Foundation Relations Officer

Description

Position Overview

The Foundation Relations Officer supports Guiding Eyes for the Blind's fundraising efforts by building and strengthening relationships with foundation partners and securing philanthropic support for the organization's mission and programs. As a member of the Philanthropy team, the Officer manages the full grant lifecycle, including prospect research, proposal development, reporting, stewardship, and donor communications.

Working collaboratively with colleagues across the organization, this position gathers and translates programmatic, financial, and organizational information into compelling funding opportunities that demonstrate impact and inspire investment. This role helps expand and sustain foundation support through effective grant management, stewardship, and donor communications.

The ideal candidate is an exceptional writer, organized project manager, and relationship builder who thrives in a collaborative environment and is passionate about connecting foundations to mission-driven work that changes lives.

At Guiding Eyes, you'll work alongside passionate, caring professionals who are united by a love of dogs and a shared commitment to our mission. Together, we help create life-changing partnerships between people and guide dogs while connecting donors to the extraordinary impact their generosity makes possible. If you're looking for meaningful work in a collaborative, mission-driven environment where your efforts directly support greater independence and opportunity for people with vision loss, we'd love to hear from you.

The Role

Foundation Fundraising & Relationship Management

• Manage and steward an assigned portfolio of foundation donors and prospects, developing strategies to secure funding and strengthen long-term engagement.
• Conduct prospect research to identify and evaluate private, family, community, and corporate foundation funding opportunities aligned with Guiding Eyes' programs and priorities.
• Coordinate and host foundation donor meetings, site visits, and other engagement opportunities, including preparing materials and working with colleagues across the organization.

Grant Writing & Management
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• Prepare and submit grant proposals, letters of inquiry, grant reports, donor updates, stewardship materials, and other foundation communications.
• Manage the full grant cycle, including opportunity research, proposal development, submission tracking, reporting, stewardship, compliance, and renewals.
• Maintain and regularly update the grants calendar to ensure all proposal, reporting, stewardship, and renewal deadlines are met.
• Monitor organizational statistics, program outcomes, and other information relevant to foundation fundraising and reporting.

Collaboration & Information Gathering

• Partner with Finance and colleagues across departments to prepare grant budgets and gather accurate programmatic, financial, and impact information for proposals and reports.
• Foster effective cross-functional partnerships to support donor engagement, information sharing, and fundraising success.

Donor Records & Gift Administration

• Maintain accurate and detailed foundation donor and prospect records in Salesforce, including grant activity, deadlines, communications, relationship information, and other relevant documentation.
• Process and enter gifts in Salesforce accurately and in a timely manner, ensuring appropriate coding, documentation, and donor information.
• Prepare donor acknowledgements and related correspondence, ensuring gifts are recognized accurately, promptly, and appropriately.
• Maintain detailed records and supporting documentation related to gifts, grants, donor communications, and stewardship activities.

Additional Responsibilities

• Assist with Development department fundraising and stewardship projects as needed.
• Gain and demonstrate a passion for the Guiding Eyes mission and a deep understanding of the organization's programs, culture, and services.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the mission and goals of Guiding Eyes.

Qualifications You Will Need

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Two (2) or more years of experience in grant writing, foundation relations, development, fundraising, or a related nonprofit role.
• Demonstrated ability to research funding opportunities and develop clear, persuasive grant proposals, reports, and donor communications.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Exceptional attention to detail and a commitment to maintaining accurate donor, grant, and gift records.

Professional Skills

• Knowledge of fundraising principles, donor stewardship, and relationship management.
• Ability to identify, research, and evaluate foundation funding opportunities aligned with organizational priorities.
• Ability to interpret and summarize programmatic, financial, and organizational information for funders and other audiences.
• Ability to manage the full grant lifecycle, including proposal development, reporting, stewardship, compliance, and renewals.

Communication & Collaboration

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with excellent editing and proofreading abilities.
• Ability to build productive relationships with foundation funders, donors, and internal stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with colleagues across departments.

Technical & Physical Requirements

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs and donor management/CRM systems; Salesforce savvy a plus.
• Ability to maintain confidential donor and organizational information with discretion, diplomacy, sound judgment, and the highest ethical standards.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends in support of donor cultivation, stewardship, fundraising events, and engagement activities.
• Must be comfortable around large, active dogs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing foundation, corporate, community, or family foundation relationships.
• Experience developing grant budgets and collaborating with finance and program teams.

Better Together: Why In-Person Matters at GEB

At Guiding Eyes, we believe our best work happens when we're together. In-person collaboration strengthens relationships, sparks meaningful conversations, and helps us achieve greater impact - bringing our core values to life every day. Being on campus fosters a true sense of community and shared purpose, reminding us that we're all part of something bigger as we work side by side toward our mission.

Salary Range: $85k - $100k, commensurate with experience. Actual compensation will be determined based on factors such as internal equity, relevant experience, job-related knowledge, skills, and market considerations.

Please include a cover letter along with your resume telling us 'About You' and to share why you're excited about contributing to our mission. As a Guiding Eyes employee, you will enjoy knowing that every day you make a difference in the lives of people with vision loss!

While we appreciate your interest and application, only candidates under consideration will be contacted.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind offers a comprehensive benefits package including the following:

• Competitive and generous healthcare (Medical/Dental/Vision)
• 403(b)
• Life Insurance
• Paid Time Off and Holidays
• You are invited to bring your well-behaved dog to work

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed in this role. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications. Employees may be required to perform other job-related duties as assigned in support of Guiding Eyes for the Blind's mission and operational needs.