Director of Foundation Relations

Who we are

Denison University is an academically rigorous liberal arts college with an increasingly diverse campus community. It offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package. Denison is located in the village of Granville, 30 minutes from Columbus, Ohio, the state capital, which hosts a wide range of cultural and artistic opportunities. Granville also offers an excellent public school system and easy access to outdoor activities.

About the role

The Director initiates, cultivates, and maintains foundation relationships to leverage support for college initiatives and faculty research. Researches, identifies, and manages private and public grant prospects for projects aligned with university priorities. Collaborates with senior leadership, faculty, and other administrators to identify and prepare grant projects and budgets. Coordinates required stewardship reporting to fulfill post-award expectations. Facilitates meetings and site visits between program officers at foundations and government agencies, college faculty, and the Office of the Provost.

Essential job functions

• Plans and implements solicitation strategies for foundation and government prospects including writing and submitting grant proposals, developing grant budgets, and maintaining relationships with foundation program officers and the appropriate government offices.

• Manages stewardship activities for foundation donors including report writing, collaborating with other departments to monitor the progress of projects and gather information for reporting, tracking grant expenses and preparing financial reports, and advising on major grant projects. Serve as an advisor on program teams for major grant projects.

• Assists faculty in identifying funding sources for research and provides support throughout the grant application and reporting process.

• Maintain and grow a portfolio of qualified institutional grant prospects and other key individuals/organizations, including elected public officials, with a focus on building relationships with foundations and other grantmaking organizations.

• Assists faculty to develop and monitor subaward grant agreements. Liaises with other departments to administer the grant’s financial requirements. Processes award pledge with gift accounting.

• Collaborates with other Institutional Advancement staff (such as major gift officers) on foundation activities that intersect with individual prospect work, including proposal writing and budgeting.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree

• 6+ years of experience in grant cultivation and development, foundation reporting and building collaborative relationships

Preferred qualifications

• Master’s degree

• Preferred: Experience submitting grants to the National Science Foundation (NSF). An appreciation for the liberal arts and its transformative educational impact for students and society.

Physical demands

Office environment/no specific or unusual physical or environmental demands.

EEO Statement

Denison University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To achieve our mission as a liberal arts college, we continually strive to attract and hire candidates with diverse backgrounds, experiences and identities. Denison fosters a campus community that recognizes the value of all persons regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender expression and identity, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or socio-economic background. For additional information and resources about diversity at Denison, please see our commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and antiracism (IDEA) at Denison Forward (https://denison.edu/campus/denison-forward).

ADA Statement

If you require a reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (740)587-6299 or by email at HR@denison.edu.