE AND FOUNDATION PARTNERSHIPS

ABOUT THE POSITION

Our Director, Corporate and Foundation Partnerships will play an important role building external partnerships that position Making Waves to increase college and career opportunities and outcomes for underrepresented students in the Bay Area. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, you will be responsible for 1) leading the year-to-year strategy and execution of corporate partnerships, 2) managing a portfolio of institutional funders, 3) retaining, upgrading, and diversifying our base of corporate and foundation partners.

OUR COMMITMENT TO THE DIRECTOR, CORPORATE AND FOUNDATION PARTNERSHIPS

We are proud of the above market total rewards package to our employees in line with our guiding principles of centering transparency and equity, rewarding expertise and performance, and championing professional wellness. The Director, Corporate and Foundation Partnerships is a full-time, exempt role, and will be eligible to receive:

• A competitive base salary range of $102,672-154,008 based on requisite work experience and performance during the interview process. We intend to hire a candidate who fully meets or exceeds the qualifications for this role, so we expect to offer a base salary in the top half of the salary band.
• In line with our commitment to equity, fairness, and transparency, we do not negotiate salaries.
• Signing bonus of 5% of base salary to be paid in two installments: 50% on the first eligible payroll and 50% within 6 months of the hire date.
• 51 total days off per fiscal year (a combination of company-paid holidays, vacation, sick, and personal time).
• 100% employer paid medical (Kaiser HMO Platinum), vision, and dental benefits for the full-time staff member and a spouse/domestic partner or dependent child(ren).
• Occasional paid staff lunches and free access to Grubhub , 3% retirement match, a $750 HSA account to help fund mental health benefits, FSA for medical and childcare expenses, and an annual professional development stipend.
• A hybrid work environment where you will work from the office on five (5) common days and up to 3 additional days for Leadership Team meetings a month, with flexibility to work remotely otherwise. In-person meetings with donors will also be required as part of relationship building and donor cultivation and stewardship efforts. We provide a monthly wi-fi reimbursement and a home set-up stipend to set staff up to successfully work remotely.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Director, Corporate and Foundation Partnerships’ primary responsibilities include:

Corporate Partnerships Strategy and Execution

• Craft and execute an overall annual and long-term vision for Corporate partnerships, including strategies and campaigns for retaining and upgrading current donors, securing new donor investments, and strengthening pathways for Making Waves Academy and college students to pursue postsecondary opportunities
• Conduct regular analysis of quantitative and qualitative data to inform ongoing priorities and adjust course where needed in order to ultimately meet ambitious annual goals aligned with organization OKRs and strategic plan

Funder Cultivation and Stewardship

• Source, cultivate, and steward a portfolio of high-capacity corporations and foundations by developing and executing tailored cultivation and engagement plans
• Develop and maintain fluency in Making Waves Education Foundation and Making Waves Academy programs and operations
• Strategically leverage the CEO, Chief Development Officer, board members, and other senior leaders to steward and engage donors, including preparing these individuals for successful funder interactions
• Compose tailored grant narratives, pitches, and employee engagement opportunities for high-stakes corporate and foundation donors, including reports, proposals, and donor correspondence
• Collaborate with Making Waves Academy team to cultivate/steward current and prospective corporate and foundation funders
• Maintain up-to-date donor records for relationships to ensure accuracy of account information, interaction history, and proposal/report submissions
• Assess Bay Area corporate and foundation philanthropy landscape through research and prospecting databases, identifying and qualifying new and lapsed funders for outreach and cultivation efforts

Contribute to important cross-functional projects

• Serve as a member of the Leadership Team
• Participate in organization-wide systems, processes, and rituals (e.g., annual and quarterly goal setting, employee engagement surveys, All Hands); commit to providing feedback to improve our work in the future.
• Contribute to the development of a growing, fast-paced organization, including participation in events and programming as well as database and technology oversight and maintenance.
• Prioritize professional growth by researching, scheduling, and participating in professional development opportunities in service of your professional growth and impact on the organization.

