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Position Summary & Purpose:

The Foundation & Government Relations, Senior Manager will help build and manage relationships with foundations and government officials/agencies and be our chief grant writer. This position is an ideal fit for fundraisers who are both compelling storytellers and clear technical writers, and able to build strong relationships. This position requires a moderate to high degree of sophistication and subject matter knowledge related to literacy and/or education, as the position will be expected to liaise between program/library/development staff and foundations and government agencies. In addition to managing a portfolio of current relationships, the position will work to identify, cultivate, and steward new foundation and government prospects. Written grant proposals could be emotionally persuasive or technical depending on the funder with a heavy focus on outcomes.

This position reports to the Chief Development Officer and collaborates with fundraising staff to achieve and exceed annual revenue goals. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in growing the Library Foundation’s programmatic and operating support by creating and writing successful foundation and government grant proposals, reports, and expanding and stewarding our foundation and government relationships with the primary goal to increase revenue and outreach results. In addition, this position will collaborate with our Corporate Partnerships Senior Manager in writing and editing corporate foundation grant proposals and reports.

This position is responsible for building and managing the day-to-day advocacy efforts for the Library Foundation. This involves growing the number of supporters who are actively advocating for greater public resources for the Library and maintaining regular communications with elected officials (city councilmembers to federal representatives).

Under the supervision of the Chief Development Officer, this position is responsible for supporting all aspects of a grant cycle as well as cultivating and stewarding relationships with all foundation and government donors in support of SJPLF’s strategic goals and organizational vision. The ideal candidate should be comfortable collaborating across the organization and working with everyone from senior leadership and the Board of Directors to frontline librarians running the programs. Candidates must have a proven track record of securing significant grants ($100,000+), crafting engaging narratives, leading creative initiatives, driving results, and writing compelling reports.

Do you love libraries and want to work at one of the most well-known buildings in San José? The San José Public Library is proud to be one of the nation’s best public library systems with 25 branches across the city. Part of its success is owed to the dynamic and committed Library Foundation, which is a separate 501(c)3 established in 1987 by a group of community volunteers who understood that a great library system needed more than public funding. The San José Public Library Foundation (SJPLF) has raised more than $58 million to enhance the Library above and beyond what tax-based funding provides for buildings, programs, collections, and services. The Foundation takes its fundraising direction from the Library’s identification of persistent and emerging community needs. Our mutually respectful and collaborative work will result in more students being prepared for success from kindergarten to college and career; more adults being fully informed and able to participate in civic life; greater access to information in print and digital forms; and for everyone to find the spark that ignites their curiosity, imagination, and wonder.