Director, Corporate & Foundation Giving

Overview

AARP Foundation is the nation's leading organization serving the 39 million older adults living in poverty or one life event away from slipping into it. Our mission is to strengthen financial resilience for and with older adults by empowering individuals and improving systems. We do this by creating pathways to quality employment, removing barriers to benefits, and promoting equitable access to essential goods and services. To learn more, visit aarpfoundation.org or follow @AARPFoundation on social media.

As the Director, Corporate and Foundation Giving for AARP Foundation’s Development team, you serve as a strategic fundraising leader driving the organization’s corporate and foundation revenue strategy. In collaboration with the VP, Development & Fundraising, this role designs and executes high-impact fundraising initiatives and stewardship efforts that strengthen donor engagement and recognition across corporate and foundation giving.

Partnering closely with senior leadership, the Director aligns fundraising strategies with organizational priorities and charitable goals, builds and manages a robust pipeline of corporate and foundation support and secures significant funding opportunities. The Director has direct responsibility for leading, managing, and developing a high-performing fundraising team, setting performance expectations, coaching staff, and ensuring accountability for results.

The role oversees proposal development and negotiations, ensures compliance with all applicable laws and policies, and advances the organization’s mission through sustainable, long-term corporate and foundation partnerships.

Responsibilities

• Leads a team that manages specific aspects of the fundraising process (e.g., systems, relationship management, channel strategy) that generates contributions or grant support to the organization in meeting fundraising goals.
• Participates in the effort to establish an effective case for support and provides feedback on how it resonates with their respective assigned prospective donor pool.
• Directs specific aspects and business processes of the pipeline including, identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, systems/processing, stewardship of potential donors to the organization to ensure future growth.
• Provides the team with resources, training, guidance, and support that help ensure personal and departmental success in meeting organizational and personal objectives and goals.
• Ensures members of the team are in full compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and board policies (e.g., gift acceptance) pertaining to gifts, contributions, grants, and other charitable support raised.
• Holds the team accountable for adhering to ethical standards established by Association of Fundraising Professionals and National Association of Charitable Gift Planners.
• May develop proposals, budgets, and work plans for new or continuing grant projects and/or identifies potential funders for programmatic activities and ensures that the organization's programs remain in compliance with regulations and policies established by the grant provider. Prepares and submits applications or proposals with the goal of securing grants.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• 8+ years of overall relevant professional experience, including at least 6 years of directly related fundraising experience with corporate and foundation, and demonstrated success in securing major gifts and grant funding.
• Proven people management experience, including leading, coaching, and developing fundraising staff and overseeing team performance and outcomes.
• Exceptional grant writing and proposal development, with a strong record of winning competitive funding.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute organization-wide fundraising strategies that align philanthropic priorities with mission and long-term charitable goals.
• Experience managing complex projects and funding portfolios, including concept paper development, proposal pipelines, reporting requirements, and funder compliance.
• Strong relationship-building skills with senior leaders, funders, external partners, and cross-functional internal stakeholders.
• Thorough knowledge of applicable laws, regulations, and board policies related to gift acceptance, grants, and charitable contributions, with the ability to ensure full team compliance.
• Additional Requirements
• Regular and reliable job attendance
• Effective verbal and written communication skills
• Exhibit respect and understanding of others to maintain professional relationships
• Independent judgement in evaluation options to make sound decisions
• In office/open office environment with the ability to work effectively surrounded by moderate noise
• AARP will not sponsor an employment visa for this position at this time.
• Hybrid Work Environment
• AARP observes Mondays and Fridays as remote workdays, except for essential functions. Remote work can only be done within the United States and its territories.

Responsibilities

• Leads a team that manages specific aspects of the fundraising process (e.g., systems, relationship management, channel strategy) that generates contributions or grant support to the organization in meeting fundraising goals.
• Participates in the effort to establish an effective case for support and provides feedback on how it resonates with their respective assigned prospective donor pool.
• Directs specific aspects and business processes of the pipeline including, identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, systems/processing, stewardship of potential donors to the organization to ensure future growth.
• Provides the team with resources, training, guidance, and support that help ensure personal and departmental success in meeting organizational and personal objectives and goals.
• Ensures members of the team are in full compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and board policies (e.g., gift acceptance) pertaining to gifts, contributions, grants, and other charitable support raised.
• Holds the team accountable for adhering to ethical standards established by Association of Fundraising Professionals and National Association of Charitable Gift Planners.
• May develop proposals, budgets, and work plans for new or continuing grant projects and/or identifies potential funders for programmatic activities and ensures that the organization's programs remain in compliance with regulations and policies established by the grant provider. Prepares and submits applications or proposals with the goal of securing grants.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• 8+ years of overall relevant professional experience, including at least 6 years of directly related fundraising experience with corporate and foundation, and demonstrated success in securing major gifts and grant funding.
• Proven people management experience, including leading, coaching, and developing fundraising staff and overseeing team performance and outcomes.
• Exceptional grant writing and proposal development, with a strong record of winning competitive funding.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute organization-wide fundraising strategies that align philanthropic priorities with mission and long-term charitable goals.
• Experience managing complex projects and funding portfolios, including concept paper development, proposal pipelines, reporting requirements, and funder compliance.
• Strong relationship-building skills with senior leaders, funders, external partners, and cross-functional internal stakeholders.
• Thorough knowledge of applicable laws, regulations, and board policies related to gift acceptance, grants, and charitable contributions, with the ability to ensure full team compliance.
• Additional Requirements