Senior Director of Development, Spur Campus

Colorado State University Foundation; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Paid time off

Retirement plan options

Job summary

The Colorado State University Foundation (CSUF) seeks a Senior Director of Development, Spur Campus, to lead fundraising and partnership efforts for CSU Spur in Denver. You will cultivate major gifts, secure corporate and private foundation support, and work across CSUF, Spur leadership, and campus partners to advance programming and engagement.

You will build strategic donor relationships, oversee proposals and communications, and drive engagement with external stakeholders while supporting

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 7+ years in partnership development or development roles.
• Proven success in major gifts ($50k+) and fundraising programs.
• Willingness to travel nationally and work non-standard hours.
• Valid driver's license and ability to obtain one by start date.

Responsibilities

• Develop fundraising and partnership strategies for CSU Spur and university priorities.
• Cultivate, solicit, steward, and manage a portfolio of donors and partners.
• Identify opportunities in collaboration with Spur leadership and CSUF teams.
• Create proposals, donor communications, and stewardship reports with MarComm.
• Meet or exceed annual fundraising and partnership goals.
• Advise CSU Spur and CSUF on donor engagement and external relations.

Skills

Fundraising

Major gifts

Donor relations

Strategic partnerships

Travel

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Salesforce

Blackbaud

Job description

Position Summary

This position will join a dynamic team at the Colorado State University Foundation (CSUF) that is working alongside the University in fulfilling the promise of the CSU Spur campus in Denver as a research, outreach, and educational space. The Senior Director will work across various cross-functional teams to identify and cultivate corporate and philanthropic partners, as well as individual donors, to support the innovative work of this new campus while fulfilling CSUF's overall goals.

The Senior Director reports to the Executive Director of Development (EDOD) for the Office of Engagement & Extension within the CSU Foundation, is embedded with the Spur Leadership Team, and works closely with them aligning efforts with the Metro Denver engagement strategy. The Senior Director identifies and works to pursue industry and corporate partnerships and corporate and philanthropic funding opportunities to support programming and overall activation of the Spur campus. Programs and activations include research, outreach, K-12 and family programming, capital improvements, events, and more.

Guided by a donor-centric approach and an expansive view of corporate and philanthropic partner engagement, this position will work with the EDOD and Spur Leadership to create and implement a strategy that supports the long-term sustainability of the Spur campus and its programs, allowing CSU to meet its goals of providing a 21st-century approach to the land grant mission. This position is part of a dynamic team within CSUF, sits on the CSU Spur leadership team, and holds primary office space at Spur.

Position Information

• Position Title: Senior Director of Development, Spur Campus
• Organization Name: Colorado State University Foundation
• Reports To: Executive Director of Development, Office of Engagement & Extension
• Employment Type: Full-time
• FLSA Status: Exempt
• Location: Denver, Colorado
• Salary Range: $120,000 - $140,000 annually

Organizational Overview

Located in the beautiful town of Fort Collins, Colorado State University is a premier land-grant university with world-class programs in education, outreach, and research. CSU has a student body of over 34,000 students, 271,911 living alumni, and annual research expenditures exceeding $613 million.

The CSU Spur Campus strives to connect urban and rural communities by bringing awareness and appreciation of the food system, water, and health to a broad audience, engaging the next generation in various careers, and creating innovation to serve rural communities. Through its urban location in Denver, CSU Spur creates connections and appreciation for rural communities in Colorado and will continue to work to honor CSU's rural and agricultural roots. More information about CSU Spur is available at www.csuspur.org.

