Senior Director of Partnerships & External Affairs (Volunteer)

Mentor A Promise is a New York City–based nonprofit serving children and youth (ages 5–18) experiencing housing instability, grounded in the belief that every child is a Promise—full of potential, dignity, and possibility. We deliver consistent, high-quality programming across mentorship, literacy, social-emotional learning, and creative expression in shelters, schools, and community spaces, creating structured environments where students can grow, be seen, and build lasting skills. Through signature experiences like The Imagination Studio, The Kitchen Table, The Sound Lab, and The Story Space, we nurture academic development, emotional well-being, and creative voice, all within a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and accessibility-centered framework. Our work prioritizes dignity-protective storytelling, consent-driven engagement, and deep community partnership, ensuring that how we serve is as intentional as whom we serve. We are not only addressing immediate needs - we are building pathways to confidence, belonging, and long-term opportunity, so every child has the support and foundation to carry their promise forward. , Senior Director of Partnerships & External Affairs (Volunteer) PromiseBridge | Strategic Partnerships, External Relations & Opportunity Development Organization Mentor A Promise (MAP) Division PromiseBridge Location Fully Remote — United States Type Volunteer Senior Leadership Role Commitment Approximately 5–10 hours per week Minimum Commitment 6-month Commitment Required Reports To Chief of Partnerships & External Affairs Works Closely With CEO, PromiseBridge leadership and team members, PromisePrograms, PromiseRise, PromiseGiving, PromisePublic, PromiseVoice, and other MAP divisions About Mentor A Promise Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City–based nonprofit supporting children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability through mentorship, education, literacy, social-emotional learning, creative expression, career development, advocacy, and community-centered opportunity. Our work depends not only on what MAP can build internally, but also on our ability to bring organizations, institutions, professionals, and communities together around meaningful opportunities for young people and families. About PromiseBridge PromiseBridge is MAP's partnerships and external affairs division. The division builds relationships that expand MAP's reach, resources, expertise, credibility, and opportunities for the children, youth, and families we serve. PromiseBridge develops relationships across Corporations and businessesColleges and universitiesSchools and educational institutionsNonprofits and community-based organizationsFoundations and philanthropic institutionsGovernment and public agenciesProfessional associationsCultural institutionsHealthcare organizationsWorkforce and career-development organizationsTechnology companiesMedia and creative organizationsCommunity leadersProfessional networks The purpose is not to accumulate partnerships. It is to build the right relationships—and turn those relationships into meaningful outcomes. Role Overview MAP is seeking a Senior Director of Partnerships & External Affairs to serve as the senior operational leader supporting the growth and execution of PromiseBridge. Reporting directly to the Chief of Partnerships & External Affairs, the Senior Director will help translate MAP's external-relations strategy into a disciplined partnership pipeline, strong institutional relationships, cross-divisional opportunities, and measurable results. This person will help lead the day-to-day work of PromiseBridge, coordinate partnership development across MAP, support and develop team members, cultivate high-value relationships, and ensure opportunities move from conversation to commitment to implementation. The Chief establishes the division's strategic direction and executive-level external priorities. The Senior Director makes sure the partnership organization can execute them. Key Responsibilities Partnership Strategy & Execution Translate PromiseBridge strategy into actionable priorities, work plans, and partnership initiatives.Help identify organizations and institutions aligned with MAP's mission and strategic priorities.Develop targeted partnership strategies rather than relying solely on broad outreach.Maintain visibility into active prospects, conversations, proposals, commitments, and next steps.Identify gaps in MAP's external network and develop strategies to address them.Help prioritize relationships based on potential mission value, feasibility, organizational capacity, and long-term alignment.Ensure partnership development remains connected to MAP's actual needs and priorities. Partnership Development Cultivate relationships with organizations that can contribute ExpertiseVolunteersMentorsCareer professionalsInternship opportunitiesEducational programmingTechnologyCreative collaborationProfessional servicesIn-kind resourcesSpaceCommunity connectionsResearch collaborationsInstitutional credibilityFunding opportunitiesOther mission-aligned resources Develop relationships through thoughtful outreach, virtual meetings, presentations, introductions, proposals, and ongoing stewardship. External Affairs Help strengthen