Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships

Texas Wesleyan University Portal•Fort Worth, TX

About The Position

The Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships reports to the Vice President of Advancement and will be responsible for managing the University’s proposal-writing efforts for individuals, foundations, corporations, and government agencies. The Senior Director will be responsible for, but not limited to, developing and managing the cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and reporting for gifts/grants in support of major gifts, capital needs, research, institutional programs, and other special projects. In addition, the Senior Director will assist with various written materials for the Office of Advancement and will assist with special events that support the cultivation of donor prospects. The Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships is expected to develop relationships on campus and with prospective foundation and corporate donors, and to collaborate with university leadership to secure support for Texas Wesleyan University students, faculty, and university programs.

Requirements

Managing the University’s proposal-writing efforts for individuals, foundations, corporations, and government agencies.
Developing and managing the cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and reporting for gifts/grants in support of major gifts, capital needs, research, institutional programs, and other special projects.
Assisting with various written materials for the Office of Advancement.
Assisting with special events that support the cultivation of donor prospects.
Developing relationships on campus and with prospective foundation and corporate donors.
Collaborating with university leadership to secure support for Texas Wesleyan University students, faculty, and university programs.
Understanding foundation and corporate partner goals, priorities, and decision-making processes.
Serving as the University’s expert representative, articulating Texas Wesleyan’s programming, funding priorities, and strategic plan initiatives.
Developing cultivation strategies and engagement opportunities to expand the base of institutional supporters.
Participating in prospect identification, cultivation, and solicitation efforts for major gifts, capital projects, and special initiatives.
Collaborating with faculty, staff, and senior leadership to identify priority programs and initiatives; create competitive, high-quality proposals, letters of inquiry, and concept papers that align with funder interests.
Monitoring funding opportunities and assessing feasibility for campus programs; developing strategies to secure support across academic and programmatic areas of the University.
Overseeing stewardship of awards, ensuring timely acknowledgements, narrative and financial reports, and impact updates; maintaining consistent communication with funders to build trust and encourage renewal.
Partnering with Grant Program Manager and Grant Accounting to monitor award budgets, ensure compliance with sponsor requirements, and resolve any financial or reporting issues.
Assisting Advancement colleagues with writing and editing materials that support donor cultivation, solicitation, and recognition efforts.
Meeting regularly with deans, department chairs, and faculty to understand programmatic priorities; facilitating strategy sessions to align initiatives with funder opportunities.
Translating faculty ideas into clear, compelling concept papers or proposals (1-3 annually) with defined goals, outcomes, and budget requirements for Advancement review and donor cultivation.
Leading regular conversations to ensure projects are compliant with budget and award intention.
Partnering with University leadership to prioritize initiatives, align with the strategic plan, and prepare programs for cultivation and solicitation.
Providing training, resources, and guidance to faculty on foundation funding trends and proposal best practices to strengthen future collaborations and proposal competitiveness.
Developing a long-term pipeline for institutional funding support and monitoring team performance.
Identifying, researching, and qualifying new public and private foundation prospects.
Maintaining accurate records of current and proposed funding projects, deadlines, and outcomes in institutional databases.
Producing monthly activity reports and other data-driven updates for the Vice President of Advancement and senior leadership.
Assisting the Vice President in setting objectives tied to strategic priorities and university-wide funding needs.
Engaging actively in the University’s institutional effectiveness process, including annual planning, assessment, and continuous improvement measures.
Reviewing, developing, and interpreting policies and procedures to ensure compliance with university, state, and federal guidelines.
Contributing to the development and refinement of internal processes and communications related to grants.
Ensuring that all external initiatives align with University policies and strategic priorities.

Responsibilities

Cultivate and broaden institutional relationships with foundation and corporate partners.
Build and manage a robust portfolio of foundation and corporate foundation relationships.
Work directly with foundation and corporate partners to understand their goals, priorities, and decision-making processes.
Serve as the University’s expert representative, articulating Texas Wesleyan’s programming, funding priorities, and strategic plan initiatives.
Develop cultivation strategies and engagement opportunities to expand the base of institutional supporters.
Participate in prospect identification, cultivation, and solicitation efforts for major gifts, capital projects, and special initiatives.
Collaborate with faculty, staff, and senior leadership to identify priority programs and initiatives; create competitive, high-quality proposals, letters of inquiry, and concept papers that align with funder interests.
Monitor funding opportunities and assess feasibility for campus programs; develop strategies to secure support across academic and programmatic areas of the University.
Oversee stewardship of awards, ensuring timely acknowledgements, narrative and financial reports, and impact updates; maintain consistent communication with funders to build trust and encourage renewal.
Partner with Grant Program Manager and Grant Accounting to monitor award budgets, ensure compliance with sponsor requirements, and resolve any financial or reporting issues.
Assist Advancement colleagues with writing and editing materials that support donor cultivation, solicitation, and recognition efforts.
Meet regularly with deans, department chairs, and faculty to understand programmatic priorities; facilitate strategy sessions to align initiatives with funder opportunities.
Translate faculty ideas into clear, compelling concept papers or proposals (1-3 annually) with defined goals, outcomes, and budget requirements for Advancement review and donor cultivation.
Lead regular conversations to ensure projects are compliant with budget and award intention.
Partner with University leadership to prioritize initiatives, align with the strategic plan, and prepare programs for cultivation and solicitation.
Provide training, resources, and guidance to faculty on foundation funding trends and proposal best practices to strengthen future collaborations and proposal competitiveness.
Develop a long-term pipeline for institutional funding support and monitor team performance.
Identify, research, and qualify new public and private foundation prospects.
Maintain accurate records of current and proposed funding projects, deadlines, and outcomes in institutional databases.
Produce monthly activity reports and other data-driven updates for the Vice President of Advancement and senior leadership.
Assist the Vice President in setting objectives tied to strategic priorities and university-wide funding needs.
Engage actively in the University’s institutional effectiveness process, including annual planning, assessment, and continuous improvement measures.
Review, develop, and interpret policies and procedures to ensure compliance with university, state, and federal guidelines.
Contribute to the development and refinement of internal processes and communications related to grants.
Ensure that all external initiatives align with University policies and strategic priorities.