Philanthropy Officer, Trusts and Foundations (Remote/Part-Time)

About Us

Free to Run’s mission is to advance gender equity globally through running. We are a registered nonprofit/nongovernmental organization that has been operating community-led programs for adolescent girls and young women since 2014. We are known for delivering long-term, youth-led, progressive running, leadership, rights, and health programs directly to girls and young women living in protracted conflict zones. However, the longer-term impact of our work is building enduring social change - decreasing barriers to public participation, increasing women in leadership, and making power structures more equitable and inclusive. Free to Run identifies as an organization working at the intersections of feminism, human rights, development, and humanitarian interventions.

The organization is in a position of significant growth, in terms of our strategy, reach, impact, and operating budget. In 2024, we embarked on a new three-year strategic plan that positions us to reach 50,000 people by 2026. We will meet this goal through our work across three strategic pillars: direct service (EMPOWER), capacity building for local, women-led NGOs (EQUIP), and building a global movement of activists who are passionate about gender equity and running (MOVE).

Position Overview

A new role within the organization, the Philanthropy Officer, Trusts and Foundations is responsible for identifying, building, and managing a (new) portfolio of trust, foundation, and grant funders from identification to stewardship, developing high-quality proposals, budgets, and reports. Alongside ownership of this portfolio, the Philanthropy Officer, Trusts and Foundations will support the broader Free to Run team with prospect research and assist with applications and reports for institutional/transformational funders.

This position offers a high degree of flexibility and would suit a proactive self-starter with a strong ability to self-manage to achieve goals and a demonstrated passion for the work of Free to Run. This is a unique opportunity for an experienced trusts and foundations fundraiser to build and grow a new, high-potential portfolio from the ground up, with strong support from program and leadership teams.

While some support for larger institutional grants is part of the role, we are particularly seeking applicants with experience managing and growing portfolios of charitable trusts, private foundations, or family foundations, rather than institutional grant management alone.

This role reports to the Director of Development and Communications and is a part-time (20 hours per week), fully remote position. While Free to Run is registered in the U.S., our team is based around the world.

Core Accountabilities

1) Create and manage a portfolio of trust and foundation donors at the four- to five-figure level (60%)

• Take primary responsibility for developing, growing, and building strong relationships with a portfolio of trust/foundation/grant funders through the full donor cycle.
• Take an active role in meeting and exceeding annual income targets by developing strategies to maximize foundation and grant funding, regularly assessing progress, and reporting to senior management.
• Develop a formal pipeline of foundation funding opportunities for Free to Run
• Develop compelling, high-quality funding applications tailored to donor requirements, leveraging program data and impact narratives.
• Work with the Programs team to oversee budget tracking and reporting requirements for grants, ensuring accurate fund allocation, compliance with donor requirements, and timely submission of financial and impact reports.
• Collaborate with the global Free to Run team to identify and develop new funding opportunities and projects

2) Support the process of donor qualification and prospect research (15%)

• Use research tools to support the ED and Development Team with in-depth prospect research profiles for individual major donor prospects, family foundations, and other prospective funders

3) Provide support to the Free to Run team with institutional grant applications (20%)

• Monitor grant tracking tools to identify and qualify new opportunities for institutional or transformational grants
• Keep up to date with the funder landscape and giving trends across multiple geographies
• Support the ED and Programs with the development of grant applications, project budgets, or other related materials where needed
• Work with internal stakeholders to lead organizational grant tracking within the donor database (EveryAction), ensuring accurate documentation of all interactions, proposals, and gifts.

4) Engage with the Free to Run Team (5%)

• Participate in weekly 1 on 1 meetings with manager
• Participate in performance planning, goal setting, and evaluation activities
• Liaise with key staff across functions of this position
• Attend team meetings and participate in strategic planning and evaluation meetings

Location (Duty Station)

This is a fully remote position that can be carried out from anywhere in the world. Travel may be required occasionally to attend fundraising events or organizational/donor meetings.

Working Hours

This position is a part-time role at 20 hours/week. The role offers a high degree of flexibility, although working hours may occasionally fluctuate outside regular core hours to attend meetings across time zones.

Experience and Competencies

Below is what we are looking for as we evaluate applications. Candidates don’t need to have all these experiences and competencies but should be able to display strengths across multiple areas.

Experience

• 3+ years of experience successfully managing a portfolio of charitable trusts, private or family foundations, or similar funders, with a proven track record of securing and stewarding gifts in the $5,000–$100,000 range
• Direct experience crafting tailored funding applications, budgets, and impact reports for US, UK, or international philanthropic funders, in collaboration with Programs teams
• Confidence in independently managing the full donor lifecycle — from prospecting and cultivation to application, reporting, and stewardship
• A demonstrable track record of developing long-term relationships with grantmakers or major donors
• Experience in prospect identification and research using relevant tools and databases
• Familiarity with the funding and donor landscape in the UK, EU, North America, and/or MENA region
• Experience using a CRM system for fundraising (EveryAction or similar) to manage donor records, track proposals, and support donor stewardship

Skills and Competencies

• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to write compelling and persuasive cases for support
• Ability to effectively convey the impact of social justice, gender equity, and the power of running, hiking, and outdoor sport in driving positive change
• Ability to think creatively and spot opportunities for new or increased funding
• A results-oriented mindset with the ability to self-organize, meet deadlines, and deliver on goals
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with people from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic, religious, sexual orientation, gender, and generational backgrounds
• Interest in international girls’, women’s, and human rights or running/outdoor sports

Free to Run is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We don’t just accept differences — we celebrate, support and thrive on them for the benefit of our team, our programs, and our organizational strength. We are proud to be an affirmative action employer, committed to diversity, equity and inclusion of ALL people in our hiring and employment practices. We encourage applications from people who have non-dominant identities based on race, ethnicity, migration status, ability, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, etc.