Director, Foundation Relations Job Description

Director, Foundation Relations Job Description

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Director, foundation relations provides leadership to campus constituents on the most current and effective fundraising techniques for their fundraising efforts.

Director, Foundation Relations Duties & Responsibilities

To write an effective director, foundation relations job description, begin by listing detailed duties, responsibilities and expectations. We have included director, foundation relations job description templates that you can modify and use.

Sample responsibilities for this position include:

Monitor progress against established goals, prioritize OSP initiatives, and ensure that OSP activity is closely coordinated with activities in Development and Alumni Relations, and with the Corporate-Industry liaison in College of Engineering, College of Arts & Sciences and College of Management
Take responsibility for a wide range of fundraising activities, including maintaining an active level of contacts, coordinating campus visits, outreach to institutional prospects, providing stewardship, identifying new prospective donors, and facilitating relationships between potential and current donors and faculty and students
Stay informed on current university initiatives, research and educational programs, and activities
Stay informed about current university initiatives, research and educational programs, and activities
Coordinate the development activities of unit head
Research new foundation initiatives and funding programs that may intersect with program activities
Participate in the development of department fiscal year operating budget
Directs the overall portfolio of existing and new foundation relationships for the institution
Serves as the organization’s expert on foundations and corresponding relationships
Serves as the senior foundation relations contact for development colleagues and faculty in the planning and implementation of departmental fundraising efforts, including cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of foundations with major gift potential

Director, Foundation Relations Qualifications

Qualifications for a job description may include education, certification, and experience.

Licensing or Certifications for Director, Foundation Relations

List any licenses or certifications required by the position: CFRE

Education for Director, Foundation Relations

Typically a job would require a certain level of education.

Employers hiring for the director, foundation relations job most commonly would prefer for their future employee to have a relevant degree such as Bachelor's and Master's Degree in Education, Foundation, Management, Writing, Foundations, Communication, Business, Graduate, Communications, Leadership

Skills for Director, Foundation Relations

Desired skills for director, foundation relations include:

Fundraising database software
Microsoft Office suite
Opportunities and foundation interests to identify potential prospects for funding and collaboration
UA campus
University priorities
Ability to learn quickly the principles
Accomplishments
Activities
Basic fundraising techniques and strategies
Business organizations and fundraising is necessary

Desired experience for director, foundation relations includes:

Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree OR 2 years of equivalent experience in development function
Directly supports a set of divisions and acts as the primary relationship manager for a portfolio of foundations
Leads the central Foundation Relations team in all aspects of strategy, operations, and administration
Develop proposals, strategy statements and briefing materials for meetings and solicitations, plan and schedule visits by the President, other senior administrative officers, or faculty, and accompany them as appropriate
Support the OSP and PIs/PDs with pre-award requirements including proposal and budget development, review/approval
Contribute to OSP communications strategies in promoting the University's interest in building relationships with external funding organizations

Director, Foundation Relations Examples

1

Director, Foundation Relations Job Description

Job Description Example
Our company is growing rapidly and is hiring for a director, foundation relations. Thank you in advance for taking a look at the list of responsibilities and qualifications. We look forward to reviewing your resume.
Responsibilities for director, foundation relations
  • Assume responsibility to facilitate work of the Corporate Giving Committee of the USAFA Endowment Board and support board activities as requested
  • Implementation and execution of activities and communications
  • With the Senior Director, plan and implement broad-based, coordinated
  • Assist in developing strategies for assigned corporate, foundation and/or association prospects to cultivate, solicit, and steward their support
  • Support faculty in developing, maintaining and enhancing relationships with corporate and foundation funders
  • Prepare background information, assist with briefings, visits
  • Work closely with other university offices (e.g., sponsored research, industrial contracts), understanding their roles and functions, in order to collaborate effectively with external funders and ensure proposals and agreements are in compliance with university policy
  • Stewardship and communication
  • Serves as consultant to Community Services Team to support development of high-impact programs and strategies that will appeal to both public and private funders
  • Manages the grants and corporate relations team, including hiring, orientation, supervision, and evaluation
Qualifications for director, foundation relations
  • Familiarity with funding databases is a plus
  • Relevant development experience
  • This position requires an individual who can work independently, while coordinating with the Senior Director, Foundation Relations and other prospect managers within OFR, along with divisions and departments across campus
  • The successful candidate must possess excellent communication (verbal/written), interpersonal, organizational, proofreading and editing skills
  • The nature of the work requires good judgment in working with sensitive/confidential material, initiative, and persistence in order to collect and obtain the necessary information for foundation reports
  • Candidate must possess ability to work under pressure with frequent interruptions
2

Director, Foundation Relations Job Description

Job Description Example
Our growing company is looking to fill the role of director, foundation relations. Please review the list of responsibilities and qualifications. While this is our ideal list, we will consider candidates that do not necessarily have all of the qualifications, but have sufficient experience and talent.
Responsibilities for director, foundation relations
  • Implement the development plan for assigned college, school, program, or region
  • Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a pool of major and principal prospects for assigned unit or region
  • Conduct face-to-face visits with major gift donors and prospects
  • Engage the President, Deans, and School Chairs in the prospect/donor relationship as appropriate
  • Coordinate and supervise the efforts of staff, where applicable
  • Provide strategic leadership in all aspects of board management, and to the individual members of theNIUFoundation Board of Directors (28 members) and its committees
  • Provide management of the VP for University Advancement’s constituent portfolio related both to major/principal/campaign portfolio responsibilities
  • Create interdisciplinary, university-level gift strategies and complex gift agreements and contracts, utilizing outside counsel, as appropriate
  • Direct the development of all briefings, preparation and organization for the VP’s strategic fundraising work, which often involves travel and partnership with the University President
  • Serve as Secretary of the NIU Foundation Board of Directors, inclusive of bylaw and policy development and oversight
Qualifications for director, foundation relations
  • Intellectual curiosity and the ability to understand and communicate widely varying funding needs across multiple disciplines to foundation officials
  • Ability to work collaboratively with campus leadership, faculty, and staff
  • Position requires ability to exercise discretion, ability to handle several tasks simultaneously, prioritize projects and meet deadlines
  • Outstanding analytical skills and problem solving ability, and organizational and follow-up skills
  • Demonstrated ability to practice and adhere to organizational values
  • Extensive experience with a variety of computer software programs including, in particular, MS Office suite and Adobe Creative Cloud applications
3

