Assistant Director of Foundation Relations

Assistant Director of Foundation Relations

This role reports to the Senior Director of Foundation Relations and is integral to the University of Georgia’s efforts to identify and cultivate private support across all schools, colleges, and units on campus. The Assistant Director develops relationships with private foundations, identifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards foundation donors, and collaborates with faculty, staff, and development colleagues to write, edit, review, and prepare grant proposals for private grantmakers.

This position is distinct from those focused on securing funds from individuals or government grantmaking agencies.

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent

• Professional work experience in grant writing or similar solicitations to grant‑making organizations.
• Professional work experience at a university or other higher education setting.
• Ability to develop meaningful relationships with foundation and key university personnel.

• Foundation Prospect Identification and Relationship Management
  • Actively manage and engage 25‑35 foundation prospects, focusing on those likely to yield gifts from $25k to $100k.
  • Identify and/or monitor funding opportunities from foundations/private grantmakers.
  • Identify and research new foundation prospects; map out a strategy for an approach, including possibilities for leveraging existing relationships.
  • Reach out to foundations/private grantmakers to share information about university initiatives and gather information about funding opportunities; cultivate relationships with relevant personnel.
  • Proactively cultivate internal knowledge and relationships; learn about faculty research and programs or initiatives in the various schools/colleges/units.
  • Stay apprised of institutional priorities and look for alignment with the priorities of current or potential foundation partners.
  • Share funding opportunities with faculty and development colleagues.
  • Counsel and guide faculty, administrators, and unit development directors regarding the funding potential for projects and programs in need of private support.
• Proposal Development and Grant Submission
  • Seek funding for university priorities by managing or supporting the development of proposals/grant applications, including planning, writing, revision, and submission.
  • Collaborate with faculty, university leaders and administrators, development staff, and/or UGA’s Research professionals in developing proposals/grant applications, often including project budgets and coordination with business offices.
  • Serve as liaison between internal stakeholders (applicants) and grantmakers throughout the submission process.
  • Manage complex submission processes that involve multiple stakeholders.
  • Ensure submissions meet specific requirements of each funder and are submitted on deadline.
• Award Management and Stewardship
  • Collaborate with appropriate personnel at the UGA Foundation to navigate processes and policies for receiving funds; manage interactions between internal stakeholders, UGA Foundation, and the funder.
  • Work with campus partners to ensure required reports on the use of funds are accurate and on time.
  • Work with campus partners to identify stewardship opportunities and communicate the impact of funding from private grantmakers.
  • Serve as primary liaison to the Industry and Foundation Partnerships team on matters of stewardship and external publicity.
• Administrative Processing, Coordination, and Professional Development
  • Document all prospect contacts and interactions in the development database.
  • Communicate with the Foundation Relations team regularly on projects and initiatives that might be of shared interest, sharing funding needs and potential strategies for pursuing support.
  • Attend development staff meetings as required; participate in university events and programs, as well as continuing education as needed.
  • Pursue professional development opportunities aligned with the work and mission of the Foundation Relations team.

Approximately 35% of time on Prospect Identification and Relationship Management, 35% on Proposal Development and Grant Submission, 25% on Award…