"Alerted.org

Corporate and Foundation Relations Coordinator

WFH Flexible•Seattle, WA (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=515+Third+Avenue+Seattle+WA+USA+98104) •Fund Development

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Job Type

Full-time

Description

**Shift:** Office Day

**Days Off:** Saturday, Sunday

**Location:** Hybrid (Remote and DESC Headquarters, Seattle, WA)

**Insurance Benefits:** Medical (no premiums/payroll deductions for employee coverage), Dental, Life, Long-term Disability

**Other Benefits:** Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), ORCA card subsidy, Paid Time Off (34 days per year), Retirement Plan

APPLICATION PROCESS

1. Applicants will first be invited to a phone screening (invitations for screenings will be from Jan 1, 2026, to Jan 8, 2026.

2. If selected to move forward, candidates will be invited to a virtual first interview from Jan 13, 2026 to Jan 20, 2026.

3. If needed, a second round of interviews will occur from Jan 22, 2026 to Jan 26, 2026.

_These dates are approximate and subject to change._

About DESC:

DESC (Downtown Emergency Service Center) is a nonprofit organization working to help people with the complex needs of homelessness, substance use disorders, and serious mental illness achieve their highest potential for health and well-being through comprehensive services, treatment, and housing. Our vision is a community where no person is abandoned, ignored, or experiencing homelessness.

As the region's leading provider of services to multiply disabled adults who have experienced chronic homelessness, DESC serves almost 3,000 people each day. Our integrated service model is designed to help people secure and maintain appropriate, safe and affordable housing. DESC is recognized nationally and regionally as an innovator in developing solutions to homelessness.

POSITION SUMMARY:

DESC is seeking a detail-oriented, equity-driven, and mission-aligned Corporate and Foundation Relations Coordinator, with a primary focus on grant-writing, to develop high-quality, community-centered grant proposals and reports that sustain DESC’s life-changing work to end chronic homelessness. Grounded in Community-Centric Fundraising principles, this position plays a key role in ensuring that DESC’s institutional fundraising reflects the values of dignity, equity, and shared responsibility.

The Corporate and Foundation Relations Coordinator will be responsible for writing all grant proposals—from small private foundation requests to large-scale, multi-year opportunities—and managing the administrative and reporting functions of DESC’s private institutional grants portfolio. Reporting to the Manager of Corporate and Foundation Relations, this position will collaborate closely with program, finance, and data teams to gather accurate information, craft compelling and values-aligned narratives, and ensure timely submissions.

In partnership with the Manager, the Corporate and Foundation Relations Coordinator will also help steward funder relationships through transparent communication, thoughtful reporting, and storytelling that uplifts DESC’s clients and community partners. The person in this role will help maintain DESC’s grant management systems (Instrumentl and Salesforce) and ensure alignment with DESC’s strategic funding priorities.

This role is ideal for a skilled writer, systems thinker, and collaborator who is passionate about social justice, relationship-based fundraising, and systems-level change in housing, behavioral health, and healthcare.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Grant Proposal Development and Writing (45–55%)

+ Write, edit, and submit persuasive, community-centered, and equity-aligned proposals and LOIs for foundations, corporations, and other private institutional funders.

+ Translate complex program data, outcomes, and financial information into narratives grounded in dignity, accuracy, and DESC’s social justice mission.

+ Collaborate closely with the Manager of Corporate and Foundation Relations to refine proposal language, uplift community strengths, ensure alignment with DESC’s values, and avoid deficit-based storytelling.

+ Ensure all proposals meet funder guidelines, deadlines, and formatting requirements while upholding DESC’s commitment to transparency and ethical representation of clients and communities.

+ Manage multiple concurrent proposals and reporting requirements with overlapping deadlines, balancing short-turnaround requests with long-term strategic opportunities.

+ Maintain a consistent voice that reflects DESC’s equity-centered mission and Community-Centric Fundraising principles.

Grant Reporting and Administration (20–25%)

+ Prepare high-quality, timely, and transparent interim and final reports that reinforce trust and accountability with funders.

+ Work cross-departmentally in a collaborative and respectful manner to gather data, metrics, financials, and program updates needed for reports.

+ Maintain accurate proposal and reporting workflows, deadlines, communication logs, and documentation in Instrumentl and Salesforce.

+ Track awarded, pending, and declined proposals and ensure DESC program teams receive advance notice of data needs, reporting deadlines, and funder expectations.

+ Work closely with Finance Department staff by coordinating necessary budget documents, financial summaries, program cost details, and other required materials for proposals and reports.

Relationship Management & Stewardship Support (20–25%)

+ Support the Manager of Corporate and Foundation Relations in stewarding funder relationships through consistent, thoughtful, and value-aligned communication.

+ Prepare materials for funder updates, stewardship communications, and site visits that center dignity, transparency, and shared community learning.

+ Help identify opportunities to deepen funder understanding of and engagement in DESC’s mission, approach, and equity-driven practices.

+ Ensure funders receive follow-up materials, reports, and updates that demonstrate accountability, partnership, and a commitment to community impact rather than transactional fundraising.

+ Assist in implementing Community-Centric Fundraising practices—such as shifting narrative ownership to program staff or uplifting voices of people with lived experience in responsible, ethical ways.

+ Maintain organized, up-to-date funder information so the Manager can lead relationship-building activities grounded in accurate context and shared history.

Research and Prospect Development (10–15%)

+ Conduct prospect research in Instrumentl to identify mission-aligned funders whose values and giving history support DESC’s equity-focused work.

+ Support the Manager of Corporate and Foundation Relations in maintaining a prioritized pipeline of new and renewal prospects, ensuring equitable distribution of opportunities across program areas.

+ Gather and organize funder background information—including giving patterns, focus areas, and values—to inform relationship-building strategy.

+ Maintain accurate funder profiles and ensure data integrity to support strategic decision-making, stewardship activities, and equitable fundraising practices.

Requirements

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

+ Commitment to DESC’s mission and to community-centric, equity-based fundraising practices.

+ Minimum of 2 years of professional experience in grant writing.

+ Demonstrated success in writing funded proposals for private foundations or corporations.

+ Excellent writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with strong attention to detail and clarity.

+ Proficiency with Microsoft Office and donor databases.

+ Ability to synthesize complex information from multiple departments into cohesive proposals.

+ Strong project management and organizational skills with proven ability to meet multiple overlapping deadlines.

+ Ability to work collaboratively and independently in a fast-paced environment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

+ Experience in homelessness services, housing, behavioral health, or healthcare.

+ Knowledge of the Seattle-King County philanthropic landscape.

+ Familiarity with Instrumentl and/or Salesforce.

+ Familiarity with storytelling grounded in dignity, equity, and harm reduction / trauma-informed principles.

+ Experience managing multiple projects in grant management systems.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to sit, drive, walk, stand, communicate with other employees and vendors, and is required to lift and carry items weighing up to 10 pounds and to operate computer hardware systems. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:

DESC is committed to diversity in the workplace and promotes equal employment opportunities for all staff members and applicants. The Agency will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, caste, marital status, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability in any employment practice, unless based on a bona fide occupational qualification. Minorities and veterans are encouraged to apply.

IND123

Salary Description

$86,680.32 - $98,070.72 annually