Associate Director, Programmatic Fundraising (Washington)

Milken Institute

Washington, DC 20022

United States

Posted July 1, 2025

{CONTRACTOR,VOLUNTEER,INTERN}

Valid until July 31, 2025

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Job Description

About the Milken Institute

The Milken Institute is a globally minded, publicly supported, non-partisan, and nonprofit think tank headquartered in Santa Monica, with offices in Washington, DC, New York, London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. For the past three decades, the Milken Institute has served as a catalyst for practical, scalable solutions to global challenges by connecting human, financial, and educational resources to those who need them. Guided by a conviction that the best ideas, under-resourced, cannot succeed, we conduct research and analysis and convene top experts, innovators, and influencers from different backgrounds and competing viewpoints. We leverage this expertise and insight to construct programs and policy initiatives. These activities are designed to help people build meaningful lives, in which they can experience health and well-being, pursue effective education and gainful employment, and access the resources required to create ever-expanding opportunities for themselves and their broader communities.

The Milken Institute’s events and programmatic activities involve the exchange of ideas with leaders from around the world. The Institute hosts more than 200 events each year, with our annual flagship event, Global Conference, bringing together 4,500+ participants from around the world, featuring more than 900+ speakers throughout 200+ sessions over the course of the event.

About the Position

The Associate Director of Business & Program Development will report to the Director of Business Development and support the Programmatic Fundraising Team by enabling effective donor growth, cultivation, and stewardship. This position works closely with the Business & Program Development team and the Strategic Philanthropy Pillar colleagues to support revenue growth and expand the network, reach, resources, and social impact of ongoing work.

This individual will primarily be responsible for supporting the missions of the Institute’s Pillars by prospecting new funders/partners, drafting supporter proposals and communications, supporting strategy for donor and prospect engagement across the Institute’s platform of events, overseeing and informing project management for ongoing business development, as well as supporting the renewals of the Philanthropy Leadership Collective (PLC) memberships. The Associate Director will also help support partners aiming to launch new initiatives by collaborating with the Director and Strategic Philanthropy project teams to develop compelling proposals and lead the execution of bespoke, impact-driven partner deliverables across convenings.

This position will also inform and oversee revenue pipeline management, deliverable tracking, and project management for the Programmatic Fundraising Team. Individuals with a passion for biomedical science and social impact, along with experience in fundraising, relationship management, partnership and proposal development, and project management are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

With oversight from the Director of Business Development, the Associate Director will support the Strategic Philanthropy portfolio in collaboration with program leads across portfolios, including a primary focus on the Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) portfolio and related project management, proposal/deck development, and prospecting.
Identify and help design engagement for potential partners and supporters ranging from corporates, foundations, philanthropists, health systems, and other key stakeholders with the goal of developing tailored partnership strategies across programs and build collaborative work across the Institute.
Engage stakeholders and partners by working with Director of Business Development and portfolio leads to support partner engagement and project deliverables during flagship events and throughout the calendar year (includes oversight on portfolio-specific PLC member engagement at events like Global Conference, Future of Health Summit)
Prioritize collaboration with portfolio leads and communication leads to support continued communication with existing supporters throughout the year, as related to events and newly released work, as well as keeping prospects warm and aware of the team’s work
Develop and effectively articulate the value proposition for Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy-related events and program participation, including:
- Skillfully and professionally representing the Institute at external events and meetings including industry conferences, dinners, and roundtable discussions
- Crafting written and oral proposals
- Updating our internal relationship management tracker and Salesforce
- Updating resources that build awareness for all projects across the Institute
Collaborate across the Milken Institute’s departments and project teams to support and execute partner deliverables, business development goals, and philanthropy-related convenings
Duties as assigned

Qualifications

A proactive, highly organized, and enthusiastic development professional with a minimum of five (5) to eight (8) years of relevant experience in relationship-building, nonprofit development, grant writing and/or fundraising. Science-related background and science writing experience in the biomedical research ecosystem, a bonus.
Strong oral and written communication skills, with the ability to craft and execute effective outreach strategies tailored to various internal and external audiences
Proven ability to demonstrate strong business, negotiation, organizational project management, analytical decision-making, and leadership skills are required, with a specific focus on the management and coordination of major internal projects
Proficiency in CRM platforms (e.g. Salesforce) and donor management tools, Asana a plus
Proven skills in prospecting, relationship-building, and stakeholder engagement
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders internally and externally
Flexibility and motivation to take on new opportunities, expand the portfolio and willingness to adapt to changing situations
Understanding of stakeholders across the philanthropy and health ecosystem a bonus, especially on topics related to biomedical research and innovation
Willingness to provide on-site support at select events on nights or weekends, as appropriate, on occasion
Bachelor’s Degree required, Master’s Degree preferred
Technically savvy and proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and Salesforce

Working Conditions & Travel Requirements

This position will work in a professional office environment on a hybrid schedule consisting of three (3) days per week reporting in-person to the Washington, DC office location (Tuesday – Thursday), with the remaining two (2) days working remotely. Please understand, this schedule is subject to change at the Institute’s sole discretion.

This person will also be required to travel occasionally to other offices and/or venues to assist with events as needed, requiring occasional work outside of traditional hours. International along with domestic travel is possible. Additionally, this position requires interacting virtually on a regular basis with Milken Institute staff based in other locations in the United States and around the world.

Note

The statements herein are intended to describe the overall nature and level of work being performed by employees and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the employer.

We are interested in qualified candidates who are eligible to work in the United States. Please note, we are not sponsoring visas at this time, being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment.

Please submit resume and cover letter illustrating how your experience and skills will contribute to the department and any unique qualities you bring to the position. If applying via Indeed, please upload your resume and any supporting documentation as one attachment. Any application that does not include both a resume and cover letter will be rejected . If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact our Human Resources department to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Our Culture

The Milken Institute is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or status as a veteran.

Every person at the Milken Institute is treated with respect, supported with resources and training, and exposed to a broad range of experiences. We foster a space for growth with opportunities to share knowledge and passion with both clients and colleagues. We are committed to building a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. Our leadership is actively involved in our commitment to diversity and inclusion, and fostering a culture that creates opportunities for everyone.

Benefits