Director of Foundation Relations

Who we are

At Crisis Text Line we believe that every person in crisis deserves to be heard, understood, and supported. Our mission is carried forward by people who lead with empathy, integrity, and a deep sense of responsibility to one another and the communities we serve.

Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7, confidential mental health support via text, delivering crisis intervention and prevention when it’s needed most. We pair human connection with scalable technology, research, and partnerships to strengthen mental health systems and drive lasting change. We support individuals, communities, and populations, working in partnership with NGOs, foundations, corporations, and government and intergovernmental agencies to scale impact globally.

Our Development team sits at the heart of Crisis Text Line fueling the philanthropic partnerships that make our mission sustainable and scalable. We work with a growing portfolio of foundations that share our belief in the power of technology and human connection to reach people in their most vulnerable moments — securing both unrestricted operating support and targeted funding for the programs, innovation, and research that define our impact.

Role Summary

The Director of Foundation Relations is a newly created position on the Advancement team. Reporting to the Vice President of Philanthropy, this role will own the full arc of foundation fundraising — from prospect identification and cultivation through proposal development, solicitation, and stewardship. The current established foundation portfolio with meaningful partnerships within grasp. This person will manage the Senior Grants Manager and will collaborate closely with the CEO, senior leadership, and finance and program staff to develop and execute a comprehensive institutional giving strategy.

Key Responsibilities

• Build a robust pipeline of foundations with the capacity to make 5-7+ figure gifts. Develop and execute a comprehensive institutional giving strategy aligned with Crisis Text Line's mission, priorities, and annual revenue goals. Identify and prioritize a diverse mix of private and family foundations, building a prospecting process that moves opportunities from research to cultivation to solicitation with urgency and discipline.
• Take the lead on cultivating and stewarding funder relationships. Serve as a primary contact with program officers, foundation trustees, and community partners. Bring creativity to engagement — from virtual coffee chats to webinars and co-branded content — and ensure every funder experiences Crisis Text Line as an attentive, mission-driven partner.
• Oversee high-quality grant writing and reporting. Own all aspects of grant writing and editing activity, including letters of inquiry, full proposals, reports, and stewardship communications. Manage the foundation calendar to ensure timely, high-quality submissions across the portfolio. Leverage and develop a Senior Grants Manager, reviewing and editing their work to maintain a consistently compelling voice.
• Bring rigor and a high attention to detail to moves management. Take ownership of advancing prospects through the donor lifecycle by developing tailored engagement strategies, creating clear action plans, and maintaining consistent outreach and stewardship. Build on the organization's strong brand and leadership access to cultivate meaningful relationships and accelerate the path from relationship to close.
• Shepherd internal stakeholders’ involvement. Serve as a skilled project manager across the grant lifecycle. Coordinate input from program leaders and C-suite executives. Structure meetings with clear agendas and follow-up, drive accountability on deliverables and timelines, and ensure that internal collaborators have what they need to contribute effectively.
• Ensure operational excellence in back-end processes. Maintain accurate, up-to-date records in Salesforce, including moves management, proposal tracking, and a grant content library. Build reporting structures that give leadership clear visibility into pipeline health, revenue projections, and portfolio status. Work in partnership with the finance team on budget alignment and grant compliance.
• Activate the board as true partners. Engage the Board's new Development Committee as appropriate, helping to identify connections, surface warm introductions, and build board members' confidence and involvement in foundation fundraising.

Minimum Qualifications

• A genuine believer in the mission. You are moved by Crisis Text Line's work at the intersection of mental health, technology, and equity. You are energized by the urgency of what we do, and you bring that energy into your relationships, your writing, and your results.
• An experienced and accomplished foundation fundraiser. You bring at least 7 years of fundraising experience, with a focus on foundation relations and institutional giving. You have a proven track record of securing 5-7+ figure grants, have managed a robust portfolio, and understand what it takes to build and sustain a pipeline at a complex, mission-driven organization.
• A thoughtful and strategic relationship builder. You invest deeply in relationships – both internal and external -- understanding that the best partnerships are built on trust, responsiveness, and consistent follow-through. You design thoughtful cultivation plans, move prospects forward with intention, and steward existing relationships with care.
• An exceptional writer and editor. You translate complex programmatic work into compelling proposals and reports, and you hold your writing -- and your team's -- to a high standard of clarity, tailoring, and impact. Your writing is specific, well-researched, and grounded in a genuine understanding of their priorities.
• A disciplined and organized communicator. You bring rigor and professionalism to every external interaction, from structured agendas and thorough follow-up to meticulous documentation. You are a skilled project manager who can coordinate input from program leaders and C-suite executives without losing momentum.
• A collaborative, cross-functional partner. You build strong internal relationships and understand that great foundation work requires organizational alignment. You work fluidly with program, finance, and leadership teams, and you bring those partners along rather than working around them.
• A credible and poised external ambassador. You have the presence to represent your organization in meetings with senior foundation leaders, and the flexibility and confidence to step in for the CEO or VP of Philanthropy when the moment calls for it.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working at an organization comparable in size and scope to Crisis Text Line, including familiarity with the scale of foundation relationships and internal complexity involved.
• Demonstrated track record securing multi-year and unrestricted foundation support.
• Experience managing, coaching, or developing fundraising, grants, or development professionals.
• Experience with Salesforce for moves management, pipeline tracking, and portfolio reporting.
• Familiarity with prospecting tools such as Relationship Science.
• Background in mental health, public health, technology, or social services sectors.

Reliable High-Speed Internet Required: Must have a stable high-speed internet connection to support seamless remote collaboration, virtual meetings, online job tasks, etc.

For United States-based candidates:
The target salary range for this position, across the United States, is $104,412 - $124,714. Starting salary will vary based on location, qualifications, and prior experience. Candidates will learn the range specific to their location during the interview process. We pay competitively in the tech-forward nonprofit space and offer a robust benefits package.

Benefits & Well-Being

Crisis Text Line recognizes that we are all unique human beings with unique life circumstances, and our benefits package aims to be as flexible as possible to support your needs as you work to promote mental well-being for people, wherever they are. Our benefits package is thoughtfully designed using an equity lens, with input from our team and from industry best practices.

Highlights include:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision options that prioritize accessibility and financial peace of mind
• Employer-funded HSA contributions
• Generous PTO, sick time, and 19 paid holidays with a winter break
• 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave after 26 consecutive weeks of service
• Monthly internet and mental health stipends
• Annual Wellness Stipend
• Home office and professional development stipends
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer contribution
• Sabbatical after 3 years of service

Benefits are for U.S.-based employees; international benefits may vary.

Within the United States, only candidates in the following states will be eligible for employment: CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, MD, MA, MI, MO, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, PA, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA.

No visa sponsorship available for this position.

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Crisis Text Line has retained DH Search to support the recruitment of a Director of Foundation Relations. DH Search is a national search firm that works exclusively with nonprofits and mission-driven organizations to recruit and hire extraordinary people. Learn more at

This is a remote-only position