About Us

The Sunrise Project is a global network of independent organizations united by a common mission: scaling social movements to drive the global transition beyond fossil fuels. We've developed a unique model that combines strategic grant-making with campaigning, supporting interconnected organizations to create powerful change aligned with our mission.

Sunrise Inc. is a proud member of The Sunrise Project network. Our organizational culture is dynamic and adaptable. We're committed to supporting our team members to thrive as we tackle the urgent challenge of climate change. We believe that a diversity of experiences and perspectives strengthens our strategies, teams, and movements.

Sunrise Inc. takes the broadest possible view of diversity and encourages First Nations people, people of colour, people living outside of cities, people living with disabilities, neurodiverse, and LGBTQIA+ people to apply. We are continually working on becoming a better workplace for everyone.  Find out more here.

About the role

** This position is a parental leave cover but has the possibility to be extended based on performance and organization needs.

The Senior Manager of Philanthropic Partnerships plays a critical leadership role in advancing The Sunrise Project’s donor organizing strategy. This role is responsible for cultivating and managing a global portfolio of high-level philanthropic relationships with a “delight and inspire” approach that ensures our partners feel valued, energized, and aligned with our mission. The Senior Manager drives strategic fundraising efforts, coordinates internal teams to craft and communicate compelling cases for support, and ensures alignment with The Sunrise Project’s mission, values, and funding priorities.

Working closely with program directors and the executive team, the Senior Manager builds internal capacity for fundraising and strategic engagement while ensuring funders are not just informed, but inspired to champion our work within broader philanthropic networks. The role focuses on increasing the diversity of our funding base to promote long-term stability, independence, and flexibility; deepening Sunrise’s identity as a trusted, strategic, and high-impact climate leader; and mobilizing greater resources for justice-centered climate strategies and a more ambitious flow of philanthropic support to accelerate a global transition to clean energy. We don’t just meet partner needs—we anticipate them, creating collaborative experiences that drive greater investment in the  movement toward justice-based clean energy solutions and ensure we retain 100% of funders who align with our values.

About you

You’re a skilled foundation fundraiser with a hunger to solve the climate crisis. With a high-level understanding of climate issues and the urgency, you are keen to roll up your sleeves and do the strategizing and work to generate revenue. You’ve got a track record of closing seven and eight-figure gifts from foundations. 

You're generous and caring, and engage with authenticity. You can hold complexity with clarity, galvanize others around a shared vision, and bring rigor, heart, and adaptability to collaborative work. You’ve got excellent people skills and enjoy creating and building funder relationships. You’re comfortable being at the table with funders and are just as committed to supporting executive leadership in their funder meetings. You enjoy learning what motivates philanthropic giving and creating strategies to attract new funders and love using your excellent writing skills and meticulous attention to detail to create polished funding proposals. You are deadline-oriented and recognize the importance of getting funder reports and proposals in on time.  

About the team

The Philanthropic Partnerships Team at The Sunrise Project is the dynamic engine behind mobilizing financial resources to power strategic interventions across the global climate justice movement. As a relatively new and rapidly evolving team, we act as the “connective tissue” between The Sunrise Project network of entities and our philanthropic partners—ensuring that our partners are inspired, valued, and deeply engaged collaborators. With a focus on high-impact stewardship, creative collaboration, and strategic storytelling, our goal is to build a resilient and diverse funding base to accelerate clean energy transition. This is an exciting moment to join a growing team at a  global philanthropy working at the intersection of justice, climate, and clean energy.  

Our team is composed of self-starters who thrive in fast-paced, high-volume environments with many competing priorities across multiple teams and time zones. Successful candidates will be relationship-driven strategists who thrive on building clarity and momentum in complex, fast-moving environments. If you’re someone who can transform a vision into a compelling case for support, navigate power with humility, and bring structure, insight, and inspiration to collaborative work with funders and teams alike—you’ll feel right at home here.

Key responsibilities

Strategic Fundraising & Portfolio Management

• Lead fundraising strategy development across assigned program areas (e.g., Transport/Industry, Europe Finance, Asia Regional, US Policy).

• Manage a global portfolio of high-level foundation funders, with accountability for relationship stewardship, forecasting, and performance metrics.

• Develop strategic approaches to engage and close new and renewed gifts, ensuring alignment with organizational OKRs and program priorities.

• Create and maintain detailed funder engagement plans that guide relationship management and stewardship across the full portfolio and pipeline.

• Partner with Program Directors to identify new funding opportunities and ensure programs are fundraising-ready

• Act as central coordinator for funder relationships across internal teams, ensuring Air Traffic Control for engagement cadence.

• Support the Executive Team and Program Directors in funder engagement via strategy briefings, meeting preparation, and coordinated follow-up.

