Director, Institutional Giving

United Way NCA Mission: United Way of the National Capital Area is committed to the health, education and economic opportunity of every person in our community, regardless of race, gender, income, and ability. We are uniquely positioned at the intersection of the public, private, philanthropic, and nonprofit sectors and the only organization that can mobilize the best resources and people to lead collective impact for our community. Through our programmatic focus, we are transforming our region and changing the story for thousands of people in a meaningful way.

Who We Serve: The ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) population represents more than 700,000 low- and moderate-income households in our region that earn more than the Federal Poverty Level but less than the basic cost of living for the county/state in which they live. United Way NCA’s ALICE Lives Here initiative addresses the issues of inequity in our systems for employment, education, health and food access, financial security, and opportunities for all to grow to the best of their abilities.

Equity: Equity is essential to our mission and is infused into all our business operations, hiring practices and community impact initiatives.

Overview: Are you driven and passionate about ensuring that everyone has equitable access to health, education, and economic opportunity? Are you a natural leader who loves to build and develop teams? Are you a change agent who is looking to make a lasting impact in your community and within your organization? If so, you may be just what we are looking for as we expand our team. Take a closer look and reach out if you meet these qualifications.

Position Description: United Way of the National Capital Area (UWNCA) seeks a strategic, relationship-driven, and results-oriented Director of Institutional Giving to lead and grow institutional fundraising revenue from private foundations, corporate foundations, public sector agencies, and other grantmaking organizations. The Director of Institutional Giving will be responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive institutional fundraising strategy that advances UWNCA's mission, strategic priorities, and Centennial Campaign goals. This position will manage a portfolio of institutional funders and prospects, manage our contracted grant writer and support staff, oversee the development of compelling proposals and reports, ensure compliance with grant requirements, and serve as the primary liaison between funders and internal stakeholders.

The Director will work closely with Resource Development, Community Impact & Engagement, Finance, Marketing & Communications, and executive leadership to secure significant philanthropic investments that support UWNCA's initiatives across education, economic opportunity, health, housing stability, and community resilience.

Key Responsibilities and Essential Job Functions: 

Institutional Fundraising Strategy & Revenue Generation

• Develop and execute a comprehensive institutional giving strategy to increase revenue from foundations, corporate foundations, government agencies, and other institutional funders.
• Establish annual and multi-year revenue goals and performance metrics for institutional fundraising.
• Build and manage a robust pipeline of new funding opportunities aligned with organizational priorities.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward institutional donors capable of making six- and seven-figure investments.
• Partner with executive leadership and volunteer leaders on strategic funding opportunities and donor engagement.

Portfolio Management & Relationship Stewardship

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 50-75 institutional funders and prospects.
• Create and implement individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans.
• Maintain strong relationships with current funders through regular communication, site visits, impact reporting, and recognition opportunities.
• Coordinate executive engagement with key foundation and institutional stakeholders.
• Ensure exceptional stewardship that supports donor retention, renewal, and increased investment.

Proposal Development & Grant Management

• Lead the development of high-quality letters of inquiry, grant proposals, concept papers, presentations, and reports.
• Translate program outcomes, community impact, and organizational priorities into compelling cases for support.
• Collaborate with program and finance staff to gather narratives, outcomes data, budgets, and evaluation metrics.
• Oversee grant submission processes and ensure timely completion of all deliverables.
• Maintain quality control and consistency across all institutional fundraising materials.

Prospect Research & Opportunity Development

• Identify and assess new institutional funding prospects.
• Monitor local, regional, and national funding trends and philanthropic priorities.
• Conduct prospect research utilizing Foundation Directory, GuideStar/Candid, grant databases, public records, and other research tools.
• Develop engagement strategies that convert prospects into long-term funding partners.

Compliance, Reporting & Operations

• Oversee the institutional grants calendar and ensure all deadlines are met.
• Track grant requirements, reporting schedules, renewals, and stewardship activities.
• Ensure compliance with all grant agreements and funder requirements.
• Maintain accurate records within the organization's CRM system.
• Generate regular pipeline, revenue, forecasting, and performance reports for leadership.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Serve as a strategic partner to Community Impact & Engagement, Finance, Marketing & Communications, and Executive Leadership teams.
• Support organization-wide fundraising initiatives, campaign efforts, and special projects.
• Contribute to resource development planning, budgeting, and revenue forecasting.
• Mentor and support grant-writing staff, consultants, interns, or future institutional giving team members.

Job Requirements:

Education, Background & Experience

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in institutional fundraising, grant writing, foundation relations, or nonprofit development.
• Experience leading and managing a team
• Demonstrated success securing and managing six-figure and multi-year grants.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple complex deadlines simultaneously.
• Experience working collaboratively across departments.
• Proficiency with donor CRM systems and fundraising databases.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to interpret programmatic and financial information.
• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and community-centered philanthropy

Preferred

• Master's degree or advanced professional credential.
• Experience with United Way, community impact organizations, or large human service nonprofits.
• Knowledge of the Washington, DC Metropolitan region's philanthropic landscape.
• Experience securing federal, state, local, and corporate foundation funding.
• Familiarity with campaign fundraising and strategic philanthropic initiatives.