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.