KEY EXPERIENCE QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

What you’ve accomplished (required):

• 5 years of experience in nonprofit leadership or institutional fundraising with a proven record of achieving ambitious goals
• Prior experience working in K-12 education, external partnerships, or strategy highly preferred
• Knowledge of Salesforce CRM preferred but not required
• Undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university

Skills you have developed and knowledge you have acquired:

• A highly strategic professional with a history of setting a vision and defining strategies to achieve ambitious goals.
• Innovative and creative thinker who consistently develops new and bold ideas. Ability to operate independently in ambiguity and thrive in an entrepreneurial environment.
• Exceptional relationship-builder with experience building authentic relationships and partnerships with civic, nonprofit, political, and community leaders. Ability to understand the perspectives of others, engender trust, and draw on this to inspire others to collaborate and take action.
• An adept operator who is capable of complex project management in a relationship funnel context and is highly effective at managing others to outcomes through solid and dotted lines
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, that allows you to represent Making Waves to a broad scope of external constituents.
• Ability to translate strategy into action and move multiple projects forward. Strong organizational skills with a track record of producing high-quality work and meeting deadlines.
• Commitment to constant learning. Strives to continuously develop and improve performance by reflecting on lessons from successes and failures, demonstrating resilience after setbacks, and then acting on reflections to inform future performance. 

How you work and what you value:

• You relate with and align with our core values (drive impact, promote equity, build community, do hard things, learn and grow)
• You have a deep and authentic commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and are eager to manage staff, serve on our leadership team, and lead our development function in ways that are fully centered on these values
• You are excited to innovate, enjoy the iterative nature of that work, and are an entrepreneurial self-starter
• You enjoy working on a team and will operate in ways that will build trust with teammates (integrity, reliability, empathy, etc.)
• You enjoy fundraising, business development, and partnership creation. You are driven by results and will be satisfied in a role that fully spans high level strategy to tactical execution.

ABOUT MAKING WAVES EDUCATION FOUNDATION

Making Waves Education Foundation is an education nonprofit that students historically underserved and underrepresented to pursue college and career pathways that set them up for a thriving career, financial independence, and a choice-filled life.

We support Making Waves Academy (MWA), a 5-12 grade public charter school in Richmond, CA. After high school graduation, each of our students (we call them “Wave-Makers”) is invited to join our college success and early career program, where they can receive a need-based scholarship, one-to-one college coaching, and financial literacy training. Each year, we support over 1,200 5th – 12th graders and over 500 college students on their journeys to and through college. In 2020, Making Waves Foundation launched a new strategic plan to serve more students and families. We will do this by taking the best of what we’ve learned at Making Waves Academy about college access and the best of what we’ve learned at Making Waves Foundation about college success and work to increase the college attendance and graduation rate for low-income students across Contra Costa County and beyond.

RELEVANT POLICIES AT MAKING WAVES EDUCATION FOUNDATION

Making Waves Foundation strives to build a staff that reflects the cultural diversity of the communities that we partner with. Making Waves Foundation provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. We encourage BIPOC identifying individuals to apply.

This job description reflects Making Waves Foundation’s assignment of essential functions and qualifications of the role. Nothing in this herein restricts management's right to assign, reassign, or eliminate duties and responsibilities to this role at any time

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $102,672.00 - $154,088.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday
• On call

Supplemental pay types:

• Signing bonus

Application Question(s):

• Share an example of a strong partnership you led that advanced an organization's mission and impact.
• We are in the process of building our corporate partnerships work. What questions would you ask about our current strategy and how might that influence your plans for the year?
• Why are you interested in the Director, Corporate and Foundation Partnerships role at Making Waves Education Foundation?

Ability to Commute:

• Richmond, CA 94806 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Richmond, CA 94806: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Richmond, CA 94806