1781 Director of Foundation Relations

POSITION IDENTIFICATION

TITLE Director of Foundation Relations

CLASSIFICATION NUMBER 1781

GRADE 44

CLASSIFICATION Exempt

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR Executive Director of Development

GENERAL FUNCTION

The primary duties of the Director of Foundation Relations are to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward corporate and private foundations as well as occasionally solicit individual donors, corporations, and businesses. The Director of Foundation Relations develops strategies and directs the fundraising initiatives directed toward corporate and private foundations. The Director of Foundation Relations initiates and conducts personal visits with key foundation contacts as assigned and accompanies the University President, the Vice President for University Advancement, the Executive Director of Development, Deans and/or faculty members on foundations visits as applicable. The Director of Foundation Relations develops proposals and grant applications to foundations that meet donor guidelines and specifications as well as University fundraising priorities. The Director of Foundation Relations provides timely reports and financial tracking of grants from foundations that have made philanthropic gifts to the University.

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Education: A Bachelor’s degree is required.

Experience: At least three years of successful professional experience is required, preferably in higher education fund-raising or in a related career with a comparable, demonstrated, successful track record. Experience in grant administration and grant writing or other similar professional writing is preferred.

Skills: Exceptional interpersonal skills with all age groups are required. Strong verbal and written communication skills are required. Organizational skills, particularly planning, setting deadlines, and evaluating progress, are required. Computer literacy, particularly in word processing, using internet resources, and using databases, is required. Must be a self-starter committed to follow through. The ability to work under pressure, meet inflexible deadlines, establish and manage multiple priorities, and establish and achieve fundraising goals is required. The ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds is required. Experience working effectively in a diverse environment is preferred.

Effort: Occasionally required to lift and carry boxes of materials and equipment weighing 25-50 pounds.

Other: The scope of the job requires travel as well as attendance at evening and/or weekend activities, meetings, events, seminars, and workshops and visits to donors in their homes and offices. A valid Missouri driver’s license is required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Assures long-term financial support for University priorities by identifying, cultivating, and soliciting corporate and private foundation donors, designs, implements, and manages a comprehensive and proactive development plan focused on expanding and enhancing corporate and foundation relationships by directing and coordinating activities related to obtaining corporate and foundation monetary support.

2. Identifies emerging business leadership and industry trends with a special emphasis on developing high value-exchange corporate alliances and identifies, cultivates, and solicits large philanthropic commitments to support the mission and goals of the University.

3. When assigned by the Executive Director of Development, serves as the Development liaison to an assigned college by acting as a resource for the Dean and Department Heads, consulting on questions related to development activities in the College, conducting scheduled meetings with the Dean to understand the fundraising priorities of the College, communicating those priorities to University Advancement staff, prospects, and donors, participating in select College meetings, serving as a source of information about the College for other University Advancement staff, and encouraging the College to establish programs and conduct activities to involve alumni in meaningful ways to advance the mission of the College.

4. Develops and follows an annual work plan that encompasses major gift fund-raising, administrative responsibilities, and professional development.

5. Manages the comprehensive corporate and foundation grant process for the Missouri State University Foundation, monitors proposal deadlines, prepares and edits grant proposals, manages the proposal submission process, and provides timely grant reporting to foundations and corporations as may be required.

6. Conducts and assesses various types of research to develop information for reports about viable corporate or private foundation funding prospects.

7. Develops highly competitive proposals for corporate and foundation prospects that leverage diverse corporate and foundation goals and preferences with related University goals and priorities and maintains and uses a current knowledge of the various foundation interests to actively seek to match them with University fundraising goals, needs, and priorities.

8. When appropriate, hosts campus visits by foundation representatives and participates in and/or arranges visits to foundations by members of the campus leadership team.

9. Prepares for professional and donor appointments by establishing and maintaining professional competency and currency in the field of university development work through professional reading, developing professional contacts with colleagues, attending professional development courses, attending training and/or courses required by the Executive Director of Development, and maintaining appropriate professional memberships in organizations like the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

10. Enters detailed contact reports, strategic plans and proposals for donors and prospects into the contact management tracking system in a timely manner in accordance with the policies and procedures of the Office of Development.

11. Assures donor confidentiality as well as confidentiality regarding projects undertaken by conducting all personal contacts and communications in a professional manner.

