About Ascendus  

Ascendus is a nonprofit small business lender working to create economic opportunity by providing entrepreneurs with access to the capital and the business support they need to develop and grow healthy enterprises and contribute to thriving local economies. As an accredited CDFI, since 1991, Ascendus has provided almost $600 million to over 70,000 small business owners across the country. For more information, visit www.ascendus.org. 

About the Opportunity

Ascendus is seeking a Senior Development Officer, Institutional Giving to help grow the institutional partnerships and funding that fuel our mission.

Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Senior Development Officer will manage a portfolio of institutional funders and prospects, developing strong relationships and compelling funding opportunities that expand Ascendus' ability to support entrepreneurs and small businesses.

This is an opportunity for an experienced institutional fundraising professional who is ready to take greater ownership of a significant portfolio, deepen relationships with funders, and contribute to fundraising strategy alongside senior leaders. You'll work closely with the Chief Development Officer, CEO, and members of the Leadership Team, as well as colleagues across Development and Communications.

The ideal candidate is a strong relationship builder and writer who can move comfortably between strategy and execution—cultivating funders, developing persuasive proposals, managing deadlines, and identifying opportunities to grow institutional support.

What You'll Do  

Manage and Grow Institutional Partnerships

  • Manage a portfolio of approximately 40 institutional funders and prospects, with responsibility for securing approximately $1.5 million annually through renewals, expanded partnerships, and new funding opportunities.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with institutional funders throughout the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship lifecycle.
  • Develop thoughtful engagement strategies that strengthen existing partnerships and create opportunities for increased support.
  • Partner with the Chief Development Officer, CEO, and other senior leaders on cultivation and stewardship strategies for high-priority institutional relationships, including funders with seven-figure giving potential.

Develop Compelling Funding Opportunities

  • Draft high-quality grant proposals, letters of inquiry, reports, and other funder communications that clearly communicate Ascendus' mission, impact, and funding priorities.
  • Manage multiple proposal and reporting deadlines while ensuring submissions are accurate, persuasive, and responsive to funder requirements.
  • Collaborate with colleagues across Ascendus to gather program, impact, financial, and organizational information needed for proposals and reports.

Build the Funding Pipeline

  • Research and identify new foundation, corporate, and other institutional funding prospects aligned with Ascendus' mission and strategic priorities.
  • Cultivate new relationships and help move prospects from initial identification through solicitation.
  • Contribute to a strong pipeline of new institutional funding opportunities and identify opportunities to expand existing partnerships.
  • Track portfolio activity and use fundraising data to inform priorities, relationship strategies, and next steps.

You'd Be a Great Fit If:

  • You have 3+ years of institutional fundraising, grant development, or related experience, with demonstrated success securing or renewing institutional funding.
  • You are an excellent writer who can translate complex programs and ideas into clear, compelling funding proposals.
  • You have experience building and managing relationships with foundations, corporations, or other institutional funders.
  • You're comfortable owning a portfolio, managing multiple priorities, and moving opportunities forward with limited oversight.
  • You're both strategic and action-oriented—you enjoy thinking about how to grow a relationship as much as you enjoy executing the next step.
  • You are highly organized and attentive to detail, particularly when managing deadlines, data, budgets, and funder requirements.
  • You enjoy collaborating across teams and are comfortable working with senior leaders and external partners.
  • You're eager to learn about CDFIs, small business lending, and the role access to capital can play in strengthening entrepreneurs and communities.
  • Most importantly, you are excited about connecting people, ideas, and resources to create meaningful impact.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $70,000–$85,000, based on experience and qualifications.

Ascendus offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

  • Comprehensive health benefits with generous employer contributions toward medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and their families.
  • Eligibility for 401(k) participation after 30 days of employment, with an employer match of up to 3% of annual salary.
  • Flexible time off.
  • Monthly mobile phone stipend of $30.

Join Ascendus

At Ascendus, fundraising is directly connected to impact. The partnerships you cultivate and the resources you help secure expand our ability to provide entrepreneurs with the capital and support they need to build businesses, create opportunities, and strengthen their communities.

If you're an institutional fundraising professional ready to take greater ownership of your portfolio while contributing to a mission-driven organization, we'd love to hear from you.