Director, Corporate and Foundation Partnerships

Position: Director, Corporate and Foundation Partnerships Team: Development Reports to:  Vice President, Development Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) is an international non-profit organization that nourishes the world’s hungry through uniting and advancing food banks in more than 40 countries. GFN focuses on combating hunger and preventing food waste by providing expertise, directing resources, sharing knowledge and developing connections that increase efficiency, ensure food safety and reach more people facing hunger. In 2018, 943 GFN member food banks rescued over 500 million kilograms of food and grocery product and redirected it to feed 9.6 million people through a network of more than 55,000 social service and community-based organizations.The organization operates with a team of twenty employees primarily based in Chicago and engages a globally diverse Board of Directors. The FY2020 budget is just over $7 million, with approximately 85 percent support from corporate donors and 15 percent support from individual donors. GFN launched a new strategic plan in 2019 that charts continued growth with an ambitious vision to help enable its food bank members to materially increase the amount of food distributed to those in need, distribute more nutrient-rich foods, and strengthen the resilience of their communities. Its major goals include:
  • Increase the number of people served by food banks with which GFN currently works;
  • Expand food banking across Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa;
  • Support food banking organizations in distributing a greater diversity of foods;
  • Build a trusted global network of food rescue and relief organizations.
GFN is seeking additional talent to strengthen and expand its development team to accelerate this growth with an eye towards dramatically increasing the organization’s financial resources with which it can accomplish its mission. The Opportunity: In this next phase of GFN’s expansion, we invite new corporations to join us in building a global network of food banks that nourish the world while looking to reinforce and grow our current strategic corporate partnerships.  To drive this effort, we are looking for an experienced Director to steward corporate partners, to grow those partnerships that invest in GFN and its food bank members, including:
  • Designing successful partnership strategies – this is an externally-facing role for a skilled development professional who enjoys nurturing a shared vision and building long-term, collaborative partnerships that support shared interests.
  • Revenue generation – the Director will be charged with primary responsibility for stewarding and growing high-level corporate partnerships within a $5 million portfolio. This position will also be forging revenue-generating relationships with corporate partners alongside a director-level position focused on New Business Development. The Directors play a leadership role in GFN’s development strategy and help support the senior management team in corporate outreach.
  • Stewardship that grows partnerships – it is expected that the Director will grow at least $1 million in expanded support in their first year, growing their portfolio to at least $8 million in support by year three.
GFN carries out its corporate partnerships through a matrixed approach. On the development team, the Development team solicits and stewards a portfolio of corporate relationships that exceeds $5 million. The Network Programs team ensures that the corporate partnership is carried out in the field in a way that advances hunger relief and supports food banks around the world. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
  • In partnership with the Vice President of Development and Director of Corporate and Foundation Partnerships (New Business Development), refine GFN’s corporate partnership program to increase support through a range of entry points including general operation support, restricted support, directed grants to member food banks, sponsorship, and cause-marketing.
  • Steward and develop revenue-generating partnerships and solicit corporate partners in way that advances the interests of the partner, GFN, and the cause of food banking globally. It is anticipated that this role will generate at least $1 million in new or expanded support in year one, and $8 million in portfolio support by year three. At least half of this support should be for GFN directed programming and strategic plan priorities.
  • Leverage the relationships and ideas of senior management, the GFN Board of Directors, and current corporate partners to make solicitations of corporations more effective.
  • Prepare briefing memos, partnership updates and communications for the Chief Executive Officer, as needed.
  • Once secured, work closely with the Programs team to strengthen corporate partnerships by providing regular updates, creating impact reports, ensuring accurate recognition across all aspects of GFN presence and collateral, and arranging site visits as requested.
  • Forecast corporate revenue pipeline for their portfolio quarterly.
  • Regularly update and ensure accuracy of all major gift records in Salesforce database.
  • Other projects as assigned.
Candidate Profile: The Director will be results-oriented and tirelessly committed to inspiring new and continuing partners to join the fight against global hunger and food waste. The ideal candidate will thrive on identifying, cultivating, and securing gifts with a demonstrated ability in building transformational relationships for sustainable revenue and impact. A highly adept and fluent communicator, the Director will steward the highest-level corporate and foundation executives. They will enjoy introducing GFN’s work to companies that have not been previously involved, affirming the strong relationship with partners, be effective at explaining what makes the organization unique and worthy of investment, and be creative at laying out pathways for new, innovative collaboration that result in revenue-generating, long-term partnerships. The Director will bring a strong command of fundraising best practices, fundraising tools, and enthusiasm for raising money. The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications:
  • A deep commitment to the mission of GFN.
  • 10-15 years fundraising experience and a proven track record, with a focus on corporate donor cultivation and acquisition.
  • Demonstrated experience in securing six, seven, and eight-figure corporate gifts.
  • Energetic self-starter driven to achieve and exceed financial goals and objectives and look ahead to strategies to achieve long-term results.
  • Demonstrated ability to initiate and strengthen revenue-generating relationships with multi-national businesses, preferably in the agri-food business sector.
  • Creative thinker, including the ability to identify shared interests and shape partnerships in a way that benefit both the interests of the corporate investor and the non-profit organization.
  • Strong commitment to exemplary customer service and exceptional communication skills.
  • Effective and compelling presentation skills, including writing and speaking.
  • Experience with mainstream fundraising software, such as Salesforce.
  • Comfort with ambiguity, ability to work autonomously, and the willingness to take a creative approach to solving problems.
Location: The position will be based at GFN’s global headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, USA. National and international travel will be expected (15-20% of the year). To Apply: Please email a cover letter, resume, and salary expectations to GFN@koyapartners.com The Global FoodBanking Network embraces a philosophy that recognizes and values diversity. Its goal is to attract, develop, and retain a talented, diverse workforce in a culture where all employees will contribute to their fullest potential.  EOE