Mother Jones seeks a collaborative and outcome-driven Foundations Officer to join our fundraising team. 

We are looking for a strategic thinker with superb writing and  communication skills to support  our foundation revenue strategy. You’ll work closely with the Vice President of Development  to maintain existing and develop new funding relationships with foundations.  You will be part of a dynamic and experienced  development team focused on supporting the growth of Mother Jones’ 47-year-old independent newsroom. Driving our success is a business model grounded in reader support: approximately 60 percent of our revenue comes from our readers and as a member of the development team, you’ll be working directly with our community of support to ensure our newsroom stays competitive and sustainable.

We are a distributed team that includes primary offices in San Francisco, New York, and Washington DC. We are open to remote work in the continental US, but travel to meet funders and colleagues will be required from time to time.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Support the maintenance of strong relationships with existing foundation funders that lead to renewed funding and increased support. 
Work with the VP of Development and Donor Researcher to develop and execute strategies for the prospecting of new or stalled foundation relationships. 
Create compelling communication materials for other members of the Development team, including email outreach and updates and other materials to secure meetings with foundation staff and major donors.
Maintain an organization-wide grants calendar to ensure that all grant submission and reporting deadlines are met.
 Draft and submit all grant proposals.
Work across departments to track program objectives and outcomes to ensure that grant deliverables are met.  
Maintain working knowledge about Mother Jones’ reporting and special projects, using that information to identify and develop funding opportunities and strategies that may appeal to specific funders.
Ensure that all information related to foundation communication, meetings, and fundraising goals is fully documented in the Salesforce. 
Meet and, ideally, exceed annual revenue goals.
Work to support the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging goals of Mother Jones. 
Other duties as assigned. 
 

REQUIRED SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

 BA/BS or equivalent work experience.
Minimum 3 to 5 years of relevant foundation fundraising experience and project management experience.
A track record of identifying, cultivating, soliciting, closing and maintaining foundation relationships.
Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, with an ability to build professional relationships with funders.
Problem-solver with excellent planning and organizational skills; ability to manage multiple priorities and set and adhere to deadlines; ability to maintain confidentiality.
Outcome-driven, self-starter, and proactive with the capacity to work both independently and as part of fast-paced collaborative teams.
Grace under pressure, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to manage projects  with tact, diplomacy, and good humor.
Experience with Salesforce preferred, along with a general understanding of data systems and web-based CRMs.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and G Suite; experience with Asana or other project management software preferred.
Able to travel and work some evenings.
An interest or experience in fundraising in a news organization or the areas that Mother Jones covers is a plus, but not essential.
 

A Note to Potential Candidates: We recognize that potential candidates with identities that have been historically excluded from the fundraising field may be less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every one of the qualifications as described in the job description. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply.

Please submit a resume, cover letter, and at least two (2) successful grant proposals.