Who We Are
Outward Bound USA (OBUSA) is a national nonprofit educational organization with a mission to spark lifelong growth through challenge—outside. For more than 60 years, we have worked to expand access to transformative learning experiences for young people across the country. Our work is guided by a bold vision: generations of youth empowered to realize their potential—rising with courage, leading with compassion, and building more connected, resilient communities.
OBUSA serves as the national organization for Outward Bound in the United States. We charter and empower the network of OB schools, steward the Outward Bound brand and trademark, and set national standards for safety and risk management. Through scholarship fundraising and national initiatives, we work to remove barriers to participation and strengthen the Outward Bound system's overall impact.
Position Impact
Guided by our Vision for Impact 2030, OBUSA advances this work through targeted initiatives designed to:
- Create new and expanded capacity within network Schools by positioning Outward Bound as a valued educational partner to families, schools, and community-based organizations
- Accelerate access to outdoor and experiential learning for historically underserved communities
- Strengthen a leading-edge research and development engine to continuously improve program quality and outcomes.
- Cultivate a workplace that attracts, develops, and retains exceptional outdoor educators and mission-driven professionals across the system
Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Institutional Giving Director is a revenue-generating role responsible for owning a full-cycle institutional pipeline, from outbound prospecting and qualification through cultivation, solicitation, and renewal - and for closing foundation and corporate partnerships that advance Outward Bound USA’s national priorities. The Director is accountable for achieving an annual base revenue goal of $1M and will build, execute, and continuously refine funder strategies across a portfolio of prospects and partners. Success in this role is defined by disciplined prospecting, strong relationship management, and consistent progress toward revenue goals.
Our Culture
At Outward Bound USA, our work is grounded in trust, courage, accountability, and service. We foster openness and inclusion, communicate honestly, and value the perspectives each person brings. We embrace challenge, take thoughtful risks, and learn from both success and failure. We hold ourselves responsible for our commitments and show up in service to one another and to the OB network Schools we exist to support.
We believe in being crew, not passengers. Everyone contributes, every voice matters, and we move forward together.
Key Responsibilities and Functions
Portfolio Management & Fundraising
- Manage a portfolio of foundation and corporate prospects and funders, balancing stewardship of current partners with active pipeline growth.
- Lead cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities—including outreach, meetings, presentations, site visits, and follow-up—to advance relationships and secure commitments.
- Move prospects through the full fundraising lifecycle: qualification, strategy, cultivation, solicitation, close, and renewal.
- Close gifts and secure commitments that advance Outward Bound USA priorities, with a focus on revenue generation and multi-year relationships.
- Maintain an accurate grants calendar and relationship records (e.g., in Salesforce) to ensure timely, high-quality deliverables and strong funder experience.
New Prospecting
- Identify and qualify new foundation and corporate funders that align with OBUSA programs, growth strategy, and campaign priorities.
- Build and maintain a strong pipeline of prospects through research, referrals, and collaboration with the CDO, CEO, and network schools.
- Conduct proactive outreach to initiate relationships and secure discovery conversations.
- Convert qualified prospects into active funders through clear next steps, tailored asks, and disciplined follow-up.
Proposal Development and Strategic Writing
- Research and prepare high-quality proposals, letters of inquiry, reports, and stewardship materials.
- Translate program data, outcomes, and stories into persuasive written materials that demonstrate impact.
- Collaborate with program and finance staff to develop accurate budgets, narratives, and measurable outcomes.
- Support the development of new funding initiatives and multi-year proposals, including national campaigns.
- Develop compelling proposals, letters of inquiry (LOIs), pitch materials, and funder reports that clearly articulate program strategy, outcomes, and return on mission.
- Collaborate with program, finance, and leadership partners to shape funding strategy, positioning, budgets, and metrics that strengthen competitiveness.
- Ensure submissions are strategic, responsive, and aligned with funder priorities and OBUSA campaign goals, with strong editing, compliance, and quality control.
- Translate data and stories into clear, persuasive narratives that support renewals, upgrades, and multi-year commitments.
