Philanthropic Partnerships Strategy Consultant – Fundraising & Strategic Partnerships | Freelance | Institutional Fundraising Experience

**Location:** United States (Remote) **Duration:** Through Q1 2027 **Hours:** Project-based **Overview** We are seeking an experienced freelance fundraising and partnerships strategist to support public-facing prize competitions and open innovation challenges. This short-term, project-based engagement focuses on building the groundwork to co-fund future challenges with philanthropic, corporate, and institutional partners. You will design the strategy and pipeline that shifts partner outreach from cold solicitation to targeted, relationship-driven engagement. **Key Responsibilities** * Design a Philanthropic Engagement Strategy & Roadmap with a targeted approach for securing co-resourcing partners, including an assessment of current partner relationships and a blueprint for moving from cold outreach to value-driven engagement * Develop an Ecosystem Matrix & Target Prospect Pipeline with prioritized industry conferences, executive forums, and professional networks, plus a researched, actionable list of philanthropic and non-philanthropic prospects aligned to innovation goals * Conduct current partner assessment by mapping and documenting the philanthropic organizations, consortia, and partners already engaging with the client * Perform ecosystem mapping to identify conferences, high-level meetings, working groups, and professional listservs where target funders actively participate * Build an alternative funding pipeline by scouting non-philanthropic partners — corporate, institutional, and venture-backed — with the capital and strategic alignment to co-fund collaborative competitions **Required Qualifications** * Demonstrated track record in institutional fundraising: corporate and philanthropic engagement strategy, donor pipeline design, and funder ecosystem mapping * Strong donor prospecting and strategic intelligence skills, including the ability to diagnose funder motivations and translate complex technical or innovation goals into tailored value propositions * Experience navigating diverse funding streams — traditional foundations, corporate social responsibility programs, industry consortia, and non-philanthropic capital partners * Skill in identifying high-value affinity spaces (specialized conferences, executive forums, professional networks) that enable warm, relationship-based outreach * Excellent written and verbal communication **Preferred Qualifications** * Working knowledge of public-private partnership mechanisms used to structure co-funded prizes and open innovation challenges, including federal authorities such as the COMPETES Act * Prior experience in science, technology, aerospace, or research-driven philanthropy **Work Location & Requirements** * U.S. citizen or U.S. resident * Must perform all work while physically located in the United States * Must be able to pass a background check and complete client onboarding and required training * Available for a project-based engagement running through Q1 2027 * Fully remote (U.S. only) * Independent contractor, short-term contract **To Apply** Submit your resume along with: * A brief note on a funder ecosystem map, prospect pipeline, or engagement strategy you personally built (a redacted work sample is strongly preferred) * Confirmation that you are a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident and will perform all work from within the United States * Confirmation that you are able to pass a background check