Senior Manager/Manager, Grants & Foundations

Position Overview

The Senior Manager/Manager, Grants & Foundations leads the Gallery's engagement with local and international foundations, trusts, and grant-making institutions. This role oversees the full grants lifecycle from prospecting and proposal development to stewardship and impact reporting ensuring excellence in content, compliance, and relationship management.

Working closely with the Deputy Director, Institutional Partnerships & Campaign Strategy, and collaborating across the PD team, the incumbent serves as the Gallery's subject-matter expert on foundation philanthropy and institutional funding trends.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Grant Development

• Lead the development of compelling, high-quality grant proposals and concept papers that align with the Gallery's mission, programme priorities, and funder objectives.
• Identify and cultivate new local, regional, and international foundation prospects.
• Design and manage cultivation plans for key institutional funders, including multi-year partnerships.
• Develop strong internal relationships with curatorial, education, and programme leads to surface fundable opportunities.
• Contribute to the alignment of institutional proposals with the Capital Campaign's thematic pillars and long-term fundraising roadmap.

Foundation Relationship Management

• Serve as the primary relationship manager for the Gallery's portfolio of foundations and institutional partners.
• Ensure the timely delivery of grant requirements, stewardship reports, and acknowledgment processes.
• Work with senior leadership on strategic engagement opportunities, including site visits, briefings, and panel participation.
• Maintain an in-depth understanding of funders priorities, decision-making structures, and philanthropic trends.
• Represent the Gallery professionally in external engagements and at industry convenings.

Grant Administration, Reporting & Compliance

• Oversee internal coordination for grant submissions, ensuring that all documentation (budgets, impact metrics, outcomes) meets funder and Gallery standards.
• Work with the Finance and Programmes teams to track fund utilisation, reporting timelines, and deliverables.
• Ensure grant KPIs are realistic, measurable, and aligned with project outcomes.
• Oversee the preparation of quantitative and qualitative impact reports for funders and leadership review.
• Maintain accurate and complete records in the CRM and shared grant tracking systems.

Research, Insights & Strategy

• Monitor philanthropic developments in Singapore and Southeast Asia, identifying trends in arts, education, and social impact giving.
• Analyse competitive benchmarking to refine the Gallery's positioning with foundations.
• Support the Deputy Director in developing frameworks for institutional giving and campaign-related case materials.
• Contribute to divisional strategy discussions and cross-team donor segmentation initiatives
• Execute other ad hoc duties to further the goals of Partnership Development Department where appropriate.

Team Development & Collaboration

• Mentor and guide the Assistant Manager (Grants, Research & Campaign) and interns on proposal writing, research, and documentation standards.
• Collaborate closely with the Manager (Family Offices, UHNWIs & Campaign Strategy) on integrated cultivation opportunities.
• Support the Senior Executive (Admin & Procurement) in ensuring smooth operational processes for grants and events.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, learning, and high performance within the Institutional Partnerships team.

Measures of Success

• Annual institutional funding secured (value and diversity of grants)
• Renewal rate and satisfaction of existing foundation partners
• Quality, accuracy, and timeliness of proposals and reports
• Identification and cultivation of new institutional prospects
• Contribution to campaign readiness and cross-divisional collaboration
• Staff development and mentorship effectiveness

Job Requirements

• At least 8 to 10 years of experience in fundraising, philanthropy, or partnerships, with a strong focus on institutional grants or foundation relations.
• Demonstrated success in securing and managing multi-year or high-value grants.
• Excellent writing, proposal development, and analytical skills.
• Proven ability to engage senior stakeholders and funders with professionalism and insight.
• Strong project management skills and comfort working with financial data and performance metrics.
• Familiarity with the philanthropic ecosystem in Singapore and Southeast Asia; knowledge of the arts or social impact sectors is an advantage.
• Proficiency with CRM systems (e.g. Salesforce) and Excel-based reporting.
• Flexibility to work occasional evenings and weekends, if required.

Personal Attributes

• Strategic and relationship-driven professional with a collaborative mindset.
• Persuasive communicator with high attention to quality and detail.
• Analytical, proactive, and solutions-oriented.
• Comfortable working autonomously while managing multiple stakeholders.
• Committed to the arts and motivated by the Gallery's public mission.