Assistant Director/Associate Director of Foundation Relations

Assistant Director/Associate Director of Foundation
Relations

Office of the Vice Chancellor for Institutional
Advancement
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Based in Urbana-Champaign with hybrid opportunities

The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement
(OVCIA) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign seeks a
full-time Assistant Director/Associate Director of Foundation
Relations to secure support from private foundations. 

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a global,
preeminent university.  Since its founding in 1867, it has
earned a reputation as a world-class leader in research, teaching,
and public engagement. In 2022, the University successfully
completed its most ambitious philanthropic campaign, “With
Illinois,” raising $2.7 billion during the eight-year campaign and
remains resolute towards its future philanthropic efforts.
Developing a robust Foundation Relations operation to support the
growth and success of the university is critical towards fulfilling
the University’s Boldy
Illinois strategic plan and future fundraising campaign
goals.

OVCIA is charged with building relationships with our
constituents and generating diverse resources that facilitate
Illinois’ academic, research, economic and public services
excellence. Advancement brings together professionals in marketing,
communications, alumni relations, and development to lead these
efforts across the Urbana-Champaign campus.

Organizational Relationship & Job
Summary

Reporting to the Senior Director of Foundation Relations, the
Assistant Director/Associate Director of Foundation Relations is
responsible for identifying, researching, interacting with, and
soliciting funding from local, regional, and national foundations
to support various university initiatives. The ideal candidate
should possess a high degree of independence and self-motivation,
while also being collaborative with colleagues in the Office of
Principal Gifts and Foundation Relations and with staff and
faculty.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Coordinate the development of concept papers, letters of
  inquiry or proposals, assist faculty and staff with editing and
  document preparation, resulting in compelling submissions targeted
  to funders.
• Establish and maintain frontline fundraising relationships for
  a portfolio of 15 to 30 foundations, which includes developing
  proposals and solicitations, while developing a deep understanding
  of the national private foundation landscape.
• Collaborate with advancement staff and faculty to inform them
  about funding opportunities; advise them on effective foundation
  relations processes; discuss strategies; and encourage them to
  pursue the appropriate opportunities. Coordinate with unit
  administrative offices to ensure timely and accurate pre- and
  post-award processes are followed.
• In collaboration with staff in the Office of Principal Gifts
  and Foundation Relations and the University of Illinois Foundation,
  conduct research on foundations and interpret their guidelines to
  evaluate their potential for funding university initiatives.
• Acquire and maintain a knowledge of university initiatives,
  research, and other priorities, and assist with the engagement of
  foundation staff with university leadership, faculty, or
  advancement staff.
• Ensure interactions with foundations are maintained in the
  alumni/donor database and foundation deliverables are coordinated
  with staff of the Office of Principal Gifts and Foundation
  Relations.

Impact in Your First Year

At Advancement at Illinois, we value our employees and provide
resources to help you continually learn and grow. We foster a
strong, collaborative community of people who are driven by their
ability to make a difference.

Within 3 months, you will:

• Become familiar with the operations, processes and priorities
  of the Office of Principal Gifts and Foundation Relations
• Become familiar with the strategic vision and priorities of the
  university
• Become familiar with the overarching structure of Illinois
  Advancement and the alignment between central Advancement services,
  the University of Illinois Foundation, and the University of
  Illinois Alumni Association
• Attend training, professional development, and networking
  activities for newcomers within Advancement
• Understand Illinois’ fundraising fundamentals and how those are
  operationalized in our CRM system

 Within 6 months, you will:

• Begin cultivating relationships with key foundations, and
  deepen those with university and OVCIA colleagues, to create and
  implement appropriate engagement strategies
• Partner advancement colleagues on university initiatives

 By the end of the first year, you
will:

• Continue portfolio growth of engagement and solicitation
  strategies and activities
• Partner with People & Culture for individual coaching,
  professional development, and goal-setting opportunities
• Build a robust network of colleagues across campus

