Manager, Foundation Relations - *REMOTE*
ABOUT KESEM:
We are a nationwide community, driven by passionate college student leaders, that supports children through and beyond their parent’s cancer with innovative, fun-filled programs that foster a lasting community.
ABOUT THE POSITION:
Kesem seeks a motivated, organized, and revenue-focused professional who is passionate about Kesem's mission and can create, implement and deliver on opportunities for financial support and engagement with potential funders. The Manager, Foundation Relations will work collaboratively with the Development and Leadership Teams to build Kesem’s foundation portfolio made up of corporate, private, public and family foundations while actively asking for support which significantly increases Kesem’s revenue and organizational impact.
KESEM'S VALUES
The Manager, Foundation Relations must uphold and build a culture that continues to support and strengthen the following behaviors to help us realize our vision:
• Continuous learning - We operate with curiosity and a willingness to try new things, and we see our successes and setbacks as opportunities for growth.
• Accountability - We are individually and collectively responsible for advancing our mission.
• Resilience - We empower and support each other through challenges while fostering a spirit of joy and hopefulness.
• Empathy - We seek to understand and appreciate other perspectives and experiences.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES
Foundations
• Develop and manage an efficient and active pipeline for corporate and family foundation support by identifying prospects within Kesem’s current individual donor network, at the National and chapter level. Act as Kesem’s main point of contact for our family foundation partners (ie, grants received through a grant application and reporting process), and engage the CEO and Leadership Team when necessary to strengthen these relationships.
• Actively research, identify, and cultivate new donor prospects, maintaining a pipeline of ~60 warm leads. Perform high-quality and strategic prospect research using industry best practices via professional networks, platforms and other tools.
• Identify opportunities for chapters to pursue family foundation support and develop strategies for stewarding those relationships to drive increased and sustainable giving across chapters. Collaborate with the Chapter Development Manager to ensure chapter trainings, materials, and resources reflect the most up-to-date best practices and support program-specific funding opportunities that clearly demonstrate impact and inspire giving.
• Ensure funding and restrictions requirements are communicated to the finance department.
• Submit an average of 6–8 LOIs or grant proposals per month, with a target win rate of 10% and overall revenue goal of $500,000.
• Maintain an accurate grants calendar for foundations, tracking all grant deliverables and timelines. Ensure that foundation gifts and stewardship activities are properly entered in the Kesem’s database.
Grant Support
• Support creating and drafting corporate foundation and major gift proposals as needed.
• Gather grant information internally and through market research. Prepare draft and final proposals, letters of inquiry, reports, correspondence, and other accompanying materials, including budgets that will be used by the Development Department for all donor asks.
• Consult regularly with the programming department to get the latest information on programs, updates, statistics and anecdotes to create the most compelling packages for funder solicitations and reports.
• Ensure chapter grant writing templates, stewardship resources, and training materials reflect current best practices and equip college student leader volunteers and program staff with the tools needed to effectively pursue and steward funding opportunities.
REQUIREMENTS
• Bachelor’s Degree is required.
• At least five years of progressively responsible management experience in Development, including at least two years with grant writing, reporting and prospecting.
• Commitment to and passion for the mission of Kesem.
• Strong writing abilities and able to give compelling presentations.
• Clear, approachable and authentic when messaging Kesem’s mission and programs.
• Being entrepreneurial, flexible and adaptable. We are a small organization, sometimes with resource constraints.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Ability to work with others effectively in a remote work environment.
• Proficient with Google Drive, Microsoft Office, and comfort learning and working with systems (e.g., SalesForce, Expensify and Hive).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
• The Manager, Foundation Relations role is a full-time position, with responsibilities that require at least 40 hours of work per week, with some weeks requiring more.
• It is expected that the Manager, Foundation Relations will be available for all staff calls, volunteer meetings, donor events, which may occur outside of normal work hours.
• Travel may include staff meetings, national fundraising events, and donor meetings.
LOCATION & TRAVEL
Location for this role is flexible, with no preference for geography. The Manager, Foundation Relations should expect to travel 4-6 times per year all within the United States.
To Apply
To apply, please fill out this application by May 15th, 2026, where you can also upload your thoughtful cover letter and resume:
Manager, Foundation Relations Job Application
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION STATEMENT
Kesem’s mission of supporting children through and beyond a parent’s cancer, and our vision of ensuring that every child impacted by a parent’s cancer is never alone, can only be realized through an ongoing, steadfast commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in every part of our organization. To that end, Kesem makes the following commitments:
• To continually expand the communities we support and work with - our camper families, volunteers, staff, alumni, partners, donors, and boards - with attention to engaging communities we are not currently reaching.
• To strive for equity in delivering a transformative, fun, and empowering community that recognizes and embraces our differences.
• To aspire to create shared spaces that are safe for every member of the Kesem community to feel valued and respected.
• Kesem will engage in continued meaningful learning in order to better support our mission and our growing Kesem community.
