Head of Philanthropy and Private Funding

CALSTART is seeking a Head of Philanthropy and Private Funding that is a strategic and collaborative leader to manage and grow the organization’s existing and future philanthropic relations.  The organization is seeking to  expand and diversify our pool of private (non-government) revenue. Achieving our mission requires growth in our impact, deeper partnerships, and a philanthropic strategy that matches the scale of our ambition. 

To lead this effort, we are looking for a Head of Philanthropy and Private Funding who is highly experienced, motivated, and results-oriented.  The Head of Philanthropy and Private Funding, reporting directly to the CEO, will design and execute CALSTART’s private fundraising strategy, cultivating high-impact relationships with current and new foundations, donor-advised funds (DAFs), high net-worth individuals, corporate philanthropy, and the general public. This leader will coordinate all activities related to the lifecycle of private grants and fundraising including funder research, identification, arrangement of meetings, lead cultivation, proposal development, grant management, deliverables, and reporting. This leader will be tasked with maintaining strong relationships with the broad set of funders that CALSTART currently works with, ensuring that we are delivering on existing grants and well positioned for both renewals and growth. 

The ideal candidate will be a well-connected individual within the clean transportation and sustainability community with a passion for our mission and a track record of driving results, ideally in a nonprofit environment. They will have demonstrated success in building strong donor pipelines, growing relationships, and working collaboratively to develop a compelling vision that funders will want to support.  They will demonstrate strong writing skills, organization, follow-through, tracking and delivering on deadlines, and the ability to lead a professional support team. They will also embrace creative approaches to leveraging CALSTART’s unique perspectives as an industry builder and implementation expert, as well as its industry and stakeholder network.  

They will partner very closely with the Head of Policy and the Sr. Director for Global Drive to Zero, which are funded primarily through Philanthropic sources. 

• Develop, drive, and adapt an annual and multi-year private fundraising strategy aligned with organization goals. 

• Set annual private revenue targets in partnership with the CEO. 

• Develop compelling, comprehensive proposals that build on CALSTART’s strengths and seek funding support with the philanthropic community and with other private funders. 

• Build a diversified portfolio of philanthropic revenue across foundations, DAFs, major donors, and corporate philanthropy. 

• Manage a comprehensive fundraising pipeline and generate data-driven forecasting and reporting. 

• Support the CEO and senior leaders in representing CALSTART to the philanthropic community. 

• Work closely with CALSTART’s Policy team, the Global Drive to Zero team, Initiatives and Regional Offices  to shape fundable concepts and articulate compelling cases for support. 

• Foster a culture of philanthropy across the organization, ensuring program leaders understand and contribute to fundraising success. 

• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications to develop clear, compelling philanthropic messaging and donor-facing materials. 

• Partner with the Executive Team to cross-functionally create annual revenue generation plans that include existing awards and potential renewals, aiming to increase and expand into new streams of funding. 

• Partner with peer NGOs to develop larger-scale campaigns for impact.  

• Lead, mentor, and develop a small team of grant specialists focused on the pursuit, preparation, and renewal of philanthropic grants.