Associate Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations

California State University San Marcos; San Marcos (CA); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) seeks an Associate Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations to design, implement and lead a comprehensive development plan focused on expanding donor relationships.

The role emphasizes equity and inclusion, with an optional hybrid schedule, and requires collaboration with campus leadership to meet fundraising goals while advancing diversity, equity, and student success.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree plus two years of fundraising experience or equivalent
• Strong writing skills, preferably in grants and philanthropic proposals
• Experience in diverse, equitable and inclusive philanthropy

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and direction for comprehensive development efforts across corporate, foundation and individual giving.
• Lead strategic planning to align fundraising goals with the university’s mission.
• Cultivate and manage relationships with corporate, foundation and individual donors.
• Oversee university CFR program and coordinate with campus and external partners to secure support.

Skills

Fundraising

Grant writing

Stakeholder engagement

Major gifts

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Proposal writing

Job description

PURPOSE OF POSITION:

The Associate Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations (Associate Director) supports the design, implementation, and management of a comprehensive development plan focused on expanding and enhancing corporate, foundation and individual donor relationships. The Associate Director reports to the Senior Director of Development (Senior Director) and will support and direct activities to increase corporate, foundation and individual giving to meet the fundraising and strategic goals of California State University San Marcos (CSUSM).

This position, with an optional hybrid schedule, is part of a centralized development team taking the primary lead on identifying, cultivating, securing and stewarding philanthropic support focused on ensuring knowledge, mastery, achievement, and success are distributed equitably across the university; and that diversity and inclusion are systematically leveraged to catalyze student learning, social justice, educational excellence and institutional excellence. This position will focus on growing corporate, foundation and individual support to expand equity focused programming throughout the campus. The Associate Director will also oversee the corporate sponsorships for signature events on campus, working to expand corporate support that is in line with CSUSM’s values around diversity, inclusion, equity, and innovation to support student success.

We are looking for equity-minded applicants who represent the full diversity of California and who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

% of Time

1. Leadership/Management 15%

2. Strategic Planning 25%

3. University/Community Partnership 25%

4. Functional Oversight Management 35%

LIST OF TASKS FOR EACH MAJOR RESPONSIBILITY:

1. LEADERSHIP/MANAGEMENT:

Acts as a change champion. Leads courageously by addressing difficult issues. Works to resolve issues at the peer level and takes measures to mitigate future issues. Supports and moves new initiatives forward. Identifies current and future challenges and proposes effective solutions. Understands what issues require a “sense of urgency” and manages accordingly. Ensures confidentiality around sensitive issues. Facilitates an environment that motivates, empowers, and inspires commitment from employees. Assumes good intent with one another and work on the premise of trust. Demonstrates commitment to creating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive workforce. Provides clear direction. Communicates effectively and with purpose. Works with a spirit of collaboration, inclusion, respect and collegiality. Takes ownership of issues and demonstrates accountability. Ensures cross-divisional support and participation. Recognizes, understands, and appreciates distinct roles across the institution. Identifies and calls advocacy behavior. Speaks and advocates with one common voice. Determines, effectively allocates, and coordinates resources.

2. STRATEGIC PLANNING:

As a strategic partner, recommends, creates, and implements long and short-term strategic plan goals and operational plans in collaboration with the Senior Director. Ensures these goals align with and support the overall mission of the university. Motivates and encourages commitment to achievement of strategic plans. Effectively communicates the strategic initiatives. Accomplishes strategic goals for the University, Division of University Advancement and liaison roles.

3. UNIVERSITY/COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP:

As a member of the campus community, ensures a community focused strategy to support the university’s mission. Identifies and anticipates community needs. Builds effective strategic alliances internally and externally. Collaborates with business partners in the achievement of university goals that support the university’s mission. Initiates and develops strong working relationships with the community. Recognizes the importance of collective strength, knowledge, and information. Actively solicits and acts upon feedback. Develops and implements solutions. Successfully negotiates through persuasion. Gains support and commitment from others. Works to find common ground and group consensus. Takes the necessary measures to solicit and influence internal and external support. Demonstrates commitment to a culture of belonging.

4. FUNCTIONAL OVERSIGHT/MANAGEMENT:

Design, implements and manages a comprehensive development plan focused on expanding and enhancing donor relationships, directing and coordinating activities related to obtaining private support to meet the fundraising priorities of various areas across campus. Builds awareness among constituencies to enhance and significantly expand positive fundraising relationships. Meets annual performance metrics as determined by the Senior Director in collaboration with the Associate Vice President for Development. Manages a portfolio of five to six figure gifts and makes qualification, cultivation and solicitation visits to perspective corporations, foundation, and individual donors; including the submission of proposals, reports, impact reports, evaluates prospect research and devises successful cultivation and stewardship strategies and programs that will help expand the base of support.

