Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations
About The Position
The Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations is responsible for leading a comprehensive program to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward corporate and foundation partners in support of the University’s strategic priorities. This position plays a critical role in proactively researching funding opportunities, aligning institutional needs with external funders, and developing competitive proposals that advance academic, student success, and institutional initiatives. The Director serves as the University’s primary liaison for corporate and foundation engagement and works collaboratively across campus to build a robust pipeline of institutional funding opportunities. Success in this role will be measured by the development of a strong funding pipeline, the number and quality of proposals submitted, and the growth of corporate and foundation philanthropic support.
Requirements
- Advanced degree from an accredited institution, or a bachelor’s degree with experience that equates to an advanced degree.
- Demonstrated experience in fundraising, development, corporate relations, foundation relations, or grant writing.
- Experience developing and submitting grant proposals, letters of inquiry, or similar funding requests.
- Proven ability to manage a portfolio of prospects or donors.
- Experience conducting prospect research and evaluating funding opportunities.
- Ability to build and maintain relationships with external partners and internal stakeholders.
- Proficiency with CRM systems or donor databases (e.g., Raiser’s Edge or similar platform).
- Ability to represent an organization in professional settings with corporate and foundation partners.
- Must have the availability to travel and work non-traditional hours as needed to carry out responsibilities.
Nice To Haves
- Higher education fundraising experience, particularly in corporate and foundation relations.
- Experience working with large, complex, multi-disciplinary grant proposals.
- Experience presenting to senior leadership, faculty, or external boards.
Responsibilities
- Leading a comprehensive program to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward corporate and foundation partners.
- Proactively researching funding opportunities.
- Aligning institutional needs with external funders.
- Developing competitive proposals that advance academic, student success, and institutional initiatives.
- Serving as the University’s primary liaison for corporate and foundation engagement.
- Working collaboratively across campus to build a robust pipeline of institutional funding opportunities.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
Education Level
Associate degree