Kesem is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
We are a nationwide community, driven by passionate college student leaders, that supports children through and beyond their parent’s cancer with innovative, fun-filled programs that foster a lasting community.
ABOUT THE POSITION:
Kesem seeks a motivated, organized, and revenue-focused professional who is passionate about Kesem's mission and can create, implement and deliver on opportunities for financial support and engagement with potential funders. The Manager, Foundation Relations will work collaboratively with the Development and Leadership Teams to build Kesem’s foundation portfolio made up of corporate, private, public and family foundations while actively asking for support which significantly increases Kesem’s revenue and organizational impact.
KESEM'S VALUES
The Manager, Foundation Relations must uphold and build a culture that continues to support and strengthen the following behaviors to help us realize our vision:
• Continuous learning - We operate with curiosity and a willingness to try new things, and we see our successes and setbacks as opportunities for growth.
• Accountability - We are individually and collectively responsible for advancing our mission.
• Resilience - We empower and support each other through challenges while fostering a spirit of joy and hopefulness.
• Empathy - We seek to understand and appreciate other perspectives and experiences.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES
Foundations
• Develop and manage an efficient and active pipeline for corporate and family foundation support by identifying prospects within Kesem’s current individual donor network, at the National and chapter level. Act as Kesem’s main point of contact for our family foundation partners (ie, grants received through a grant application and reporting process), and engage the CEO and Leadership Team when necessary to strengthen these relationships.
• Actively research, identify, and cultivate new donor prospects, maintaining a pipeline of ~60 warm leads. Perform high-quality and strategic prospect research using industry best practices via professional networks, platforms and other tools.
• Identify opportunities for chapters to pursue family foundation support and develop strategies for stewarding those relationships to drive increased and sustainable giving across chapters. Collaborate with the Chapter Development Manager to ensure chapter trainings, materials, and resources reflect the most up-to-date best practices and support program-specific funding opportunities that clearly demonstrate impact and inspire giving.
• Ensure funding and restrictions requirements are communicated to the finance department.
• Submit an average of 6–8 LOIs or grant proposals per month, with a target win rate of 10% and overall revenue goal of $500,000.
• Maintain an accurate grants calendar for foundations, tracking all grant deliverables and timelines. Ensure that foundation gifts and stewardship activities are properly entered in the Kesem’s database.
Grant Support
• Support creating and drafting corporate foundation and major gift proposals as needed.
• Gather grant information internally and through market research. Prepare draft and final proposals, letters of inquiry, reports, correspondence, and other accompanying materials, including budgets that will be used by the Development Department for all donor asks.
• Consult regularly with the programming department to get the latest information on programs, updates, statistics and anecdotes to create the most compelling packages for funder solicitations and reports.
• Ensure chapter grant writing templates, stewardship resources, and training materials reflect current best practices and equip college student leader volunteers and program staff with the tools needed to effectively pursue and steward funding opportunities.
REQUIREMENTS
• Bachelor’s Degree is required.
• At least five years of progressively responsible management experience in Development, including at least two years with grant writing, reporting and prospecting.
• Commitment to and passion for the mission of Kesem.
• Strong writing abilities and able to give compelling presentations.
• Clear, approachable and authentic when messaging Kesem’s mission and programs.
• Being entrepreneurial, flexible and adaptable. We are a small organization, sometimes with resource constraints.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Ability to work with others effectively in a remote work environment.
• Proficient with Google Drive, Microsoft Office, and comfort learning and working with systems (e.g., SalesForce, Expensify and Hive).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
• The Manager, Foundation Relations role is a full-time position, with responsibilities that require at least 40 hours of work per week, with some weeks requiring more.
• It is expected that the Manager, Foundation Relations will be available for all staff calls, volunteer meetings, donor events, which may occur outside of normal work hours.
• Travel may include staff meetings, national fundraising events, and donor meetings.
LOCATION & TRAVEL
Location for this role is flexible, with no preference for geography. The Manager, Foundation Relations should expect to travel 4-6 times per year all within the United States.
To Apply
To apply, please fill out this application by May 15th, 2026, where you can also upload your thoughtful cover letter and resume:
Manager, Foundation Relations Job Application
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION STATEMENT
Kesem’s mission of supporting children through and beyond a parent’s cancer, and our vision of ensuring that every child impacted by a parent’s cancer is never alone, can only be realized through an ongoing, steadfast commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in every part of our organization. To that end, Kesem makes the following commitments:
• To continually expand the communities we support and work with - our camper families, volunteers, staff, alumni, partners, donors, and boards - with attention to engaging communities we are not currently reaching.
• To strive for equity in delivering a transformative, fun, and empowering community that recognizes and embraces our differences.
• To aspire to create shared spaces that are safe for every member of the Kesem community to feel valued and respected.
• Kesem will engage in continued meaningful learning in order to better support our mission and our growing Kesem community.
Kesem is an Equal Opportunity Employer.