Director, Foundation Relations Job Description

Job Description Example
Our innovative and growing company is looking to fill the role of director, foundation relations. To join our growing team, please review the list of responsibilities and qualifications.
Responsibilities for director, foundation relations
  • 30%) Maintain a caseload of assigned professional foundations whose focus is served by LSA disciplines and faculty
  • 30%) Support the development of proposals and strategies for academic leaders and faculty members
  • 15%) Work closely with LSA office of research and associate deans in managing competitions, strategies, matches, indirects, and other issues core to faculty success
  • In coordination with the Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations and the Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations, implement a comprehensive stewardship reporting plan for all major corporate and foundation donors
  • In coordination with the Director of Research & Prospect Management, conduct targeted research on corporate and foundation prospects and formulate recommendations for actions based on rigorous analysis of research data
  • Maintain a program of donor stewardship, including submission of reports
  • Support the Director of Corporate & Foundation Relation in any additional aspects of the program
  • Planning and directing a comprehensive private foundation fundraising program
  • Intra-university and external community relations
  • Serves as liaison to Community Services Team to support development of high-impact programs and strategies that will appeal to both public and private funders
Qualifications for director, foundation relations
  • Knowledge of academic planning and program development university research administrative practices preferred
  • Must have excellent Excel skills and proficiency in other Microsoft Office products
  • Exciting and challenging work
  • Opportunity to help solve the community's toughest problems
  • Competitive pay that is commensurate with demonstrated successful experience and performance
  • Many other benefits that we are happy to discuss with you
4

Director, Foundation Relations Job Description

Job Description Example
Our growing company is hiring for a director, foundation relations. Thank you in advance for taking a look at the list of responsibilities and qualifications. We look forward to reviewing your resume.
Responsibilities for director, foundation relations
  • In partnership with Assistant Vice President, Foundation Relations & GIFT Center, develop a Foundation Relations subcommittee to the Prospect Management Committee
  • In partnership with prospect development colleagues, develop and maintain a library of prospect development training materials, take shared responsibility for the ongoing education and
  • Serve as a member on the Vice President’s leadership team
  • Travel on behalf of the college, as necessary including evenings and weekends
  • Assess the CFR program and conduct benchmarking with peer and aspirant institutions
  • Provide forward thinking, dynamic and comprehensive leadership to support critical new initiatives, large scale transformational projects, and investments in new ideas and partnerships
  • Develop and establish priorities and procedures to ensure the success and smooth administration of the program
  • Recruit, mentor and lead a team of corporate and foundation relations professionals
  • Ensure the accuracy of leave-behind materials for C&F
  • Provide input for and monitor the effectiveness of the C&F website
Qualifications for director, foundation relations
  • Knowledge of institutional advancement and corporate and foundation relationship management, techniques of corporate and foundation donor cultivation and solicitation, proposal writing
  • Ability to independently manage proposal initiatives
  • Develop solicitation strategies
  • Write effective proposals
  • Graduate degree in a life science or public health discipline is desirable
  • Must be able to travel to domestic and local destinations as required
5

Director, Foundation Relations Job Description

Job Description Example
Our growing company is searching for experienced candidates for the position of director, foundation relations. To join our growing team, please review the list of responsibilities and qualifications.
Responsibilities for director, foundation relations
  • Establish annual plans and develop strategies to renew and grow institutional support
  • Participate in long-term planning project development that engages foundation donors
  • Work closely with other departments to gain knowledge of programs and conceptualize new cases for support
  • Participate in Development Department special events such as opening nights, patron events, Gala
  • Identify new sources of government, corporate and foundation support through prospect research, participation in outside affinity groups such as Minnesota Private College Council Corporate, Foundation, and Government group), and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
  • Develop and manage a thoughtful stewardship strategy for corporate and foundation donors
  • Learn and co-manage Sponsored Programs Office central database (InfoEd) to track grants submitted, pending, received, and provide analysis on grants pending or anticipated
  • Work with grant accountant (Finance Office) to ensure financial reports are completed on time and grants are closed in a timely manner
  • Provide training, including presentations, to staff and faculty on proposal and program development, searching for funding, and other related topics
  • Other duties as assigned, including staffing select University events which will require occasional evening or weekend duties
Qualifications for director, foundation relations
  • Proven ability to translate highly technical information and concepts into easily readable language
  • Ability to secure and facilitate contacts between potential funders and University academic leadership, faculty and staff
  • Ability to juggle priorities and meet deadlines
  • Experience in budget development
  • Flexibility and ability to work in high-pressure, fast-paced environment
  • Bachelors Degree and 6-8 years experience in fundraising or related areas such as budget preparation, strategic planning, goal-setting, and supervision, or equivalent combination of experience and education

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