Director, Grants

Position Summary

The Director, Grants is a key member of the Institutional Advancement team, serving as a pivotal writer in written communication for individual and foundation donors that aligns with Birthright Israel's organizational messaging. The Director will develop strategy, prepare grant proposals and reports, draft key written communication, and play an important role in the moves management of philanthropic foundations and principal gift-level individual donors. Additionally, this role will build strong relationships with regional fundraisers and both foundation and Federation professionals.

About the Birthright Israel Foundation

The Birthright Israel Foundation (BRIF) is the U.S.-based philanthropic partner of Birthright Israel, the landmark program that has brought nearly 1 million young Jewish adults from over 70 countries on free, immersive trips to Israel since its founding in 1999. BRIF leads fundraising, donor engagement, and stewardship efforts in North America — mobilizing major donors, foundations, family offices, and community partners to sustain and expand the program's reach.

In the wake of October 7, 2023, BRIF's mission has taken on renewed urgency. The organization has been at the forefront of efforts to resume the Birthright Israel experience for the thousands of young Jewish adults who were waitlisted or whose trips were interrupted, all while simultaneously deepening its engagement with donors motivated by an unprecedented moment for the Jewish people and the State of Israel. BRIF has prioritized expanding program capacity, strengthening its donor community, and ensuring that connection to Israel remains accessible to the next generation at exactly the moment it matters most.

Our team is lean, mission-driven, and operating with the intensity and ambition that this moment demands. We work across major gifts, events, marketing, finance, legal, and operations — and we are growing.

Key Responsibilities

Grant Writing & High-Level Donor Communications

• Develop new written high-stakes communication with key stakeholders, including major grant proposals and reports for major foundations and Jewish federations, executive correspondence, partner updates, participant stories, funding opportunities, and case-for-support materials for the Institutional Advancement Team in line with organizational messaging and in close partnership with the Communications Team.
• Submit grant proposals and reports, maintain a proactive compliance and reporting calendar, and take a lead role in many complex grant submissions.
• Partner with Institutional Advancement Team members and other national and regional fundraisers to effectively maintain grant submission timelines and meet deadlines to increase campaign revenue.

Data, Systems, and Operations

• Own the team's Salesforce and grants management system, setting data entry protocols for moves management and the grant lifecycle; establish governance that supports reliable forecasting.
• Lead regular data audits and design dashboards/reports that give leadership clear visibility into pipeline, revenue, and performance; use findings to drive process improvements.
• In coordination with the Chief Advancement Officer and AVP, Institutional Giving, help set the vision and roadmap for AI use within Institutional Advancement, identifying high-value applications in prospect research, proposal drafting, reporting, data analysis, and workflow automation.
• Work with IT to evaluate, pilot, and implement system enhancements, integrations, and roadmap decisions, including AI-enabled tools within Salesforce and research platforms; measure their impact on productivity, quality, and pipeline growth.

Budgeting & Financial Coordination

• Liaise with management—including the President & CEO and the CFO—to create budgets and reports for proposals and grant submissions.
• Develop program budgets using Microsoft Excel, incorporating formulas and accurate calculations to support grant submissions and internal planning.

Relationship Management & Portfolio Growth

• Build and maintain relationships with foundation professionals and other advisors in partnership with national and regional fundraisers.
• Participate in growing the portfolio of professional foundations and principal giving donors, including the stewardship of high-level donors, foundations, and other institutional giving partners, through written and verbal communication.
• Conduct prospect research on current and prospective foundations and other high-net-worth donors and prospects.

Leadership & Organizational Support

• Help BRIF reach its highest potential by supporting efforts to strengthen workplace culture, including a focus on recruiting top talent to join the organization.
• Lead special strategic projects assigned by the AVP and Chief Advancement Officer to enhance team effectiveness and advance BRIF's goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree. Master's degree preferred.
• 5+ years of progressive professional experience in fundraising or business development, with at least 2 years of grant writing experience.
• Exceptional business writing, proposal writing, and editing skills, with the proven ability to craft persuasive funding proposals, reports, and executive-level communication.
• Experience with grants management systems and building reports and dashboards.
• Strong strategic and analytical skills, with the ability to set priorities, forecast revenue, and use data to inform decisions.
• Excellent organizational skills and a detail-oriented mindset, with sound judgment and the ability to manage multiple complex projects in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
• Salesforce or other CRM experience.
• Hands-on experience with Generative AI tools applied to fundraising, research, or writing workflows, and a track record of leading their adoption and responsible use within a team.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to effectively present information to major donors, foundation professionals, top management, and staff.
• Passion for the mission of Birthright Israel.
• Preferred: Knowledge of the Jewish communal landscape and the stakeholders in the Jewish/Israel private foundation and Federation world.

This Opportunity Appeals To

• Experienced grant writers and institutional fundraisers who want their work at the center of one of the most ambitious moments in BRIF's history.
• Strong, persuasive writers who take pride in polished proposals, reports, and executive-level correspondence.
• Data-minded, highly organized, and detail-oriented professionals who enjoy building the systems, dashboards, and processes that make a team more effective and projects more efficient.
• Early adopters eager to play an important role in how AI tools are used responsibly across a fundraising team.
• People energized by mission-driven work who want their day-to-day to connect to something larger.

You Are Someone Who

• Builds credibility and trusted relationships with senior leaders, donors, and colleagues across departments.
• Brings superior professional presentation and interpersonal skills.
• Is a creative thinker with excellent problem-solving skills and the initiative to identify and drive improvements.
• Is highly motivated, proactive, and able to work independently while also supporting a team.
• Can define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

If these statements describe you, you will be successful in this role and should apply.

What Success Looks Like

In the first year, the Director will own a proactive compliance and reporting calendar so that every grant proposal and report goes out on time and in line with organizational messaging. Salesforce and the grants management system will run on clear data protocols, and leadership will have reliable dashboards showing pipeline, revenue, and performance. Institutional Advancement will have a practical roadmap for AI use, with tools piloted and their impact measured.

Over time, the Director will become a trusted partner to Institutional Advancement leadership and BRIF's fundraisers, strengthening relationships with foundation and Federation professionals and growing the portfolio of institutional and principal giving donors.

Why You'll Love Working Here

At Birthright Israel, you'll be part of a team that is shaping the future of the Jewish people. Your work will help ensure that donors feel connected, valued, and inspired to make Birthright Israel possible for generations to come. A fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment where your work has visible, immediate impact. We offer a collaborative, supportive team culture. Our benefits are generous, and include comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance. Employees have access to set aside funds for retirement through our 403(b) plan, which includes a 5% salary match that vests over the first 5 years of employment. Additional perks include generous sick time, annual personal days, as well as a work calendar offering time off for Jewish and secular holidays.