Director, Corporate Philanthropy

Babson College; Wellesley (MA); On-site; USD 156,763 - 174,181; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Retirement plan (403(b) with 4:1 match

generous paid time off

Job summary

Babson College seeks a Director of Corporate Philanthropy to manage a diverse portfolio of corporations and secure six- to seven-figure gifts. You will lead a relationship‑based fundraising program, strategize with senior leaders, and ensure alignment with college priorities.

The role requires extensive travel and onsite presence to cultivate major partnerships. You will mentor colleagues, develop revenue streams through corporate partnerships, and report progress to senior leadership, driving

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• 15+ years fundraising/business development with six-figure gifts.
• At least 5 years of budget management.
• Strong proposal-writing, leadership, and relationship development.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of 75–100 corporate partners for $100k+ gifts.
• Develop strategies with AVP and VP to secure funds for priorities.
• Build corporate engagement and sponsorship pipelines; travel to meet prospects.
• Coordinate with Business Office on contracts and align with Babson Education.
• Provide periodic metrics updates to leadership and maintain a long-term pipeline.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Master’s Degree preferred

15+ years fundraising / business development experience

5+ years budget management

Tools

Microsoft Office

Donor management systems

Email/messaging tools

Internet research

Job description

The Director is responsible for managing all aspects of corporate philanthropy. Working with the Associate Vice President, Capital Giving, and the Vice President, Development, specifically responsible for leading the Corporate Philanthropy effort which includes leading a relationship-based fundraising approach to secure external funding from corporations, which supports the College’s priority initiatives; participating in strategic planning; updating the Development leadership on all corporate activity; identifying, cultivating, and soliciting a portfolio of gifts at the six and seven figure level; collaborating with senior-level stakeholders across the College to identify and secure corporate relationships with existing or potential vendors; helping Finance and Procurement negotiate multi-pronged corporate contracts to leverage collaborative business relationships that maximize sponsorship and philanthropy; and assuming responsibility for corporate sponsorships for spotlight events and engagements.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Manage the College’s relationship with a diverse portfolio of 75-100 organizations capable of making gifts of $100,000 and greater with an emphasis on identifying, pursuing, and closing six and seven figure gifts.
• Work closely with the AVP, Capital Giving, and Vice President to articulate a strategy for securing funds in support of the College’s priorities from corporations, developing, recommending, and implementing appropriate strategies for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding these organizations, securing immediate support for the College’s priorities while maximizing a long-term relationship management strategy.
• Develop a corporate engagement strategy that celebrates businesses that engage with Babson philanthropically and that moves them through a cultivation pipeline.
• Visit an average of 18 prospects per month at their offices, events, and/or via virtual meetings (conference calls, WebEx, etc.).
• Interface with the business office on College contracts to ensure that a philanthropic aspect of the contract is always presented and considered.
• Work with Babson’s Executive Education colleagues to ensure alignment in securing the most comprehensive relationship between corporate clients and the College.
• Support and integrate with Babson’s academic and campus partners on corporate initiatives.
• Manage metrics delivering periodic updates to the Vice President to include pending and pre-proposal pipelines, money raised to date, and demonstrate a pipeline of business development that will ensure future years of funding.
• Consult with Development colleagues, administrators, faculty, board members and others to research and identify appropriate external funding priorities, new grant prospects, and report to senior leadership in achieving the goals and objectives of the fundraising plans.
• Work with volunteers and senior leadership in achieving the goals and objectives of the fundraising plans.
• Engage corporate representatives in events, site visits, and service projects to deepen their commitment and secure long-term support of Babson, traveling to meet with appropriate corporate constituencies to cultivate key relationships and identify opportunities for financial support.
• Represent Babson College and actively network with the Greater Boston community to position Babson College as a non‑profit of choice in the business sector.
• Secure funding from notable global companies who seek to partner with Babson to enhance their own brands and manage those relationships to ensure a consistent pipeline of support.
• Manage relationships with business CEOs and leaders, deepening their personal interests in Babson College and engaging them in meaningful ways at the College.
• Assume additional responsibilities as required.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS YOU WILL NEED

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Minimum of 15+ years of successful work experience as a fundraising and/or business development professional with a track record of achievement raising gifts at the 6+ figure level; and a minimum of 5 years of experience managing a budget.
• Demonstrated success in identifying and securing fundraising relationships with corporate leaders.
• Strong leadership experience, as well as the ability to serve as a mentor and resource to the Development department.
• Familiarity with successful proposal‑writing techniques and processes.
• Ability to take a business development approach to relationship development and securing new revenue streams, philanthropy, and partnerships for the College.
• Excellent business writing, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Ability to represent the College to corporations and their leadership.
• Strong technological skills including proficiency in common Microsoft Office programs, donor records systems, messaging applications, and Internet research.
• Ability to establish credibility and confidence with stakeholders.
• Ability to embrace ideas and changes created by all community members.
• Ability to work independently to solve problems; look for opportunities to take on responsibility; take thoughtful risks; and effectively act on new and ongoing initiatives, objectives, and solutions to gain sought‑after results.
• Ability to anticipate and effectively handle change; demonstrate willingness to try new skills and challenging tasks; and be flexible in changing conditions.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in working with a diverse student body, faculty, staff, and other constituents.

HOW AND WHERE YOU WILL WORK

• Travel as necessary to meet with appropriate corporate prospects.
• Requires work onsite a minimum of 3 days a week (Monday and a minimum of 2 other days with the first 90 days of employment onsite 5 days; additional requirements based on outlined department policy); the on‑campus requirement is subject to modification based on organizational need.
• May require occasional nights and/or weekend work.
• Must have had a valid unrestricted U.S. Driver’s License for one year, and maintain throughout employment an insurable or a satisfactory driving record; must successfully complete and pass the College’s vehicle training program within the first 60 days of employment; annual or more frequent review of employee’s driving record based on the College insurer’s criteria; and safety training as required by management.

ADDITIONAL SKILLS YOU MAY HAVE

• Master’s Degree preferred.
• Experience developing new revenue streams, corporate partnerships and meaningful sponsorship opportunities.
• Experience in higher education philanthropy a plus.

PAID COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

This is an exempt position with the following pay range: $156,763 - $174,181; the role is also eligible for bonuses based on performance and budget.

Babson College offers a comprehensive benefits package for full‑time employees working at least 28 hours per week, including medical, dental, vision, group life and long‑term disability insurance, business travel accident insurance, and mental health benefits. Time off starts at 3 weeks of vacation annually, 2 weeks of sick time, 1 week of paid family illness time, 6 weeks of paid parental leave, and 12 paid holidays per year. The College participates in a 403(b) retirement plan with mandatory employee contributions and a 4:1 employer match. Additional benefits include wellbeing programs, a virtual fitness platform, and an employee assistance program.

All questions or concerns about this posting should be directed to the Office of Human Resources at [e-mail].