Strategic Partnerships Consultant

Strategic Partnerships & Business Development Consultant (Monthly Retainer + Performance Incentives) I'm an Emmy Award-winning journalist and author seeking an experienced Strategic Partnerships & Business Development Consultant to help expand the reach of My Daddy's Crescent Smile—a children's book and community initiative that helps children and families navigate the grief and loss of a father or father figure through storytelling, reflection, and connection. This is not a traditional book marketing role. I'm looking for someone with a proven track record of identifying opportunities, building strategic relationships, securing meetings with decision-makers, developing partnerships, and helping close institutional sales. The ideal candidate is passionate about mission-driven work and has experience growing partnerships that create measurable community impact. About the Initiative Released in May 2026, My Daddy's Crescent Smile has already demonstrated early community impact through partnerships and programming. The initiative is supported through funding from the Minnesota State Arts Board and community partnerships with NAMI Minnesota, We Win Institute, Sabathani Community Center, and WestBone Productions. This work extends beyond the book to include community storytelling experiences, author visits, reflection activities, and creative engagement opportunities designed to help children, families, educators, and communities process grief and strengthen connection. We have impact data, participant evaluations, marketing materials, partnership resources, and a growing network of organizations to support outreach efforts. Target Partners We're looking to build relationships with organizations such as: Children's hospitals and healthcare systems School districts and individual schools Public libraries Bereavement and mental health organizations Nonprofits serving children and families Foundations Corporate Community Relations and CSR departments Organizations interested in sponsoring books, programming, or community initiatives Responsibilities Responsibilities include: Identifying and qualifying institutional partnership opportunities Researching and connecting with key decision-makers Conducting personalized outreach via email, phone, LinkedIn, and other channels Securing meetings with qualified prospects Building and managing an organized partnership pipeline Developing partnership proposals and sponsorship opportunities Supporting negotiations and helping move opportunities toward signed agreements Identifying opportunities for bulk book purchases, sponsored book distributions, author visits, workshops, and community programming Recommending strategies to expand the initiative nationally What You'll Have to Work With You won't be starting from scratch. You'll have: A professionally published children's book Minnesota State Arts Board support Community impact data and participant evaluations Established community partnerships Marketing and partnership materials A growing list of target organizations A clear mission and long-term vision for national growth Ideal Experience We're especially interested in professionals with experience in: Strategic Partnerships Business Development Institutional or Enterprise Sales B2B or Consultative Sales Education Partnerships Healthcare Partnerships Nonprofit Development Corporate Partnerships Foundation Relations Corporate Sponsorships Fundraising & Philanthropy Community Relations Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Experience securing partnerships with schools, hospitals, nonprofit organizations, foundations, or Fortune 500 companies is highly preferred. Compensation This role includes a monthly retainer plus performance-based incentives. In addition to the monthly retainer, success-based bonuses or commissions are available for institutional partnerships, sponsored collaborations, and bulk book sales you help secure. When Applying Please include: Examples of partnerships or institutional sales you've personally helped secure The largest partnership or sale you've helped close Industries you've worked with Examples of measurable results Your preferred compensation structure (retainer, commission, or hybrid) A brief description of how you would approach your first 30 days in this role Our Vision We're building a national model for healing-centered storytelling through books, partnerships, and community experiences. Our goal is to help every child and adult feel seen and supported— One person at a time. One story at a time. One community at a time.