MAP's relationships with external stakeholders and institutions. Responsibilities may include Representing MAP in external meetingsDeveloping institutional relationshipsCoordinating introductionsSupporting executive outreachPreparing partnership briefingsIdentifying strategic convenings and networksSupporting relationships with civic and community stakeholdersCoordinating external opportunities across divisionsHelping leadership understand emerging external opportunities and risks The Senior Director should be able to represent MAP with credibility while knowing when a conversation requires the Chief, CEO, or another organizational leader. Partnership Pipeline Management Build a disciplined process for moving relationships through stages such as Research → Qualification → Outreach → Conversation → Opportunity Design → Internal Review → Commitment → Activation → Stewardship → Renewal Maintain appropriate systems for tracking Prospective partnersRelationship ownersContact historyOpportunitiesNext stepsCommitmentsDeadlinesDeliverablesInternal stakeholdersPartnership statusRenewal opportunities A promising conversation is not yet a partnership. The Senior Director helps ensure good conversations become clear commitments and clear commitments become action. Opportunity Development Work across MAP to understand what each division needs and where external relationships can create value. Examples may include Career professionals for PromiseRiseEmployers for internships and experiential learningUniversities for research or student engagementCorporate volunteer programsProfessional expertiseCreative collaborationsEducational partnersTechnology partnershipsCommunity referralsIn-kind supportInstitutional partnershipsCapacity-building opportunitiesStrategic introductions The strongest partnership function begins with organizational needs—not with whoever happens to respond to an email. Relationship Management & Stewardship Maintain consistent communication with key partners.Establish clear expectations and points of contact.Coordinate internal follow-through on MAP commitments.Provide appropriate updates to partners.Recognize and acknowledge contributions.Identify opportunities to deepen successful relationships.Address partnership challenges early.Support renewals and long-term engagement.Ensure partners experience MAP as organized, responsive, thoughtful, and trustworthy. Partnership development does not end when someone says yes. That is where stewardship begins. Team Leadership Help build and lead the PromiseBridge team.Support Partnership Directors, Coordinators, volunteers, interns, and other team members.Recruit qualified partnership professionals as the division grows.Establish clear responsibilities and expectations.Hold regular meetings with direct reports.Coach team members on outreach, relationship development, meetings, follow-up, and stewardship.Review partnership communications and proposals when appropriate.Develop emerging leaders.Create accountability without unnecessary bureaucracy. The Senior Director's responsibility is not to personally own every relationship. It is to build a team capable of developing and maintaining strong relationships at scale. Cross-Division Partnership Coordination Work closely with MAP divisions to ensure external relationships are coordinated rather than fragmented. Partner with PromiseRise on employers, career professionals, internships, and workforce opportunities. Partner with PromisePrograms on programmatic and community partnerships. Partner with PromiseGiving when relationships involve philanthropy, sponsorship, grants, or fundraising opportunities. Partner with PromisePublic on community, advocacy, and public-facing relationships. Partner with PromiseVoice on external communications and partner recognition. Coordinate with other divisions based on the purpose and scope of each relationship. PromiseBridge should help MAP operate as one organization externally. Executive Relationship Support Support the Chief of Partnerships & External Affairs and CEO with strategically important relationships. This may include Prospect researchMeeting preparationBackground briefsRelationship historiesTalking pointsOpportunity analysisMeeting coordinationFollow-upInternal assignment of next stepsTracking commitments through completion Senior leadership should never leave an important external meeting wondering who owns the follow-up. Partnership Quality & Due Diligence Evaluate prospective relationships for Mission alignmentReputational considerationsYouth safeguarding implicationsPrivacy and data considerationsConflicts of interestOperational feasibilityFinancial implicationsOrganizational capacityMutual expectationsLong-term value Coordinate with PromiseTrust, PromiseShield, PromiseFinance, or other appropriate teams when specialized review is required. Not every opportunity should become a partnership. Knowing when to say no is part of building a strong external affairs function. Measurement & Performance Develop meaningful partnership indicators, which may include Qualified prospectsMeetingsActive partnershipsOpportunities generatedResources securedProfessional volunteers engagedInternship or career opportunities createdIn-kind contributionsProgram collaborationsPartner retentionRenewalsPartnership outcomesInternal partner satisfactionExternal