Manager of Corporate and Foundation Relations en Downtown Emergency Service Center

Description

Shift: Office Day 

Days Off: Saturday, Sunday 

Location: Hybrid (Remote and DESC Headquarters, Seattle, WA) 

Insurance Benefits: Medical (no premiums/payroll deductions for employee coverage), Dental, Life, Long-term Disability 

Other  Benefits: Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Flexible Spending Account  (FSA),  ORCA card subsidy, Paid Time Off (34 days per year), Retirement  Plan 

Please apply through DESC’s Paylocity recruiting system. Applicants must submit a resume and a cover letter (no more than 2 pages) that addresses the following: 

• Why this role at DESC is a good fit for your values and experience 
• Your approach to engaging corporate partners in community-centered philanthropy 
• A brief example of how you’ve advanced a foundation or corporate relationship from initial contact to meaningful investment 

About DESC: 

DESC (Downtown Emergency Service  Center) is a nonprofit organization  working to help people with the  complex needs of homelessness,  substance use disorders, and serious  mental illness achieve their  highest potential for health and well-being  through comprehensive  services, treatment, and housing. Our vision is a  community where no  person is abandoned, ignored, or experiencing  homelessness. 

As the region's leading provider of  services to multiply-disabled adults who have experienced chronic homelessness, DESC serves almost 2,000 people each day. Our integrated  service model is designed to help  people secure and maintain appropriate, safe and affordable housing. DESC is recognized nationally  and regionally as an innovator in  developing solutions to homelessness.

POSITION SUMMARY:

DESC is seeking a strategic, relationship-driven, and equity-centered Manager of Corporate and Foundation Relations to lead our corporate partnership efforts and oversee the administration of our grants portfolio. Grounded in Community-Centric Fundraising (CCF) principles, this position is responsible for building and sustaining existing values-aligned relationships with businesses and private institutional funders—including both large and small charitable foundations—that help drive DESC’s mission to end chronic homelessness. 

This role focuses primarily (50–75%) on cultivating and sustaining corporate partnerships through sponsorships and strategic engagement. This role directly supervises a grant writer, who is responsible for writing all grant proposals—from small to large-scale—and supporting proposal development, editing, and reporting functions across DESC’s private institutional portfolio. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Corporate Partnership Strategy and Engagement (50–75%)

• Lead the development and execution of DESC’s corporate relations strategy, identifying and engaging mission-aligned businesses.
• Create values-aligned sponsorship and giving opportunities that center community impact over marketing returns.
• Deepen partner engagement using best practice techniques that emphasis personalized cultivation and stewardship, such as the Tarnside Curve of Engagement. 
• Manage existing corporate partnerships and build new collaborations with businesses that want to act in solidarity with people experiencing homelessness.
• Integrate corporate support into DESC campaigns and events in collaboration with the Strategic Events and Community Outreach Manager, Sr. Manager of Individual Giving, and the Communications team.
• Work strategically with the Community Resources team to identify opportunities to intertwine corporate and foundation relationship-building with volunteer and in-kind donor engagement.
• Represent DESC at community events, briefings, and meetings with business leaders. 

Foundation Relations and Grant Management (25–50%)

• Oversee DESC’s portfolio of private institutional funders—including both large and small charitable foundations—ensuring alignment with organizational goals and priorities.
• Supervise a Grant Writer responsible for drafting all grant proposals—from small private foundation grants to large-scale, multi-year funding opportunities—and for ensuring timely submission, clear alignment with DESC’s funding priorities, and high-quality materials.
• Oversee the coordination of the full lifecycle of grants—prospecting, proposal development, submission, reporting, and stewardship—across departments.
• Collaborate with program, finance, and data teams to gather outcomes, financials, and stories that communicate DESC’s impact and equity-driven mission.
• Maintain accurate records, timelines, and workflows in DESC’s grant management platforms (Salesforce and Instrumentl).
• Facilitate site visits and relationship-building opportunities with current and prospective funders.

Strategic Integration and Internal Leadership

• Collaborate with the Fund Development Director and department leads to align corporate and foundation work with broader fundraising goals.
• Provide leadership, mentorship, and oversight to the Grant Writer to support skill development, quality control, and alignment with team strategy and fundraising values.
• Use the For Impact model to strategically move prospective donors through qualification, cultivation, and commitment stages and the Tarnside Model of Involvement to guide strategic relationship planning.
• Track progress and provide regular reports on goals, relationships, and revenue.
• Participate in cross-departmental planning to identify funding priorities and deepen organizational readiness for strategic philanthropy.
• Serve as a leadership member of the Fund Development team, dedicating 5–10% of time to activities that support team-wide growth, learning, and strategy.

Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

• Minimum of 2 years of professional experience in nonprofit fundraising, with direct experience in both corporate engagement and grant management
• Demonstrated experience implementing strategic relationship management utilizing the Tarnside Curve of Engagement and the For Impact sales model 
• Experience using Salesforce and Instrumentl to manage donor relationships and grants
• Demonstrated commitment to community-centric fundraising principles and equity-based practices
• Strong communication, relationship-building, and project management skills 
• Ability to work collaboratively across departments and center DESC’s mission and values in all donor-facing work 

PREFERRED:

• Experience in homelessness services, housing, or behavioral health sectors
• Knowledge of the Seattle-King County business and philanthropic communities
• Experience managing contractors or consultants

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The  physical demands  described here are representative of those that must  be met by an  employee to successfully perform the essential functions of  this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals  with  disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing  the  duties of this job, the employee will be required to sit, drive,  walk,  stand, communicate with other employees and vendors, is required  to  lift and carry items weighing up to 10 pounds and to operate computer   hardware systems. Specific vision abilities required by the job include   close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth   perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Considerable stress may   occur. Employee will be working both indoors and outdoors in all types   of weather.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:

DESC   is committed to diversity in the workplace, and promotes equal   employment opportunities for all staff members and applicants. The   Agency will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for   employment on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, gender, sexual   orientation, age, national origin, caste, marital status, or the   presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability in any  employment  practice, unless based on a bona fide occupational  qualification.  Minorities and veterans are encouraged to apply.