Job Description
About Us
WHEN Justice is a mission-driven 501(c)(3) nonprofit using capital, media, and the law to hold corporations accountable for environmental and human harm. By funding high-impact legal cases and pairing them with compelling public campaigns, WHEN helps move critical cases into the courtroom, mobilizing communities to support accountability and drive systemic change.
Position Overview
The Director, Institutional Philanthropy leads WHEN’s strategy and execution for foundation, institutional, and grant-based fundraising. This role is responsible for identifying, cultivating, and securing funding from private foundations, institutional funders, and aligned grant-making entities.
This is a senior, execution-oriented role for someone with a proven track record of securing and managing six- and seven-figure institutional grants, building durable foundation relationships, and navigating complex proposal processes in mission-driven environments.
The ideal candidate combines strategic grant positioning with disciplined pipeline management and strong cross-functional coordination across leadership, legal strategy, portfolio, and communications.
Key Responsibilities
Institutional Strategy & Pipeline Development
- Develop and own WHEN’s institutional fundraising strategy
- Build and manage a pipeline of foundation and institutional prospects aligned with WHEN’s campaign and impact priorities
- Identify and prioritize funders aligned with environmental accountability, legal advocacy, corporate accountability, and related issue areas
- Conduct prospect research and landscape mapping to expand qualified institutional opportunities
Grant Development & Proposal Leadership
- Lead development of compelling letters of inquiry, grant proposals, concept notes, and supporting materials
- Translate complex legal and campaign strategy into resonant, outcome-focused institutional proposals
- Coordinate internally to gather accurate programmatic and financial information for proposals
- Manage grant timelines, submissions, reporting requirements, and renewal processes
Funder Relationship Management
- Build and steward relationships with program officers and institutional funders
- Prepare leadership for funder briefings, site visits, and strategic conversations
- Ensure disciplined follow-up, reporting, and stewardship across the institutional portfolio
- Develop institutional engagement touchpoints aligned with campaign milestones and impact updates
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Revenue Discipline
- Partner closely with Portfolio and Legal Strategy to align campaign selection with funder interest and funding strategy
- Coordinate with Individual Philanthropy to ensure cohesive capital formation strategy across lanes
- Track institutional revenue goals and pipeline performance
- Enable CRM discipline for institutional prospects, proposals, and reporting
Qualifications
- 7–10+ years of experience in institutional fundraising, foundation relations, or grant development with a focus on advocacy, legal, policy, environmental, or mission-driven nonprofit organizations strongly preferred
- Demonstrated success securing six- and seven-figure institutional grants
- Experience managing full grant lifecycle (prospecting → proposal → award → reporting → renewal)
- Strong writing skills with ability to translate complex legal and advocacy concepts into clear institutional narratives
- Experience collaborating with executive leadership and cross-functional teams in support of programs and portfolio
- Strong organizational discipline and ability to manage multiple grant cycles simultaneously
- Familiarity with donor CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce or similar)
Compensation & Benefits
Salary: Competitive, director-level compensation commensurate with experience and location. $160,000 - $180,000 expected salary range.
Health Benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
Retirement: 401(k) eligibility
Paid Time Off: 20 days annually
Holidays: 12 paid holidays per year
How to Apply
Please submit, as a single PDF, a resume and cover letter outlining your interest and alignment with the role to now@whenjustice.org with Institutional_[YourLastName] in the subject line.