Strategic Partnerships Officer

Organizational Overview

The Greater New Orleans Foundation has been a trusted philanthropic leader in the 13-parish Greater New Orleans region for 100 years. Our vision is to create an economically and culturally vibrant, sustainable, and just region for all, and our mission is to champion charitable giving, strengthen nonprofits, and lead civic initiatives in the Greater New Orleans region. As a community foundation, our resources are comprised of more than 1,000 charitable funds established by individuals, businesses, and organizations with a passion for charitable giving and a deep commitment to the Greater New Orleans region. As a civic leader, we bring together passionate people from nonprofits, business, government, and philanthropy to address our region’s greatest challenges.

The Foundation is an inspiring, engaging, challenging, thought-provoking, diverse, and dynamic place to work and advance your career. We pride ourselves on investing in high quality staff members and encouraging success by allowing individuals the opportunity to both contribute and enhance their skills and talents as well as to share their unique perspective as we address community challenges. Our workplace environment nurtures a diverse team and results in a broad base of staff knowledge and talent.

Position Overview

The Strategic Partnerships Officer is a detail-oriented and mission driven team member who supports the development, coordination, and stewardship of strategic partnerships and funding opportunities that advance the Foundation’s programmatic priorities and civic projects. Reporting to the Director of Strategic Partnerships, the Officer works collaboratively to assist with the development of grant proposals, reports, and presentations. The Officer plays a key role in researching prospective funders, maintaining accurate records in Salesforce, the Foundation’s customer relationship management system, and ensuring the timely submission of proposals and grant reports. The Officer supports the coordination of external meetings and engagements with funding partners and helps track key relationship milestones. This role requires strong organizational, writing, project management, customer service, and interpersonal skills, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced collaborative environment.

Principal Duties

Partnership Development & Donor Cultivation

Assist in executing the Foundation’s annual cultivation and fundraising strategies by tracking progress against goals, supporting event and meeting logistics, and preparing stewardship materials in coordination with Foundation leadership.
Conduct prospect research to advance programmatic areas of the Foundation, with direction from the Director of Strategic Partnerships and support from members of the Programs team.
Support the cultivation and stewardship of partner relationships by coordinating follow-up activities, preparing materials, and ensuring timely communication between Foundation colleagues and external partners.
Partner with members of the Programs, Philanthropy, and Communications/Public Affairs teams to develop collateral for fund development meetings.
Coordinate and manage logistics, including preparation and follow-up, for development strategy meetings with current and prospective institutional funders.
Track and organize data related to fundraising progress, strategic partnership goals, and fiscal sponsorship compliance; assist in generating progress reports and help ensure that activities remain aligned with organizational goals and objectives.
Assist in establishing, monitoring, and reporting on the progress of Fiscal Sponsorship agreements, meetings, and financial activities, in addition to maintaining a high-level of communication with and customer service to assigned fiscally sponsored project and working with the Finance team in processing invoices in a timely manner.

Proposal Development, Grant Reporting & Prospect Management

Manage the Strategic Partnerships proposal pipeline and reporting calendar for Programs and Civic Leadership grants and funding opportunities, tracking application and reporting deadlines, cultivation and stewardship activities, and spending deadlines for foundation and institutional donors and prospects.
Monitor the Strategic Partnerships prospect management portfolio and communicate with Foundation colleagues about key cultivation and stewardship activities and critical next steps for institutional donors and prospects.
In collaboration with colleagues on the Programs and Philanthropy teams, lead the proposal development and reporting process, including gathering content, writing and editing, and submission, with support from the Director of Strategic Partnerships.
In collaboration with the Finance Department, carry out the fund setup process for Programs, Civic Leadership, and Disaster grants, and Fiscal Sponsorships, documenting routing and follow-up procedures.
In collaboration with appropriate Foundation colleagues, facilitate grant kick-off and close-out meetings, including calendaring, document preparation, and follow-up.
Assist in managing the Foundation’s online portals by preparing and uploading materials, tracking deadlines, and supporting communication with grants administrators of funding partners, under guidance of the Director of Strategic Partnerships.

Cross-Program and Cross-Departmental Collaboration

Promote deep collaboration between the Executive, Programs, and Philanthropy teams to ensure fund development goals for programmatic initiatives are reached and relevant updates are shared consistently.
Coordinate periodic check-ins with appropriate colleagues throughout the Foundation to develop knowledge and expertise about current Foundation programs and initiatives to inform and ensure visibility of key programs in cultivation and proposal efforts.
Assist in the development of proposed grant budgets and tracking of awarded grant spend down by coordinating with the Finance team and gathering necessary data to support the preparation of materials needed for grants and reporting purposes.
Prepare for and provide administrative and logistical support for disaster response fundraising efforts, including tracking institutional and corporate partner contributions, preparing communications, and supporting rapid coordination with partners.
Help identify and document opportunities for collaboration across departments in support of communication and planning efforts that foster integrated, non-siloed work.
Provide occasional support for special projects and initiatives in other program areas as assigned, including scheduling, background research, and preparation of materials.

Remain Flexible about Work Assignments

Because of the fluid and evolving nature of work at the Foundation, the Strategic Partnerships Officer may, from time to time, be asked to take on other assignments not covered in this position description. The Strategic Partnerships Officer is expected to demonstrate openness and flexibility when asked to take on these new assignments.

Required Qualifications

Demonstrated experience in prospecting for new fundraising opportunities, producing funded grant applications and proposals, and stewarding donors for renewed funding through effective grant reporting.
Background in cultivating and building lasting relationships with current and prospective external partners, with specific expertise in engaging with foundation and corporate donors, as well as effectively navigating and establishing productive cross-departmental internal relationships.
Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to simplify and effectively communicate complex topics.
Excellent computer skills, including proficiency in MS Office, experience with fundraising CRMs (Salesforce preferred), and familiarity with AI tools.
A preference for a quick pace of work, while maintaining high levels of detail orientation and accuracy.
Participative work style: ability to work well with a diverse range of people.
Ability to learn and utilize new technology quickly.
Receptiveness to feedback and course correction, and willingness to learn.
A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Experience & Education

Bachelor’s degree (master’s strongly preferred).
A minimum of 5 years of experience with fund development, including grant-writing, reporting, budget development, and prospecting for multimillion-dollar grants.
Experience and strength in managing partnerships and coordinating across initiatives.

Professional Conduct:

The Strategic Partnerships Officer will maintain high standards of professional conduct, both internally with colleagues and externally with other audiences. This includes:

Completing work in a timely manner and on-time attendance at meetings, both on-site and off-site;
Following the Foundation’s administrative policies and procedures;
Speaking and acting responsibly when representing the Foundation to external audiences;
Showing courtesy and a positive attitude in interactions with others; and
Maintaining confidentiality.

Compensation & Benefits
Salary commensurate with experience; salary range starts at $70,000. This position is exempt, and the employee is eligible for the Foundation’s competitive health and benefits plan, including paid leave and employer-paid retirement.

Application Instructions and Additional Information:
Please submit resume and cover letter to careers@gnof.org with the subject line, “Strategic Partnerships Officer Search.” Only complete applications will be considered. A writing sample will be requested for candidates who advance to late-stage interviews. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

The Greater New Orleans 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, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.