Description

Cato seeks an Associate Director, Foundation and Corporate Relations to help grow philanthropic support from a portfolio of corporate and foundation partners. The ideal candidate will have at least five years of fundraising experience with the ability to manage relationships independently and contribute at a high level to proposal and grant strategy. Reporting to the Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations, they will own a portfolio of these relationships, working closely with the Director on strategy and helping to manage the pipeline as a whole.

The position is based at Cato’s headquarters in Washington, DC, and requires occasional travel and work on weekends and evenings. Exceptional candidates may be considered for a virtual position.

The projected salary range for this role is $80,000–$115,000 per year. Compensation is based on the successful candidate’s educational background, experience, and skills.

About Cato

The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization—a think tank—dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Its scholars and analysts conduct independent, nonpartisan research on a wide range of policy issues.

Founded in 1977, Cato owes its name to Cato’s Letters, a series of essays published in 18th-century England that presented a vision of a society free from excessive government power. Those essays inspired the architects of the American Revolution. And the simple, timeless principles of that revolution—individual liberty, limited government, and free markets—turn out to be even more powerful in today’s world of global markets and unprecedented access to information than Jefferson or Madison could have imagined. Social and economic freedom is not just the best policy for a free people, it is the indispensable framework for the future.

The Cato Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

  • Steward and grow a portfolio of corporate and foundation supporters through regular, substantive engagement that strengthens relationships and increases philanthropic support
  • Stay closely informed on Cato’s research, policy work, and events to proactively connect partners with content aligned with their interests and priorities
  • Apply a sophisticated understanding of which policy areas are most relevant to each partner to guide outreach, engagement, and proposal strategy
  • Coordinate meetings, briefings, and events connecting supporters with Cato scholars
  • Work with teams across the Institute to craft compelling proposals and reports that accurately communicate Cato’s work and impact
  • Identify, qualify, and research prospective foundation and corporate partners
  • Represent Cato at networking events, following up with new contacts to advance relationships
  • Help manage the foundation and corporate pipeline as a whole, in partnership with the Director, including building and executing moves-management plans, soliciting gifts, and maintaining a comprehensive calendar of proposal and reporting deadlines and accurate records in Salesforce

Skills and Experience

The successful candidate will be entrepreneurial, able to work independently, and passionate about Cato’s mission.

  • At least five years of experience in fundraising, with demonstrated success securing and growing philanthropic support
  • Demonstrated grant or proposal writing experience
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • High level of interpersonal and relationship-building skills; excellent judgment in donor-facing situations
  • Comfort engaging with complex public policy issues, and the ability to translate Cato’s research into language that resonates with institutional partners’ specific interests
  • Ability to manage multiple relationships and deadlines simultaneously
  • A four-year undergraduate degree or equivalent experience
  • A belief in Cato’s mission and vision and the ability to articulate that mission to others

Benefits 

All Cato employees are offered the following:

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Employer contribution to a Health Savings Account (HSA)
  • Generous vacation and sick days
  • Paid parental leave
  • Employer-provided life and disability insurance
  • 401(k) employer match
  • Transit/ Parking benefits
  • Pet discount plan

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. This position does not offer visa sponsorship.

How to Apply

To apply, qualified individuals should submit the following application materials in one PDF document:

  • Cover letter including:
    • Your alignment with  Cato’s mission, your interest in the position, and how your experience has prepared you for this role 
    • Salary requirements
  • Resume

Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link: talentmarket.org/apply-for-your-dream-job/.

Questions can be directed to Katie Krout, Project Manager at Talent Market, who is managing the search: [email protected].

There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. This job will remain posted on our site until it is filled.

While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.

Talent Market, the liberty movement’s talent agency, is a nonprofit that connects liberty-minded professionals with free-market nonprofit jobs at no cost to candidates or organizations. We work with 501(c)(3) organizations that clearly and directly focus on advancing the principles of economic freedom, free enterprise, free trade, free speech, property rights, rule of law, and limited regulation. Visit Talent Market to explore open roles, join our talent network, or work with us on your next hire.