How to apply for Officer, Foundation Relations

About Hispanic Access Foundation

Hispanic Access Foundation is a national nonprofit founded in 2010 that connects Latinos with partners and opportunities to improve their lives and build an equitable society. It works through a Theory of Change focused on leadership pathways, systems and policy influence, and narrative change. The organization is fully remote with headquarters in Washington, D.C., and staff across the country.

About the role

The Foundation Relations Officer leads cultivation, growth, and stewardship of institutional foundation partnerships. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the role is externally focused and relationship-centered: building trust with institutional donors, converting outreach into meetings, advancing prospects through the donor journey, and deepening multi-year partnerships. The officer translates program strategy and outcomes into investment opportunities and works closely with program leaders, finance, communications, and executive leadership.

A typical day

A typical day may include outreach to foundation program officers, preparing or reviewing a proposal with program and finance staff, and updating the Chief Development Officer on prospect movement. It may also involve stewardship calls or emails with current foundation partners and coordination with communications on funder-facing materials. Because the organization is fully remote, much of this work happens through video calls, email, and shared tracking systems.

Who Hispanic Access Foundation is looking for

• Has direct experience in foundation relations or institutional fundraising, including cultivating and stewarding foundation partnerships rather than only individual giving or events.
• Can convert outreach into meetings and move prospects through a donor journey, with a track record of securing or deepening multi-year institutional grants.
• Is comfortable translating program strategy and outcomes into compelling investment cases for foundation audiences.
• Works well in a fully remote, national nonprofit setting and collaborates across program, finance, communications, and executive teams.

Tips for this application

• In your materials, name specific foundation relations activities you have led: prospecting, outreach, meetings secured, proposals submitted, and multi-year partnerships deepened. Quantify where possible.
• Show that you understand Hispanic Access Foundation's Theory of Change and can connect foundation investments to its three areas: leadership pathways, systems and policy influence, and narrative change.
• Address remote work directly. Explain how you have built and maintained donor relationships across time zones and without in-person contact.
• Reference the reporting line to the Chief Development Officer and show you can work with executive leadership, program staff, finance, and communications on proposals and stewardship.
• Avoid generic nonprofit fundraising language. Use the job's own terms: institutional foundation partnerships, donor journey, cultivation, stewardship, multi-year partnerships, investment opportunities.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your foundation relations track record: specific foundations engaged, meetings converted from outreach, and multi-year partnerships grown or secured.', 'How you translate program strategy and outcomes into foundation investment cases, with an example.', 'Your ability to work cross-functionally with program, finance, communications, and executive leadership in a remote setting.', "Why Hispanic Access Foundation's Theory of Change and its focus on Latino leadership, systems and policy, and narrative shift fit your experience and approach."]

Research before applying

• Read Hispanic Access Foundation's Theory of Change and identify how its three areas (leadership pathways, systems and policy influence, narrative change) could be framed for foundation funders.
• Review the organization's current programs and any published funders or partners to understand its existing foundation relationships and where growth might be needed.
• Look at the backgrounds of the Chief Development Officer and executive leadership to understand how foundation relations fits into the development team.
• Check Hispanic Access Foundation's recent public work, reports, or campaigns to find concrete outcomes you can reference in your application.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you would build a foundation prospect pipeline for Hispanic Access Foundation and convert outreach into first meetings.
• A time you advanced a foundation prospect through the donor journey and deepened a multi-year partnership. What did you do and what was the result?
• How you translate program strategy and outcomes into a foundation proposal or investment case, especially for Latino-focused leadership, policy, and narrative work.
• How you coordinate with program leaders, finance, communications, and executive leadership on proposals, reporting, and stewardship.
• How you manage foundation relationships and deadlines in a fully remote, national organization.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating this as a general fundraising role. The position is specifically foundation relations and institutional partnerships, not individual giving, events, or corporate sponsorships.
• Ignoring the remote structure. Candidates who do not show they can build donor trust and advance prospects without in-person meetings will be less convincing.
• Using vague claims about relationships without specifics. The role requires converting outreach into meetings and advancing prospects, so examples should show concrete steps and results.