Executive Director, Foundation Relations

Job Details:

What starts here changes the world.

The University of Texas at Austin, founded in 1883, ranks among the 40 best universities in the world with top national programs across 19 colleges and schools. By creating educational opportunities for all and leading cutting-edge research at scale, the University fosters positive social change, technological advancement, and economic progress showing the world that change really does start here.

Following our 10-year strategic plan, UT will become the world’s highest-impact public research university, unleashing knowledge, opportunity and innovation from the heart of Texas.

Learn more about UT’s mission and values, leadership and Change Starts Here strategic plan.

Why Join Texas Development?

The University of Texas at Austin is on the front lines of the future: sparking the imagination, driving discovery and transforming lives. And it’s only possible because generous supporters believe in the power and promise of our state’s flagship university to change the world.

Together, through one of the largest fundraising efforts in our state’s history, we will support our people, amplify the unmatched potential of our place, and lead innovation through world-changing pursuits. With nearly $5 billion raised over the past six years, Texas Development is quickly becoming one of the best fundraising programs in higher education.

Texas Development is a dynamic community of more than 450 fundraising professionals across the Forty Acres. We strive to reach the highest levels of achievement and success in all that we do by creating meaningful and powerful experiences for our donors.

Join us and change the world.

Purpose:

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President of Philanthropic Planning, the Executive Director of Foundation Relations will play a key role in the completion of the University’s $6 billion What Starts Here campaign while also building the team that will support the University’s next multi-billion-dollar effort. Thus far, foundations have contributed $1.3B toward the campaign averaging $160M+ in annual productivity across both family and professional foundations. The Executive Director will be a highly strategic, exceedingly knowledgeable leader, manager, and colleague, who has the proven ability to partner with University leadership across campus to establish, secure, and cultivate philanthropic investments from local, national, and international foundation partners in order to advance the priority initiatives of UT Austin.

The ideal candidate will bring experience in successfully pursuing and receiving six-figure and above gifts from the foundation sector and the ability to manage a newly expanded team of 10 foundation relations frontline professionals and a support team of two researchers and four program and administrative professionals.

Responsibilities:

Strategy Development

• Participate at the executive level in the University’s fundraising activities and contribute to the formulation of priorities and policies for foundation relations. Design, implement and manage a proactive development plan focused on expanding and enhancing top-level foundation partnerships by directing and coordinating activities related to obtaining multi-million-dollar foundations funding and support, including working in partnership with programs on campus that touch on these areas.
• Identify emerging national foundations and trends with a special emphasis on partnerships that can garner larger philanthropic commitments to support the mission and goals of the University. Develop a broad and deep understanding of current fundraising priorities across campus and of University policies relating to foundation grants. Serve as a resource to faculty and development personnel across campus on these topics.
• Provide analysis and make recommendations to solicit foundation gifts, which will often mean leading and/or participating in university-wide strategy sessions.

Fundraising

• Develop and manage a portfolio of top foundation prospects with a personal portfolio of 25 foundations and a team-wide portfolio of ~300 key foundations across 10 officers. Engage in qualification, strategy, relationship building, and closing of foundation gifts and serve on the president’s transformational gifts leadership team.
• Establish and track annual goals for the Foundation Relations team to increase annual foundation support by 20 to 30% within 36 months of start date.
• Develop highly competitive proposals for prospects in support of UT’s 10-year strategic plan to become the highest-impact public university. Monitor proposal deadlines, prepare and edit proposals, and manage proposal submissions.

Leadership

• Manage the Foundation Relations team. Build strong connections with the college/school/unit-affiliated officers. Supervise Foundation Relations staff in cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding foundations for support of short- and long-term priorities of the University.
• Provide guidance and mentoring to staff to ensure productivity and career enhancement.
• Oversee a newly created Philanthropic Advisory Council of top foundation leaders who will convene annually on UT’s campus to learn about and discuss critical issues and innovations.

Relationship Management

• Develop new relationships with appropriate foundation leaders and program officers.
• Provide strategic support to colleges, schools, and units across campus in sustaining and enhancing their relationships with existing foundation partners.
• Track and inform leadership of new trends in the foundation sector; establish close collaborative relationships with partners across campus including but not limited to University leadership, President’s Office, Provost, Vice President for Research, Academic and Research Deans and faculty.
• Maintain a high-quality stewardship process for foundations. Visit with foundation boards, leaders, and/or program staff to organize campus site visits, and participating in meetings, calls, and events that advance these vital relationships.

Prospect Research and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Attend partnership and content-relevant events to enhance UT Austin’s position such as conferences, scientific talks, lectures, etc.
• Other related functions as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree.
• Demonstrated ability to execute successful full-cycle fundraising strategy and closure of six- and seven-figure+ gifts.
• A minimum of 7-10+ years of increasingly responsible experience in foundation and/or major gifts fundraising or related fields.
• High degree of emotional intelligence.
• Leadership experience, with demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and manage a team of professionals.
• Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills. Ability to establish and maintain relationships with diverse individuals and groups.
• Ability to drive results.
• Ambition and entrepreneurial mindset to strategically coach and grow a successful team.
• Demonstrated ability to show tenacity and be nimble.
• Intellectual curiosity and the desire to appreciate, understand, and advance the academic and scientific pursuits of the University to donors, and the general public.
• Highly effective communication skills (written, verbal, interpersonal).
• Ability to think strategically and creatively and work well under pressure.
• Project management skills.
• Capable of working independently, while also engaging in collaboration between teams.
• Experience working with VIP, Raiser’s Edge or other similar CRM.
• Ability to travel frequently to visit prospects and donors.
• Ability to use discretion and maintain integrity and professionalism.
• A commitment to the University’s mission and values.
• Ability to navigate a complex, matrix environment, with finesse and tact.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• More than the required years of fundraising experience.
• Master's degree or higher
• Experience working in a large-scale complex academic research university
• Experience with a comprehensive campaign in a complex setting such as higher education.

Salary Range

OPEN

Working Conditions

• Typical office environment.
• Must be able to travel frequently, overnight, and weekends as necessary.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest