Senior Director of Institutional Giving

ABOUT LIFEMOVES

LifeMoves is the largest and most effective provider of interim housing and services for homelessness in Silicon Valley since 1987. Our Mission is to end homelessness by providing interim housing, supportive services, and building collaborative partnerships. With over two dozen interim supportive housing communities and more on the way, LifeMoves gives our neighbors experiencing homelessness a temporary place to call home while providing intensive, customized case management through site-based programs and community outreach.

POSITION PURPOSE

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Senior Director of Institutional Giving leads LifeMoves' institutional fundraising program, with a focus on private, family, and community foundation partners, playing a central role in advancing the organization's $20 million annual fundraising goal. This role carries a personal portfolio of corporate and foundation funders and prospects capable of six- and seven-figure giving, and partners deeply with LifeMoves' Corporate & Community Engagement and volunteer management team to ensure institutional and corporate-partner relationships are aligned and mutually reinforcing.

The ideal candidate is an experienced foundation fundraiser who has personally solicited and closed six- and seven-figure grants, and who brings a stewardship-first mindset to funder relationships — prioritizing deep partnership and long-term trust over one-time asks. This is not an entry-level or first-time management opportunity. LifeMoves is seeking a leader who can inspire, coach, and hold team members accountable, with demonstrated experience managing teams of 2-3 fundraising professionals.

ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Set and drive LifeMoves' institutional giving strategy, including prospect research, proposal and report development, and multi-year funding pipelines.
• Manage and grow a personal portfolio of foundation funders and prospects, personally identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and closing gifts at the six- and seven-figure level.
• Lead LifeMoves' foundation relations strategy, including prospect research, proposal and report development, and multi-year funding pipelines.
• Partner deeply with LifeMoves' Corporate & Community Engagement and volunteer management team to align institutional funder relationships with corporate partnerships and volunteer engagement opportunities.
• Build and lead a high-performing institutional giving team as it grows, coaching staff and holding them accountable to ambitious fundraising goals.
• Build deep relationships with Program leadership and leverage their expertise to nurture foundation relationships.
• Understand the public funding arena to identify areas for public and private partnerships.
• Apply moves-management principles to guide foundation funders through identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Champion a stewardship-first philosophy in all institutional funder relationships, ensuring funders experience LifeMoves as a trusted partner rather than a transactional grantee.
• Collaborate with the Senior Director of Individual Giving and broader Development team to ensure a coordinated, donor-centered fundraising strategy across all funding sources.
• Serve as a senior advisor to the CEO and Development leadership on institutional funding trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Track and report portfolio and pipeline activity using LifeMoves' Salesforce CRM.
• Represent LifeMoves at funder meetings, site tours, and community events, including occasional evenings and weekends.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Bachelor's degree preferred; equivalent combination of education and professional experience will be considered in lieu of a degree.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional development/fundraising experience, with a demonstrated track record of personally soliciting and closing six- and seven-figure gifts from foundations.
• Prior foundation fundraising experience required; government grants experience is not required.
• Demonstrated success managing, coaching, and developing a team of 2-3 fundraising professionals; proven ability to inspire, coach, and hold team members accountable to ambitious goals — this is not a first-time people-management role.
• Working knowledge of moves-management principles and donor-centered fundraising practices.
• Genuine commitment to funder stewardship — building long-term, authentic partnerships rather than treating fundraising as transactional.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including strong grant-writing and reporting ability.
• Experience with Salesforce CRM systems; ability to use data to inform portfolio and pipeline strategy.
• CFRE certification preferred.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends and to travel frequently and locally within the Bay Area for funder meetings and events.

COMPETENCIES

• Foundation Fundraising & Grant Strategy: Personally identifies, cultivates, solicits, and closes six- and seven-figure foundation gifts, and builds strong, multi-year funding pipelines.
• Strategic & Team Leadership: Sets institutional giving strategy and inspires, coaches, and develops staff, setting clear expectations and holding the team accountable to ambitious fundraising goals as the team scales.
• Moves Management & Funder Strategy: Applies moves-management discipline to guide foundation funders through identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Donor/Funder Stewardship: Prioritizes building and nurturing authentic, long-term funder relationships over one-time grants, ensuring funders feel genuinely valued as partners in LifeMoves' mission.
• Cross-Team Partnership: Partners closely with the Corporate & Community Engagement/volunteer management team and the Senior Director of Individual Giving to present a coordinated, donor-centered fundraising strategy.
• Organizational Leadership: Acts as a senior advisor to the CEO and Development leadership, representing institutional giving perspective in organization-wide planning.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Contingent Upon: 

• Satisfactory results of a background check
• Satisfactory results of a DMV Motor Vehicle Record Check
• Valid California driver's license, reliable transportation, and current vehicle insurance
• Proof of clear TB test dated within 60 days of hire

WORKING CONDITIONS 

• On-site, in-person working requirements: Hybrid 
• Supervisory Responsibilities: Currently supervises institutional giving staff, with the expectation of building and managing a team of up to 4-7 fundraising professionals as the department grows.
• Travel:  Significant travel throughout assigned counties and agency locations on a daily and weekly basis
• Physical Demands:  Duties may require sitting, standing, walking, climbing stairs, reaching, reading, using computers or other equipment, communicating and exchanging information with others, and lifting or moving up to 25 lbs. LifeMoves provides reasonable accommodations to support performance of essential job functions, as required by law. 

Equal Opportunity Employer / Protected Veterans / Individuals with Disabilities: LifeMoves is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates from all backgrounds, including bilingual, bi-cultural, BIPOC, Native and/or Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, and disabled applicants are encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation is available for qualified individuals with disabilities during the application process.