About Texas 2036

Texas 2036 is a nonprofit public policy organization building long-term, data-driven strategies to improve lives and expand opportunities for all Texans. We are a dynamic, rapidly growing organization seeking energetic individuals passionate about identifying and advancing data-driven, pragmatic solutions to address the critical issues that matter most to all Texans.

The Opportunity

Texas 2036 is entering an exciting period of growth in its philanthropy program, with an annual operating budget of over $13 million and growing. National foundations are increasingly seeking high-impact, evidence-based partners capable of informing policy and improving lives at scale; Texas 2036 is uniquely positioned to expand its reach and influence in that landscape. The organization already partners with several of the country’s leading education, workforce, natural resource, and health care foundations, and national funders increasingly view Texas as a proving ground for policy innovation.

This is an exceptional opportunity for an accomplished fundraising executive to help shape one of the nation’s most influential state-based public policy organizations. Working alongside the President and CEO, Senior Vice President (SVP) of Development, senior leadership team, and engaged board members, the Vice President (VP) of Institutional Giving will identify, cultivate, and secure new national institutional partnerships while expanding the transformational philanthropic relationships that advance pragmatic, data-driven solutions for Texas’ future.

The successful candidate will build on a strong foundation of active institutional relationships, a compelling mission, and a collaborative leadership team, to play the lead role in winning new national partners and positioning Texas 2036 as a trusted partner for leading philanthropic institutions.

Position Summary 

The Texas 2036 Development team builds and sustains diversified philanthropic support, including individual, corporate, and institutional giving, that fuels the organization’s research, policy, and communications work. Institutional philanthropy is a critical and growing pillar of that support, encompassing partnerships with leading national and Texas-based foundations, corporate funders, and other mission-aligned institutions whose priorities align with Texas 2036’s mission.

Reporting to the SVP of Development, the VP of Institutional Giving builds and shapes Texas 2036’s national institutional giving strategy and serves as the senior leader for foundation relations, operating within the organization’s overarching fundraising strategy and goals. Key areas of responsibility for the VP include:

• development of a multi-year national cultivation strategy,
• direct management of some of the organization’s most significant institutional relationships, including securing new partnerships rather than solely stewarding existing ones,
• partner closely with executive leadership on donor engagement,
• and oversee the Austin-based grants team.

This is Texas 2036’s first dedicated institutional giving leadership position, offering significant latitude to shape institutional giving as a growing function within Texas 2036, with scope that expands alongside the organization’s philanthropic ambitions. 

What Success Looks Like

• Elevate Texas 2036’s position as a premier partner for leading national and Texas-based foundations.
• Secure multiple new six- and seven-figure institutional partnerships between FY27 and FY29.
• Develop and execute a disciplined multi-year institutional fundraising strategy and pipeline.
• Strengthen proposal development, stewardship, grants management, and fundraising systems.
• Build, coach, and inspire a high-performing institutional grants team.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategy: Build and lead the institutional giving strategy, including identifying and securing new national partnerships, within Texas 2036’s broader fundraising strategy, and contribute to long-range fundraising planning.
• Executive & Board Partnership: Personally lead solicitation on most institutional gifts, engaging the CEO, SVP of Development, or another senior leader as the closer on the largest or most complex asks where their relationship or seniority is the better fit.
• Portfolio Management: Oversee a portfolio of approximately 50–75 institutional prospects and donors, personally cultivating the 15–20 most strategic and highest-capacity relationships (including program officers and foundation trustees where appropriate), while coordinating cultivation of the broader portfolio in partnership with the Development team.
• Revenue Leadership: Carry measurable institutional revenue goals focused primarily on gifts of $500,000 and above, including new partnership acquisition.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely with policy, research, communications, and operations teams to translate organizational priorities into compelling funding opportunities.
• Team Leadership: Supervise the Grant Writer and Grants Coordinator while building organizational capacity as institutional philanthropy expands.
• Operational Excellence: Oversee proposal development, reporting, stewardship, CRM best practices, and grants management processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Approximately 10 or more years of experience with progressively expanding responsibility in institutional giving, foundation relations, major gifts fundraising, or grantmaking at a national or major nonprofit or philanthropic entity  (e.g., program officer or portfolio management roles).
• Demonstrated success cultivating and securing six- and seven-figure philanthropic investments, including initiating new relationships that have resulted in such gifts.
• Experience developing sophisticated multi-year cultivation strategies.
• Experience partnering effectively with CEOs, senior executives, and volunteer leaders.
• Experience supervising development professionals.
• Outstanding written, verbal, and strategic communication skills.
• Experience using CRM systems and moves management practices.
• Deep knowledge of the national foundation landscape, gained either as a fundraiser or from experience on the grantmaking side; familiarity with Texas philanthropy is a plus.
• Excellent project management skills and the ability to thrive in an entrepreneurial environment.
• Proficiency in common workplace applications such as GSuite applications (Google Drive/Docs/Sheets/etc.), Microsoft Office Suite, Slack, Zoom, Adobe, and monday.com. 
• Comfort with learning and responsibly leveraging artificial intelligence tools to improve efficiency and capabilities. Experience using AI tools in prior roles is a plus.
• Alignment with Texas 2036’s nonpartisan mission and the ability to respectfully engage, support, and collaborate in an intellectually diverse and creative work environment with colleagues and stakeholders of diverse personal and ideological backgrounds. This includes a commitment to constructive dialogue on controversial topics impacting our state.

Compensation and Benefits

Texas 2036 offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience with a target salary range for this position of $175,000–$200,000. Employees are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package, including health, vision, and dental insurance with employee premiums paid by Texas 2036, a cell phone stipend, and 401K matching program. Additionally, employees enjoy generous paid time-off and paid parental leave policies. Texas 2036 fosters a flexible and entrepreneurial work environment, emphasizing personal accountability, collaboration, and professional conduct.

Location

This hybrid role is based in Texas 2036’s Austin office near the state capitol and is expected to work in the office a minimum of three days a week on average. Travel throughout Texas and nationally, primarily for meetings with board members, advisors, funders, and colleagues, is expected up to 20% of the time.

To Apply

If you are interested in applying for this position, please email your resume and cover letter addressing your interest in the position and how your experience aligns with the position’s responsibilities and qualifications to jobs@texas2036.org.