12. Facilitates the achievement of established goals by developing and maintaining cordial and professional working relationships with University administrative, support, and professional staff and appropriate off-campus constituencies.

13. Participates as a fully productive member of the professional staff by adhering to all University policies and procedures and the internal policies and procedures of the Office of Development.

14. Contributes to a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.

15. Remains competent and current through self-directed professional reading, developing professional contacts with colleagues, attending professional development courses, and attending training and/or courses as directed by the Executive Director of Development.

16. Contributes to the overall success of the University by assuming primary responsibility for special projects as assigned and performing all other duties and responsibilities as assigned in a timely, thorough, and professional manner.

SUPERVISION

The Director of Foundation Relations is supervised by the Executive Director of Development and may provide supervision or direction to clerical staff, graduate assistants, and student employees.

OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES

REVISED JUNE 2021

JOB FAMILY 4

Factor 1: Professional Knowledge, Skill, and Technical Mastery

Level 3.0 - 1500 Points: Entry-level knowledge of the principles, concepts, practices, and methods of an administrative, managerial, technical, or professional specialty. Knowledge permits employee to carry out basic recurring tasks and routine portions of assignments or to carry out less demanding professional elements of assignments in professional or technical areas including accounting or auditing, financial management, business administration, human resources, law, engineering, science, or medicine, while gaining familiarity with the University's policies and goals, business practices, and/or accounting systems. This level of knowledge permits the employee to schedule and carry out the steps of a limited operation or project, or to complete stages of a multi-phase project. Alternatively, knowledge at this level might also permit the employee to carry out recurring tasks and routine assignments requiring moderate experience in specific areas within higher education. Knowledge at this level is typically acquired through a combination of formal education and/or training and experience that includes a requirement for a college degree in a specific technical or professional specialty. Knowledge requirements may also include a limited amount of related work experience. Alternatively, equivalent knowledge requirements at this level include a non-technical or general Bachelor's degree requirement with a moderate level of additional related work experience or a non-specific Master's degree requirement with some related work experience.

Factor 2: Supervisory Responsibility

Level 1.0 - 50 Points: Typically, little, if any, supervision of others is required. The job may require irregular but occasional responsibility to direct the work of student workers and/or temporary or part-time workers. The nature of supervision is largely confined to assigning tasks to others and does not include a full range of supervisory responsibilities. The amount of time spent on directing the work of others is normally a small portion of total work time.

Factor 3: Interactions with Others

Level 4.0 - 500 Points: Interactions with others are somewhat unstructured. The purpose may be to influence or motivate others, to obtain information, or to control situations and resolve problems. Interactions may be with individuals or groups of co-workers, students, or the general public, may be moderately unstructured, and may involve persons who hold differing goals and objectives. Individuals at this level often act as a liaison between groups with a focus on solving particular unstructured problems. Interactions at this level require considerable interpersonal skill and the ability to resolve conflict.

Factor 4: Job Controls and Guidelines

Level 3.0 - 500 Points: The employee operates under general supervision expressed in terms of program goals and objectives, priorities, and deadlines. Administrative supervision is given through statements of overall program or project objectives and available resources. Administrative guidelines are relatively comprehensive and the employee need only to fill in gaps in interpretation and adapt established methods to perform recurring activities. In unforeseen situations, the employee must interpret inadequate or incomplete guidelines, develop plans, and initiate new methods to complete assignments based on those interpretations. Assignments are normally related in function, but the work requires many different processes and methods applied to an established administrative or professional field. Problems are typically the result of unusual circumstances, variations in approach, or incomplete or conflicting data. The employee must interpret and refine methods to complete assignments. Characteristic jobs at this level may involve directing single-purpose programs or performing complex, but precedented, technical or professional work.

Factor 5: Managerial Responsibility

Level 4.0 - 1500 Points: Work involves the primary accountability for a smaller department, program, or process. Work activities involve managerial decisions that directly affect the efficiency, costs, reputation, and service quality of the department, program, or process. Work affects a limited range of professional projects or administrative activities of the University. Work activities have a direct and substantial impact on the department. While work activities do have some effect on the efficiency and reputation of the cost center, departments, programs, or processes at this level represent a relatively minor function within the cost center. Employees in jobs at this level may have responsibility for developing budgets, distributing budgeted funds, and exercising the primary control over a relatively small budget.