Strategic Partnerships Specialist

Oak Brook, IL, United States

We’re in the business of Good

Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) is the charitable arm of Lions Clubs International, the world’s largest service club organization. Serving more than 1.4 million Lions, working with 47,000 clubs in 200-plus countries globally, LCIF has funded humanitarian service to build a more promising future for citizens of the world.

Since 1968, LCIF has awarded more than $1 billion in grants, helping combat vision problems, provide valuable life skills to youth, respond to major catastrophes, and build programs to address the needs of at-risk and vulnerable populations. LCIF is also working to reduce the prevalence of diabetes and improve the quality of life for those living with the disease. In addition, the foundation is expanding its global causes to include childhood cancer, hunger and the environment while raising funds to empower even more service from Lions.

As the challenges facing our world increase, so must our capacity to combat them.

These are not things that any one Lion, club or district can do alone. But together, we can. We are currently looking for a Strategic Partnerships Specialist to join our team and rise to the challenge of empowering service.

Position Highlights:

The Strategic Partnerships Specialist identifies new potential funders through prospect research, cultivation events, professional associations, and networking. This position assists with and leads concept and proposal development related to prospective funders, as well as solicitations to funders. The position will also maintain, and steward secured partnerships for further development, expanding funding opportunities. Moreover, this position will implement processes in order to cultivate strategic partnerships. This position is responsible for executing gift acknowledgments, recognition opportunities, and stewardship plans.

What You’ll Do:

Demonstrate a solid understanding of domestic and global humanitarian development priorities, as well as corporate social responsibility (CSR) best practices, trends, and related data and approaches. Monitor trends and ongoing developments, both in the Global CSR realm as well as other, key, industry verticals.

Possesses a thorough understanding of Lions Clubs International (LCI) membership base as well as LCIF’s leadership, volunteer leadership structure, mission, grant making areas, available program data and the unique role of Lions volunteers in LCIF’s major program areas and initiatives.

Identify, prioritize, research, and cultivate prospective corporate, foundation, government, and international organization donors. Cultivation efforts will focus on the corporate sector, where natural charitable and CSR synergies exist and with international organizations, where alignment exist within the areas of sight/eye care, education/youth, diabetes, health/immunization, disaster relief efforts, and others.

Work directly with volunteers/LCIF Coordinators, corporate committees, LCIF Board of Trustees, and other LCIF and LCI staff, to identify and solicit prospects and partnership opportunities.

Prioritize and assist in the response to time-sensitive project proposals, grant tracking, project tracking, and new opportunities in an effort to build new and expanded partnership opportunities and relationships.

Support the development of specific strategic planning efforts to support the growth in CSR partnerships across relevant Constitutional Areas. Including, identify, implement, and maintain new models for partnership that align with LCIF; external, CSR market demands; and, when relevant, current partners.

Assist in managing a portfolio of existing corporate and institutional relationships. Implement effective strategies to further expand existing partnership funding opportunities.

Ensuring that LCIF maintains existing partners CSR goals through project completion, management, oversight, and stewardship. Reporting and day-to-day oversight of CSR partnerships with existing and new partners.

Assist in and lead design and adaptation of appropriate recognition and promotion plans to meet LCIF and donor needs.

Draft and develop content for marketing and communications materials and customized solicitation materials including letters of request, presentations, proposals, donor/partner recognition brochures, letters of intent, etc.

Represent partnerships team during internal LCIF Board of Trustees meetings and select conferences; and demonstrate confident, effective public speaking and presentation skills.

We’re Looking for Someone With:

BS or BA from a four-year college or university or equivalent combination of education and experience

Minimum of 3-5 years professional fundraising and/or program development or related experience

Experience with corporate partnerships fundraising in a non-profit environment is essential

Experience in proposal preparation and grant writing preferred

Experience and competent public speaking/presenting

Experience working in a fast-paced environment with regular deadlines is essential.

Ability to travel, domestic and internationally, approximately 20-25% annually.

Why You’ll Love Working Here:

Lions Clubs International has excellent benefits for you and your family. We believe in a balanced work-life and have programs and benefit plans to support our employees, such as:

Three weeks paid time off plus time off for volunteering

Flexible and hybrid work schedules

Comprehensive medical, dental, vision and life insurance plans

Flex spending accounts for medical and dependent care

401K with employer match

Reimbursable training

Casual dress

Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the core of who we are. Diverse and inclusive teams have a positive impact on the work we do, and we know that having varied perspectives helps generate innovative ideas to solve complex problems in an ever-changing world.

Lions Clubs International Is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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