partner engagement Avoid measuring success primarily by outreach volume. One partnership that creates sustained opportunity for young people can be more valuable than hundreds of unanswered emails. Leadership & Decision Rights The Chief of Partnerships & External Affairs owns PromiseBridge's overall strategy, executive relationships, external positioning, major priorities, and long-term direction. The Senior Director owns much of the operational execution required to turn that strategy into results. The Senior Director should have meaningful authority to manage the partnership pipeline, coordinate the team, develop relationships, recommend opportunities, and resolve routine execution issues within established MAP priorities. Major organizational commitments, financial obligations, legal agreements, policy positions, or other matters requiring executive authorization remain with the appropriate authorized MAP leader. The goal is clear accountability without unnecessary layers. Ideal Candidate Strong candidates may come from backgrounds in Strategic partnershipsBusiness developmentExternal affairsCorporate relationsInstitutional relationsCommunity partnershipsUniversity relationsNonprofit partnershipsCorporate social responsibilitySocial impactWorkforce partnershipsStakeholder engagementStrategic alliances Candidates should demonstrate Significant experience developing external relationshipsExperience managing partnership pipelines or institutional relationshipsStrong executive communication skillsExcellent written communication and follow-throughAbility to build relationships virtuallyStrong judgment and diplomacyExperience managing or developing teamsAbility to translate conversations into concrete opportunitiesStrong organizational and project-management skillsComfort representing an organization externallyAbility to work across multiple departments and prioritiesCommitment to ethical, mission-centered partnership development Existing professional networks are valuable, but they are not enough. We are looking for someone who knows how to build relationships—not simply someone who already has them. What Success Looks Like PromiseBridge has a clear and active partnership pipeline. The strongest opportunities receive attention. Every significant relationship has an owner. Meetings lead to documented next steps. Commitments are followed through. Partners remain engaged after the initial collaboration. MAP divisions know how to engage PromiseBridge when they need external support. The Chief can focus more deeply on strategy, executive relationships, major opportunities, and growth because the Senior Director is ensuring the division operates effectively. Most importantly, external relationships create tangible opportunities for MAP's children, youth, families, programs, and organizational mission. Why This Role Matters No organization builds meaningful impact entirely by itself. Somewhere outside MAP is a professional who can inspire a young person, an employer that can create an opportunity, a university that can contribute expertise, a company that can provide resources, an institution that can strengthen a program, or an organization whose mission intersects with ours. But those connections rarely happen by accident. Someone has to find them. Someone has to build trust. Someone has to connect the opportunity to the right part of MAP. And someone has to make sure the promise made in the meeting becomes something real. That is the work of PromiseBridge. What You'll Gain Senior leadership experience within a growing nonprofit organizationOpportunity to help build a partnerships and external affairs functionDirect collaboration with senior and executive leadershipExperience developing institutional and cross-sector partnershipsOpportunity to build and mentor a partnership teamExposure to corporate, nonprofit, educational, philanthropic, government, and community stakeholdersExperience developing partnership systems and strategyProfessional references and recommendations based on demonstrated contributionOpportunity to build relationships that directly expand opportunities for young people Commitment Approximately 5–10 hours per week6-month commitment requiredPosition is fully remoteRegular virtual meetings with the Chief of Partnerships & External AffairsRegular communication with direct reports and PromiseBridge team membersParticipation in applicable MAP leadership meetingsConsistent relationship management and follow-throughOwnership of agreed priorities and deliverablesSupport recruitment, mentorship, and development of the PromiseBridge teamMaintain MAP's confidentiality, safeguarding, privacy, ethical, and organizational standards How To Apply Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist and submit Resume or CVCover Letter Applicants should highlight relevant experience in strategic partnerships, external affairs, business development, institutional relations, corporate relations, stakeholder engagement, nonprofit partnerships, or related fields. This is an unpaid, fully remote volunteer senior leadership position. At this time, MAP volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, compliance, and programmatic requirements. Build the relationships. Create the opportunities. Strengthen the bridge. Make sure every partnership leads somewhere meaningful.