Managing Director of Foundations and Corporate Partnerships

The Organization

At Thrive Scholars, our mission is to help high-achieving, low-income underrepresented students get into and graduate from top colleges equipped to achieve their full career potential, with the focus of helping Scholars achieve economic mobility. 

Our comprehensive and data-driven program model focuses on the key inflection points that can be the difference between graduating from any college and graduating from a top college with the grades, degree, career skills, and network needed to thrive in any career. Thrive Scholars originated in Los Angeles as South Central Scholars (“SCS”) twenty years ago. Over this time, the organization has refined its program model and, in the last five years, has focused on expanding nationally; reaching more high-achieving underrepresented students, growing the number of Scholars we serve; and deepening our program impact. Looking ahead, Thrive Scholars is embarking on a new strategic plan which will include launching new program offerings and continued organizational growth. Thrive Scholars has approximately 80 permanent employees and 170 summer employees. 

Location: Remote + Travel

Employment Type: Full-time, Exempt

Salary Range: $135,000-$150,000

Benefits: High-quality health and dental insurance, paid vacation, employer-matched retirement plan

The Opportunity: 

The Managing Director of Foundations and Corporate Partnerships at Thrive Scholars will lead our institutional fundraising efforts, driving revenue growth through effective grant-making, cultivating and stewarding strong foundation relationships, and building impactful corporate partnerships. This role is critical to supporting our annual programs, special initiatives, and national expansion, ensuring that our Scholars succeed in top colleges and meaningful careers.

In this dynamic position, you will maximize revenue from corporations and foundations.  You will steward and grow relationships with local, regional and national corporations, engaging new partners and developing comprehensive philanthropic and employment partnerships. You will collaborate with senior leadership, regional fundraising staff, and career development teams to design and drive our corporate partnership strategy, ensuring we track and exceed partner engagement, satisfaction, revenue, and employment growth goals. This role offers a significant opportunity to collaborate with senior leaders and manage a team dedicated to building and sustaining these critical partnerships.  In addition, you will manage and expand our Foundations portfolio, overseeing all aspects of grant proposal writing, grants management, and donor relations. You will work closely with our program and data evaluation teams to craft compelling, data-driven narratives that highlight the successes of our Scholars and our program model. Partnering with the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Advancement Officer, and regional Executive Directors, you will develop and implement strategies to unlock new sources of local and national funding, leveraging your research, strategic thinking, and consultative selling skills.  Six staff currently report to this position, including two corporate fundraisers, two institutional gift fulfillment officers, one grant writer, and one development associate.

Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in institutional fundraising, corporate partnership development, and people management. They will be entrepreneurial, passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion, and skilled in navigating complex organizations to influence decision-making. This is a full-time exempt position reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, with the option of being fully remote or based in our offices in Boston or Los Angeles.  This position is also a member of the Development Leadership Team.

Key Responsibilities:

Fundraising and Development Leadership

Corporate Partnership Development:

• Establish and grow partnerships with local, regional and national corporations, driving philanthropic support and employment opportunities for Scholars.

• Identify new prospects and develop tailored cultivation strategies for potential corporate partners, building strong business cases for collaboration.

• Serve as the main point of contact for a portfolio of corporate partners, managing engagement and satisfaction to ensure long-term relationships.

• Implement formal stewardship plans for each corporate partner, coordinating with Career Development and Mentorship teams to achieve partnership goals.

Grant Development and Writing:

• Identify and cultivate new foundation prospects, solicit financial support, and steward strong partnerships to achieve the funders’ and Thrive Scholars’ programmatic and strategic goals, collaborating with senior leadership and the appropriate staff members for effective implementation.

• Manage the grant writing and reporting calendar to ensure timely submissions and accurate records in Salesforce.  Develop and submit grant proposals aligned with donor interests and organizational priorities, leveraging program and data staff for compelling narratives.

• Create budgets for proposals in partnership with the Director of Finance.

• Maintain a repository of best writing practices for team use.
  
  

Team Leadership and Strategy Development

Team Management:

• Lead and develop the corporate partnerships team, ensuring they are equipped to achieve revenue and Scholar employment goals.

• Supervise a full-time Grant Writer, providing guidance and fostering a collaborative, innovative environment.

Strategic Growth and Planning:

• In partnership with development leadership and staff, create and implement strategies to grow philanthropic revenue from all foundations and corporations.

• Research and identify new funding sources, leveraging the Thrive national and local boards and advocates to secure introductions and meetings with potential funders.

• Serve as a member of the Development Department’s leadership team and contribute to the establishment and achievement of the department’s goals and strategies.
  
  

Operations and Data Management

Data and Administration:

• Maintain accurate data records for institutional and corporate partners in Salesforce, tracking engagement and analyzing data to support strategic goals.

• Assist in development operations initiatives, including Salesforce data review and analysis, gift processing, and donor acknowledgements.

Development Team Collaboration:

• Contribute to annual development planning and support local fundraising events and individual donor cultivation.

• Collaborate on organizational team efforts to enhance overall development strategy and operations.

• Project accurately on anticipated and forecasted revenues to support organizational programmatic, fiscal and operational goals.

Qualifications and Experience:
There are innumerable ways to learn, grow and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. The qualifications and experiences listed below are intended as a guide; we do not expect candidates to check every box.  If you believe you can meet the expectations and responsibilities of this position, we want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. 

Experience and Expertise:

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in institutional fundraising, business development, strategic partnership management, or transferrable skills in corporate recruitment, and revenue generation.

• At least 5 years in a leadership or people management role, preferably overseeing corporate and foundation fundraising staff, including front-line fundraisers and grant writers.

• Proven success in foundation relations, grants management, corporate partnership development, and revenue generation.

• Strong track record in pipeline development in order to attract new, first time support and diversify an organization’s donor base.

• Experience in the education nonprofit sector is preferred.
  
  

Skills and Competencies:

• Exceptional written and oral communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information into clear, compelling narratives.

• Strong research skills and an entrepreneurial mindset, with the ability to develop strategic relationships and influence stakeholder decision-making.

• Excellent understanding of donor strategy and leverage points to optimize results.

• Strong time management skills, with the ability to prioritize deliverables in a fast-paced environment.

• High level of professionalism and excellent judgment in handling sensitive information.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and experience using fundraising or sales databases (knowledge of Salesforce preferred).

Personal Attributes:

• Productive working in a hybrid/remote environment, demonstrating adaptability and flexibility.

• Ability to work independently while being an integral and collaborative member of a larger team.

• Highly organized and able to take initiative, balancing short-term and long-term needs across multiple projects and stakeholders.

• Commitment to Thrive Scholars’ mission and a dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

• Ability to respond well to and incorporate constructive and conceptual feedback.

Compensation and Benefits:

Thrive Scholars offers a competitive compensation and benefits package including high-quality health, dental, and disability insurance, three weeks of paid vacation (four weeks after two years of employment), and access to an employer-matched retirement plan. This is a full-time, exempt position.

Travel Expectations: 

We anticipate travel to meet with prospects and corporate partners in our regions and across the country to represent 15-25% of one’s time.

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Thrive Scholars provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status. Knowing their importance to the success of our work, Thrive Scholars is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we aspire to build a diverse staff team and community. We strongly encourage people of all backgrounds to apply.

For more information, please visit thrivescholars.org Apply