The Colorado State University Foundation (CSUF) was founded in 1970 and is the official non-profit perpetuity partner for Colorado State University. The CSU Foundation is in the midst of exciting growth as the University Advancement division of CSU recently transitioned to the Foundation, growing the organization to 170 employees. This merger has allowed us to more effectively serve our donors, alumni, and stakeholders with a unified structure, strengthen accountability, and build the capacity to scale our fundraising enterprise. With one of the leading development teams in the country, we most recently achieved our highest fundraising year to date at $231 million.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and execute comprehensive fundraising and partnership strategies to secure philanthropic, corporate, foundation, and industry support for CSU Spur and related university priorities.
• Build, manage, and grow a portfolio of corporate, foundation, and individual donors through effective cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and relationship management.
• Identify and pursue new philanthropic, corporate, grant, and strategic partnership opportunities in collaboration with CSU Spur leadership, CSUF, Corporate Relations, and campus partners.
• Develop compelling proposals, case statements, donor communications, stewardship reports, and other fundraising materials in partnership with CSUF and OEE MarComm.
• Meet or exceed annual fundraising, partnership, and engagement goals established in collaboration with university leadership.
• Serve as the primary development liaison between CSU Spur, CSUF, and the Fort Collins campus, fostering collaboration across colleges, departments, and university leadership.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with donors, corporate leaders, foundations, community organizations, and other external stakeholders throughout Colorado and beyond.
• Represent the CSU Foundation, CSU and CSU Spur at internal and external meetings, events, and community engagements to strengthen relationships, enhance visibility, and identify new partnership opportunities.
• Stay informed about CSU Spur priorities, programs, and emerging initiatives to align philanthropic opportunities with institutional goals.
• Work collaboratively across CSUF to advance university-wide fundraising priorities and maximize philanthropic impact.
• Maintain a high degree of confidentiality and adheres to the industry policies and procedures for accepting, recording, and acknowledging gifts.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of experience in partnership development and/or a development officer
• Demonstrated experience and measurable success in conceptualizing, designing, and implementing a dynamic fundraising program with emphasis on major gifts
• Demonstrated success in acquiring major gifts at the $50,000 level or above
• Ability and willingness to work non-standard hours, including nights and/or weekends as needed, and travel nationally.
• Must have a valid driver's license or the ability to obtain a driver's license by the employment start date.

Preferred Qualifications

• Significant advancement leadership experience with demonstrated success securing major and principal gifts in higher education, healthcare, scientific, nonprofit, or similarly complex organizations.
• Proven experience cultivating, soliciting, stewarding, and managing relationships with individual donors, corporations, private foundations, and other philanthropic partners.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute comprehensive fundraising strategies that advance institutional priorities and campaign objectives.
• Experience partnering with executive leadership, faculty, and administrative leaders to build collaborative relationships and advance organizational goals.
• Strong understanding of fundraising principles, ethics, donor-centered philanthropy, and best practices in prospect management and stewardship.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional, multidisciplinary initiatives while balancing multiple complex priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Experience building, mentoring, and motivating high-performing development teams through collaboration, accountability, and effective communication.
• Ability to establish priorities, exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and adapt to evolving organizational needs.
• Strong relationship-building skills with diverse constituencies including donors, volunteers, faculty, students, alumni, corporate partners, foundations, and community leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate fundraising outcomes, communicate impact, and prepare compelling written proposals, reports, and presentations.
• Exceptional written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Knowledge of Colorado's philanthropic landscape and familiarity with agriculture, water, health, sustainability, natural resources, or related industries is preferred.
• Strong financial acumen, including experience with budgets, financial planning, and resource management.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and donor CRM systems (such as Salesforce or Blackbaud) and the ability to leverage data to inform fundraising strategy.
• Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) or other relevant professional certification preferred.

As an employer of choice, the CSU Foundation offers a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage, generous paid time off, an Employee Assistance Program, CSUF-sponsored life insurance, a voluntary 403(b) tax deferred annuity retirement plan option and a 401(a) defined contribution retirement plan where 12% of the annual salary is contributed at no cost to the employee, with a two-year vesting schedule.

CSU Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) it is our policy to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability unless such accommodation would cause undue hardship.

CSU Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) it is our policy to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability unless such accommodation would cause undue hardship.

120,000 - 140,000