Senior Director of Institutional Giving

Healthy Learners is on a mission to improve the health of children through school-based community health. Our simple yet powerful model moves the healthcare entry point to where children already are – their schools – by training and equipping the people children already trust and are with nearly every day – their teachers. With our flagship program in Zambia, we partner with the country government and local communities to bring our school health model. Today, we have reached nearly 1,000,000 students, and with the Zambian government as a full partner, we’re on track to scale nationally to 5 million children by 2028.

With momentum on our side, now is the time to build a model that can shape the future of school health across Africa, and we can’t do this work alone. Our institutional donors are deeply committed to our mission and serve as strategic partners who push our thinking. Our work is fueled by generous support from institutions that invest in high-impact, big ideas such as Cartier Philanthropy, Pershing Square Foundation, Mulago Foundation, Dovetail Impact Foundation, and rippleworks.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Healthy Learners is seeking an exceptional writer and relationship manager to serve as Senior Director of Institutional Giving. Working closely with the CEO and across multiple teams, this role is central to ensuring the philanthropic support needed for Healthy Learners to scale and sustain our impact. Specifically, the Director will oversee:

Institutional Fundraising Strategy and Writing

• Serve as “writer in chief” and lead the development of high-quality and compelling concept notes LOIs, proposals, grants, and reports for private foundations, government agencies and multilaterals.
• Analyze funder guidelines and proposal questions to identify key priorities and ensure strategic alignment with Healthy Learners’ funding goals.
• Translate program data, technical insights, and impact metrics into donor-facing narratives that clearly reflect an understanding of donor priorities and interests.
• Steward internal process changes necessary to gather insights and report on institutional funding, collaborating closely with program, M&E, finance, and technical teams.
• Strategically leverage the CEO’s time spent on institutional fundraising, engaging CEO as a thought partner in writing, reviewing, and finalizing grants and proposals.
• Develop and implement systems to improve proposal quality, efficiency, and success rates across donor segments; tightly manage timelines for submittals, renewals, and reports.
• Engage with external partners (e.g, academic partners, other NPOs) on proposal co-creation and due diligence discussions.
• Conduct in-depth research on funding trends, donor priorities, and institutional giving best practices to refine and inform fundraising strategies.

Funder Engagement and Stewardship

• Identify, cultivate, and manage a pipeline of new funding opportunities that align with Healthy Learners’ mission and growth trajectory; support CEO in business development efforts.
• Develop tailored responses to prospective funder inquiries, ensuring alignment with their priorities.
• Demonstrate a high degree of responsiveness and thoroughness to donor’s ad hoc requests.
• Create compelling donor reports, newsletters, and impact summaries to strengthen funder relationships and keep them engaged.
• Serve as a key resource for technical donor discussions, helping to clarify Healthy Learners' model, impact, and strategic priorities.
• Work closely with the VP of Development & Communications to refine messaging, ensuring funding proposals and donor communications align with strategic priorities.
• Collaborate with program and technical teams to develop thought leadership materials (e.g., case studies, policy briefs, and reports) that elevate Healthy Learners’ influence in the sector.

WHO YOU ARE

• An enthusiastic champion for Healthy Learners’ mission and values. You are inspired to scale a successful solution to improve the health of children through school-based community health. You thrive on a team that values humility, emotional intelligence, a willingness to learn, and a hunger for continuous growth and improvement.
• A talented fundraising professional with deep experience in institutional giving. You bring at least 10-15+ years of experience inclusive of grant and proposal writing, compliance, reporting, and funder engagement, with a track record of securing 6-7 figure investments from private foundations and other institutional funders.
• A forward-looking and strategic thinker. You approach your work through an analytical and data-driven lens, with skill in making sense of complex situations, anticipating outcomes, and developing plans that align with organizational strategy.
• A compelling writer, storyteller, and communicator. You are skilled in synthesizing, breaking down, and translating complex ideas into clear and persuasive content. You leverage data and create narratives that articulate the “why” behind an organization’s mission and impact. Extensive grant writing is required.
• A thoughtful colleague who builds rapport easily and fosters collaboration. You bring experience collaborating cross-functionally with executive leadership, program teams, and technical specialists on high-stakes, time-sensitive projects. You are cognizant and appreciative of asks for others' time and talent.
• A well-organized and nimble project manager. You are experienced in managing multiple projects and competing deadlines in a fast-paced, high-growth organization. You take pride in your work product and operate with a high attention to detail. You believe in "working smarter, not harder."

The following experiences, qualifications, and skills are preferred, but not required:

• Master’s degree in public policy, public health, business, or related field.
• Experience working in global health, education, or international development, particularly in a scaling organization or working with government partnerships.
• Experience securing bilateral, multilateral, and government funding.
• Familiarity with CRM systems, donor databases, and pipeline management.

LOCATION, TRAVEL, SALARY AND BENEFITS

This is a remote position with a preference for hire to be based on the East Coast. Travel requirements include 1-2 trips/year to Zambia and donor meetings and conferences as needed. The salary range is $130,000 - $150,000. Other benefits include a healthcare stipend, up to 3% match contribution for retirement plan, four weeks (20 days) paid vacation annually, and paid sick leave and family responsibility leave.