The Water Foundation is a nonprofit philanthropy working to support lasting water solutions for communities, economies, and the environment. The Foundation complements strategic grantmaking with creative field-building and engagement with high-level decision makers and community leaders, and helps funders identify and act on opportunities to better manage water.

 

The Water Foundation works in key watersheds across the West, as well as on federal policy, recognizing that water crosses political boundaries and natural places face similar challenges across the country. As a singularly focused water funder, the Water Foundation serves the entire water field, deploying staff expertise to move resources to the groups that can most effectively improve water systems that affect people and nature. The Water Foundation’s partners span a broad spectrum: conservation organizations, environmental justice groups, agricultural associations, water providers, business groups, and local, tribal, state, and federal agencies.

 

 

The Water Foundation seeks an experienced Chief Partnerships Officer (CPO) to build on the momentum and success of an organization operating at the forefront of one of the most pressing issues of our time. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and serving as an integral member of the executive team, the CPO will lead the development and implementation of the Water Foundation’s fundraising and funder engagement strategy, portfolio, and systems. The incoming CPO will focus on elevating water as a philanthropic priority, diversifying and growing funding streams, and identifying and pursuing viable funding prospects that allow for continued growth, while maintaining clear alignment and connection with the Foundation’s mission and strategy. The CPO will collaborate with the executive team to set organizational direction and goals and lead a strong and experienced Strategic Partnerships team responsible for raising approximately $25 to $30 million for the Foundation annually.

 

The CPO will have the benefit of joining an organization with an established culture of philanthropy and a robust institutional funder base, leading a seven-person Strategic Partnerships team at a time of growth and opportunity. The Strategic Partnerships team includes the development team responsible for direct Water Foundation fundraising, as well as the Water Table team that drives funder engagement and mobilizes aligned investments through the Water Table funder collaborative. As such, the CPO will oversee resource development for the Water Foundation and its 501(c)(4) affiliate, as well as support and advise funder engagement and coordination through the Water Table. More broadly, the CPO will play a critical role in mobilizing and organizing funders and aligned funding for the water sector writ large, including by shaping and resourcing an emerging multi-year campaign.

 

 

 

Above all, the ideal candidate must lead with a genuine passion for the mission of the Water Foundation and excitement about joining a team committed to making systems-level, sector-wide change. The incoming Chief Partnerships Officer does not need to bring established expertise in the water space but must possess the intellectual curiosity to ramp up quickly on sector-specific knowledge. As a seasoned fundraiser, a successful candidate understands how to develop a robust fundraising strategy, cultivate trusted relationships, communicate powerful impact, and identify areas of strategic alignment to inspire funders to make substantial investments. 

 

The Water Foundation seeks an individual who brings a strategic mindset and an understanding of how to keep pace with developments in philanthropic giving, anticipating where the Water Foundation can successfully position itself.  The ideal candidate brings substantial frontline fundraising experience with a focus on foundation relations and high-net-worth individuals. They bring a proactive and ambitious approach to fundraising and work collaboratively and supportively with all relevant stakeholders. The ideal candidate also possesses a background engaging in a range of development systems and functions, including donor engagement,  proposal and report development, and development operations. This person effectively partners with staff across the organization and serves as a primary contact for high-profile funders. 

 

 

The starting salary for the position is $200K to $225K. While the Water Foundation is a fully remote organization, the Chief Partnerships Officer will ideally be based on the West Coast; however, candidates with easy access to a major airport in the US will be considered.

 

To learn more and apply, please follow this link: https://www.goodcitizen.com/executive-search/water-foundation-chief-partnerships-officer/