Social Action & Advocacy

Job Title:  Institutional Relations Manager

Reports to:  Senior Director of Development

Position Type:  Full Time, Non-Exempt

Organizational Overview

Footsteps supports and affirms individuals and families who have left, or are contemplating leaving, insular ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities in their quest to lead self-determined lives. We provide crucial peer and professional resources and support as people embrace the challenge to redefine their identities and build new communities. Footsteps nurtures a network of individuals so that they not only survive in their new world, but thrive. Since Footsteps’ founding in 2003, the organization has served nearly 2,000 individuals, and in 2022, we expect our budget to reach over $4 million.

This past year and a half has been a pivotal time for Footsteps. While we were already seeing a steady amount of growth pre-COVID-19, the pandemic and economic downturn forced us to develop creative strategies to support members and staff as we provide the highest quality care for our hard-hit and growing community. This is both an exciting and critical time to join the Footsteps team as we continue to build out our internal structures and capacity to meet the expanding needs of this community.

We are committed to promoting an equitable, safe, and welcoming environment for our members and staff. Footsteps values a culture of respect and inclusive community: honoring personal choice, different sets of beliefs, and diverse lifestyles that promote individuals’ rights to determine the course of their own lives.

Position Overview

Footsteps is seeking a highly organized, articulate, and relational professional to serve as the organization’s Institutional Relations Manager. Core responsibilities include oversight of a diverse portfolio of funders including: maintaining the grants calendar, editing and writing foundation proposals and reports, cultivating and maintaining relationships with foundations, and maintaining institutional funder records in the donor database. The Institutional Relations Manager will manage a grant writing consultant and play a critical role on Footsteps’ development team. The manager will be expected to skillfully handle a range of responsibilities, detailed below.

Job Responsibilities:

Institutional Relations Strategy and Solicitations (25%)

• In collaboration with the Chief Executive Officer, Senior Director of Development, and Senior Program staff, develop and manage the execution of an Institutional Relations strategy that will sustain and grow a $2M portfolio of foundations and corporations that are in alignment with Footsteps core values and programming ambitions
• Support and manage the team to develop solicitations and proposals for current and prospective funders ensuring accuracy and quality, and based on programmatic needs
• Serve as organizational liaison with institutional partners; work with team to build, manage, and steward relationships with institutional partners that advance Footsteps external profile and reputation

Writing and Editing (50%)

• Ensure that all proposals and reports are compelling, well-written, impact-driven, and story-focused
• Generate letters of intent, position papers, proposals and reports for current and prospective funders
• Manage activities of a part-time grant writing consultant; review, edit, and approve their deliverables
• Develop quality briefing and debriefing materials for the CEO and Leadership Team

Grants Management (25%)

• Maintain an internal calendar of grant proposal and report deadlines
• Create, maintain, and update foundation records in the donor database, including all communications with donors, grant commitments, grant proposals, and deliverables
• Oversee internal engagement of Programs, Finance, and other departments to streamline grants management
• Working collaboratively with the Development Team to develop and improve upon protocols and procedures for managing foundation relations and proposal processes
• Track revenue and expenditure to ensure adherence to budgets
• Work with the team to set annual institutional funding goals and objectives

Competencies and Qualifications:

• Passion for Footsteps’ mission and values
  5+ years of relevant or transferable professional experience
• Demonstrated ability to develop, foster, and sustain relationships
• Strong written and verbal communications skills; able to articulate the importance of the organization’s work to prospective and current funders
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and commitment to documentation
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, growing organization, including flexibility to simultaneously perform a wide variety of tasks
• Self-starter and able to work independently and in a team environment

Location: New York City, Temporarily Remote

Start Date: January 2022

Salary: $60,000-75,000, commensurate with experience

COVID update: All staff are required to be vaccinated and are required to wear masks while in the office. The office is currently closed to members and visitors, and all program offerings and services are happening remotely or outdoors.

How to apply: For immediate consideration, please send your resume and cover letter to [email protected] and indicate your name and “Institutional Relations Manager” in the subject line.  We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply soon.

Team + Benefits:

You will be joining an amazing team of passionate, mission-driven colleagues. We offer a competitive benefits package that includes: 20 vacation days; 13 paid holidays; Unlimited sick days; 5 personal days; summer Fridays; 12 weeks of paid parental leave; paid sabbatical after 7 years of continuous service;  health, dental, and vision insurance; 3% match for IRA retirement plan; flexible spending accounts for health care and transit; and a professional development stipend.

In recent years Footsteps has further deepened its commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We understand that each individual brings a unique and important perspective to the work. This is often complex and allows us to grow as an institution and as people.

Footsteps is an equal opportunity employer. Immigrants, people of color, formerly ultra-Orthodox individuals, LGBTQIA people, people with disabilities, and people who come from poor and working-class backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Footsteps does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status.

We thank you for your interest in career opportunities with Footsteps. Due to high volume, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.