In coordination with the Senior Director , assists with planning and implementing the University’s CFR program; serves as liaison to external foundation and corporate communities; writes, edits, and develops proposals and communication materials for corporations and foundations; visits, coordinates visits to, and organizes campus visits by corporate and foundation officers and executives; nominates and invites suitable representatives for volunteer leadership; represents the university to business and civic groups; and maintains high standards of professionalism and integrity.

PURPOSE AND NATURE OF WORK RELATIONSHIPS:

• Works collaboratively with liaison roles, development colleagues and other areas of campus as assigned to engage corporate, foundation and individual donors in programming and initiatives such as student aid, and diversity, equity and inclusion across campus.
• Daily/weekly interaction with faculty, staff, campus leadership, community volunteers, civic and business leaders to influence, gather and provide information, collaborate, consult, and resolve issues.

REQUIREMENTS OF POSITION:

Education and experience required:

• Bachelor’s degree plus two years of progressively responsible work experience in fundraising or related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Will consider transferable skills from fields outside of fundraising that demonstrate the ability to advance philanthropy for the university.
• Strong writing skills, preferably writing grants and/or philanthropic proposals.
• Preferences
  • Experience in diverse, equitable and inclusive philanthropy.
  • Demonstrated commitment and ability to advance the University’s goals in the areas of diversity and inclusive excellence.
  • Work experience in an academic setting, ideally Public Higher Education.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities required for this position:

Leadership / Vision:

• Commitment to CSUSM’s mission and goals as a student-centered university dedicated to teaching excellence and active learning with a university first perspective and a customer focused strategy.
• A commitment to diversity, inclusiveness, and equity in all areas of the university.
• Ability to show a clear and understandable vision for the Division of University Advancement, engage the university community in the implementation of the vision, and build the operational components to execute the vision.
• Ability to lead and enable groups of people to face challenges and achieve results in complex conditions.

Management / Conflict Resolution / Problem Resolution / Initiative / Continuous Improvement:

• Ability to lead courageously by addressing difficult issues.
• Ability to prioritize and manage issues based on sense of urgency and importance of the issues.
• Ability to ensure confidentiality around sensitive issues.
• Ability to initiate and support innovation with creativity, openness to change, flexibility, responsiveness, and future focus.
• Ability to identify current and future challenges and propose and implement effective solutions.
• Experience making effective decisions with sound analytical ability, good judgment, and strong operational focus.

Communication:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively and with purpose to a variety of audiences.
• Successful negotiation and persuasion skills.

Strategic planning / Goal Setting:

• Experience in strategically supporting growth and/or change.
• Experience creating and implementing long and short-term goals.
• Experience in determining and coordinating resource allocations.
• Ability to collaborate with multiple entities to plan and accomplish the objectives in the university’s strategic master plan, coordinating ongoing multiple large and complex projects from conception to completion in a centralized and highly regulated environment.
• Ability to find solutions that result in prudent decisions, to promote mutual satisfaction and positive action, and to develop imaginative approaches to achieve individual, unit and institutional strategic initiatives.
• Ability to apply forward-thinking and creative thought with high ethical standards to develop strategic vision.

Teamwork / Collaboration:

• The ability to work effectively and build strong alliances internally and externally with a diverse range of individuals to bring the University community together around shared goals focused on inclusiveness and equity.
• Ability to recognize, understand, and appreciate distinct roles across the institution, leading with a culture of care.

Functional Area Expertise:

• Demonstrated success in proposal writing, and in the identification, cultivation and solicitation of major corporate, foundation, and individual gifts.
• Demonstrated success in securing and stewarding five to six figure gifts from corporate, foundation and individual donors.
• Ability to work with volunteers and corporate, foundation, and university leaders at the highest levels and with diverse campus and community members.
• Extensive, successful experience in building partnerships with faculty and external constituents.
• Ability to make frequent on and off-site presentations to individuals and corporate leaders.

Machines, tools, equipment, and motor vehicles used in the performance of the duties:

• Standard office and communication equipment.

Unique working conditions:

• Occasional overnight travel.

Other Employment Requirements:

• The person holding this position is considered a ‘mandated reporter’ under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.
• This position is subject to a background check including, but not limited to, employment verification, education verification, reference checks and criminal record checks. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or continued employment of current CSU employees who apply for the position.
• This position is a “designated position” in the California State University’s Conflict of Interest Code. The incumbent in this position is required to file Conflict of Interest forms subject to the regulations of the Fair Political Practices Commission.
• Must participate in required campus trainings including, but not limited to, CSU’s Sexual Misconduct Prevention training; Information Security Awareness Training; and CSU’s Discrimination Harassment Prevention Program for Supervisors.