Competencies
- Revenue & Goal Orientation: You set clear targets, manage to metrics, and consistently deliver toward an annual revenue goal (including monthly/quarterly pacing).
- Prospecting Discipline: You enjoy identifying, qualifying, and prioritizing new institutional prospects; you build a pipeline through proactive outreach and follow-through.
- Closing & Influence: You can ask confidently, navigate objections, and secure commitments while maintaining strong, long-term relationships.
- Strategic Portfolio Management: You balance stewardship and growth across a portfolio, advancing prospects through a defined lifecycle and next-step plans.
- Strategic Writing & Storytelling: You translate program strategy, outcomes, and budgets into compelling proposals, LOIs, and reports that are funder-ready and persuasive.
- CRM & Data Fluency: You keep relationship records current, use CRM and reporting to manage pipeline, and maintain a grants calendar with high accuracy.
- Stakeholder Leadership: You engage and align internal partners (program, finance, leadership) to build strong strategies, timely inputs, and unified funder messaging.
- External Presence: You represent OBUSA confidently with funders and partners, facilitating meetings, site visits, and presentations that build credibility and momentum.
- Cultural Competence & Inclusion: You recognize and appreciate cultural differences and commonalities and build relationships grounded in respect and belonging.
- Integrity & Trust: You exemplify the highest standards of integrity, confidentiality, and follow-through with funders and internal partners.
- Collaboration: You work cooperatively with others across the organization to achieve shared goals. Balances personal objectives with team success, shares information openly, and actively supports others to drive collective outcomes.
- Communication: You can communicate with impact in all situations.
- Conflict management: You can independently manage and resolve conflict, even in high-stakes situations.
- Self-Management & Prioritization: You manage multiple deadlines simultaneously, anticipate roadblocks, and execute reliably in a fast-moving, goal-driven environment.
Work Experience
- Proven success securing six- and seven-figure gifts from foundations and corporations (or a demonstrable track record closing comparable, complex institutional funding).
- 5+ years of experience in grant writing, institutional fundraising, and/or nonprofit development, with clear accountability for revenue results.
- Intermediate skill in Salesforce (or a similar CRM), including maintaining clean pipeline data, relationship notes, and activity tracking.
- Experience developing proposal budgets and working with finance/program partners on financial reporting and grant deliverables.
- Familiarity with outdoor education, youth development, or experiential learning fields is a plus.
Location and Physical Requirements
- Permanent work authorization in the United States is required to apply for this position.
- This is a remote position. We welcome applications from AZ, CO, CT, FL, IA, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MN, NM, NY, OR, VT, and WA.
- Up to 5% of work time may be spent traveling. Occasional in-person attendance at meetings and collaboration sessions may be required
- Ability to work at a desk and on a computer for most of the day. Repetitive motions, such as typing on a keyboard, are part of daily tasks. Strong visual acuity is essential for reading and analyzing data on a computer screen.
Compensation & Benefits
- This is a full-time, remote, exempt position with an annual salary range of $95,000-$110,000
- New hires typically fall within the lower third of the range, based on experience and internal equity.
- OBUSA offers a competitive benefits package, including health/dental/vision insurance, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, plus a retirement plan with an employer match.
- OBUSA offers 15 days of PTO per year, plus 10 federal holidays and paid time off for the last week of the year.
- In the interest of transparency and pay equity across our team, a candidate with the minimum experience can expect to be offered in the lower third of the range.
Application Process
- Review of resumes and cover letters will begin immediately, with an anticipated closing date of May 31, 2026
- Cover letters may be addressed to Julia Farmer, Chief Development Officer
Outward Bound USA (OBUSA) is an equal opportunity employer and works to include diversity among its staff. OBUSA values the inclusion and collaboration among employees of diverse backgrounds and experiences. OBUSA prohibits discrimination against, and harassment of, any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, gender, pregnancy, genetic information, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, military or veteran status, qualified individuals with a disability on the basis of the disability, or any other category which may be protected under applicable state or federal law. Outward Bound USA also promotes respect for all people, and will not tolerate harassment based on any of these characteristics nor on differences based on gender identity or expression.
