What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Institutional Giving position at Covenant House Texas?
Position Summary
The Director of Institutional Giving is a key member of the Development team at Covenant House Texas supporting the mission of giving youth experiencing homelessness a safe haven, absolute respect, unconditional love, and a path to lasting independence, responsible for growing and managing the organization’s portfolio $2.1M including foundation and corporate donors. Reporting to the Chief External Affairs Officer, this role oversees the full lifecycle of grants including research, proposal development, submission, reporting, and stewardship while ensuring all institutional fundraising efforts are aligned with CHT’s mission and strategic priorities.
This is an exciting opportunity for a skilled writer and relationship-builder who is passionate about youth empowerment and eager to contribute to CHT’s long-term growth and impact.
Essential Job Functions
- Lead the planning and execution of CHT’s annual institutional giving strategy, ensuring alignment with revenue goals and funding priorities.
- Identify, research, and evaluate prospective foundation and corporate grant opportunities.
- Write and submit compelling proposals, letters of inquiry, and reports that effectively communicate CHT’s mission, impact, and outcomes.
- Manage the grants calendar to ensure timely submissions, compliance, and accurate tracking of all deliverables.
- Partner with program and finance teams to develop budgets, metrics, and narratives for proposals and renewals.
- Collaborate with communications staff to develop donor-facing collateral and an annual case for support to strengthen solicitation efforts.
- Cultivate and steward relationships with foundation staff and corporate executives through written updates, calls, and meetings.
- Maintain accurate and organized records of all institutional relationships, deadlines, and outcomes in CHT’s donor database (Every Action: Bonterra System).
- Provide data analysis and reporting to track progress toward institutional giving goals and inform strategy.
- Support Development leadership with preparation for funder meetings, site visits, and impact presentations.
- Serve as an external representative at relevant funder forums, briefings, and community convenings.
- Contribute to strategic planning around revenue diversification and new funding initiatives.
- Achieve annual goals for foundation and corporate grant funding.
Qualifications (Required)
- Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, communications, public policy, or related field; or equivalent professional experience.
- 5-7 years of experience in grant writing, proposal development, and/or institutional fundraising.
- Proven track record of securing foundation and/or corporate grants.
- Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills with the ability to craft persuasive proposals and compelling reports.
- Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong attention to detail and project management skills.
- Collaborative team player with experience working across departments.
- Commitment to Covenant House Texas’s mission of serving youth overcoming homelessness and trafficking.
- Familiarity with Houston and Texas philanthropic communities.
- Proficiency with Salesforce or other donor database/CRM platforms.
Working Conditions
- General business/office environment
- Must be able to sit or stand for prolonged periods of time and occasionally lift up to 40 lbs.
- Some evening and weekend work may be required for funder events or deadlines.
- Full-time, 40 hours per week.