Position Requirements and
Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• For the title of Assistant Director, a minimum of two or more
  years of professional grants-related experience in a higher
  education advancement or related field. For the title of Associate
  Director, a minimum of 3 years of professional grants-related
  experience in a higher education advancement or related field
• Experience working in a service-oriented role with internal
  constituents and collaborating with other staff in a team-oriented
  department

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to understand effective foundation relations and
  solicitation approaches in submitting grant applications.
• Excellent analytical writing, oral communication, and
  interpersonal skills.
• Proactive problem solver with superb organizational skills and
  a high level of ability to manage multiple projects
  simultaneously.
• Demonstrated record of performance, positive attitude, and
  ability to interact effectively with a diversity of stakeholders.
  Ability to work under pressure in a team environment, execute
  detailed procedures, and respect deadlines.
• Familiar with computer software typically used in academic
  research, database management, and grant proposal development (such
  as MS Office suite, Zoom, Teams, Box, Skype).
• Ability to assimilate unfamiliar information and communicate
  its key points to the targeted audience.
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced
  environment and the ability to manage tight deadlines and multiple
  projects.

Salary

Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and
experience, while also considering internal equity. The salary
range for this position starts at $65,000 for the title of
Assistant Director and $75,000 for the title of Associate
Director.

To Apply

To ensure full consideration, application materials must be
received by 6:00pm (CST) on June 4, 2024. The expected start date
is as soon as possible after the close date. Apply for this
position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this
posting and upload a resume, cover letter, and the names,
addresses, phone numbers of three professional references.
Applications not submitted through this website will not be
considered. For further information about this specific position,
please contact Katie Walker at walker74@illinois.edu and/or
visit our Application
Tips site for helpful resources. For questions regarding the
application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

Please note: Immigration sponsorship is not available
for this position.

The Illinois Advancement community is committed to an ongoing,
proactive process to foster and achieve diversity and inclusion in
its development, alumni relations and communication activities. We
will respect and encourage different voices, perspectives and ideas
as we strive to represent individuals of all backgrounds and
cultures which incudes but are not limited to the following:
nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, sexuality, spirituality, age
and ability who represent our alumni, donors and friends of the
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity
employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran
status, and complies with all applicable state and federal
employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment
Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement
and find additional information about required background checks,
sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, COVID-19 vaccination
requirement, and employment eligibility review through
E-Verify.

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may
request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with
Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or
interview process. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable
accommodations
portal, or by contacting the Accessibility & Accommodations
Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by
emailing accessibility@illinois.edu.

CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY:

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a comprehensive
and major public land-grant university (Doctoral/Research
University-Extensive) that is ranked among the best in the world.
Chartered in 1867, it provides undergraduate and graduate education
in more than 150 fields of study, conducts theoretical and applied
research, and provides public service to the state and the nation.
It employs about 3,000 faculty members who serve over 33,000
undergraduates and 17,000 graduate and professional students. More
information about the campus is available at www.illinois.edu.

The university is located in the twin cities of Champaign and
Urbana (total population 226,000) in east-central Illinois, and is
situated about 140 miles south of Chicago, 125 miles west of
Indianapolis, and 170 northeast of St. Louis. The University and
its surrounding communities offer a cultural and recreational
environment ideally suited to the work of a major research
institution. For more information about the community, visit:
Living
in Champaign-Urbana, Experience Champaign Urbana, or
Champaign County Chamber
of Commerce.

Health insurance is available to employees (with the option to
purchase coverage for spouse and dependents), required
participation in State Universities Retirement System (SURS), with
several options for participation in additional retirement plans.

Learn more about employee benefits at the University of
Illinois. Newly hired employees are covered by the
Medicare
portion of Social Security and are subject to this
deduction.

The University of Illinois has a strong commitment to work-life
balance and family-friendly programs for faculty and staff:
 Work-Life
Balance & Family-Friendly Programs and  Other
Work-Life Programs.