• Represent The Sunrise Project in funder and network meetings as needed.

Proposal Development & Grant Oversight

• Lead development and quality control of grant proposals, budgets, narratives, and supplementary materials in collaboration with Program and Communications teams.

• Ensure compliance with funder requirements and content alignment with organizational messaging.

• Provide mentorship and strategic coaching to teams writing narrative or financial content.

• Offer capacity for editing, proofreading, negotiation support, and submission preparation.

• Partner with Finance to ensure accurate revenue forecasting, tranche scheduling, and reporting.

• Partner closely with our Foundation Coordinator on grant deliverables, deadline tracking, and submission logistics.

• Oversee revenue forecasting and management for assigned portfolio

• Track and analyze fundraising performance metrics

Risk Management & Intelligence

• Identify and assess relationship- and program-level fundraising risks across the assigned portfolio.

• Maintain an up-to-date risk register and implement mitigation strategies for high-value relationships.

• Ensure compliance with funder requirements and organizational policies.

• Escalate key issues and funder feedback to the Director of Philanthropic Partnerships and Executive Team as needed.

• Contribute fundraising intelligence and risk-related insights to inform organizational strategy and program design

• Curate and manage incoming intelligence via Slack, Signal, email, and meetings to ensure timely action and messaging alignment.

• Work with the Content Strategist to inform and evolve key narratives from across program areas.

• Keep the Partnerships Team and other stakeholders informed about content changes and shifts in organizational messaging as relevant.

Organizational Contribution

• Actively contribute to a team culture grounded in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

• Align personal objectives and decision-making with The Sunrise Project’s mission, values, and organizational goals (OKRs).

Required skills, knowledge and experience

• 7 to 10 years of fundraising experience in a similar or related role, including unpaid, grassroots, or lived experience; proven track record of closing 7-and 8-figure gifts;

• Exceptional communication skills across written, verbal, and in-person formats, with a proven ability to engage funders, deliver persuasive presentations, and build trust. 

• Skilled at synthesizing complex strategic and programmatic information into clear, compelling proposals, reports, and narratives that inspire action.

• Strong financial literacy, with experience developing and reviewing proposal and reporting budgets

• Demonstrated expertise in strategic relationship management and philanthropic fundraising

• Skilled in navigating cross-cultural settings with empathy, adaptability, and strong interpersonal communication

• Collaborative leadership style with a track record of coordinating across executive, program, and operational teams

• Strong relationship-building and networking capabilities, with the ability to cultivate trust and alignment over time

• Highly organized and responsive; comfortable managing multiple priorities

• Commitment to social and environmental justice, equity, and systemic change

Desirable

• A high-level understanding of climate issues. 

Job requirements 

• You must have full working rights for the country in which you are employed.  The Sunrise Project Inc is unable to sponsor applicants for employment visas.

• Employment background checks are required.

• Attend funder meetings, as needed. 

• Intermittent travel, both domestically and internationally, may be required with advanced notice, particularly in rural areas.

• Flexibility to adjust work hours to accommodate multiple time zones

How Sunrise supports its staff:

The Sunrise Project Inc. (Sunrise Inc.) is committed to creating a workplace that supports our staff to do their best work and develop professionally. We have the following in place to help us achieve that, noting pro rata will apply for part time staff and/or temporarily appointed-fixed term staff:

• 401(k) & employer match

• 100% employer paid health, vision and dental coverage

• Five weeks of vacation leave

• Paid Parental Leave that is gender-neutral & inclusive of all types of families, incl. Parental Return To Work & Keeping In Touch Program

• Life Leave (up to 40 days p.a. for significant personal reasons)

• Flexible Working Policy

• Floating public holidays (cultural leave)

• Employee Assistance Program

• VIDA - An AI tool to support your health and wellbeing.

• Generous allowances for:

  • Workspace Benefits incl: Macbook, initial $2,000 for home workspace and IT equipment + $800 every 2 years + up to $75/mth phone/data/internet.

  • Shared office support

• Regular all-org and team meetings & retreats

• Learning & Development Program incl. a professional development budget for you

• Coaching & manager support with regular 1:1 meetings

• Annual performance & development reviews with 360 feedback

• A co-developed work plan to ensure clarity on your role & key responsibilities

• We provide our staff with a voice on issues that concern them via consultation, eg JEDI caucuses, working groups, slack channels, surveys and meetings.

How to apply

We recognize that racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, classism and other forms of discrimination creates structural barriers that impact opportunities to formal education and experience. When assessing candidates we look at more than the jobs you've been paid to do but the range of ways you've picked up skills and knowledge throughout your life. This is why we assess candidates on how well they respond to application questions and don’t require a cover letter. You’ll be taken to Be Applied to complete your application.