Top Foundation Executive jobs in Des Moines, IA

As a member of the foundation relations team, you will help secure support from external organizations in the form of private grants and philanthropic gifts, with a focus on charitable foundations including programmatic grants, sponsored research, and other opportunities to fund and sustain activities across campus.

The Foundation Relations team is committed to building strategic, comprehensive, mutually beneficial partnerships leading to significant investment in research, programs, philanthropic priorities, and other projects in alignment with Iowa State University’s 10-year Strategic Plan. The person in this position should exhibit a commitment to the land grant mission and external investment as a core component of the academic enterprise and developing a knowledge of major research university systems.

Based on qualifications and experience, a selected candidate may hold one of these job titles: Associate Director of Development or Director of Development.

Core Responsibilities

• Manage an assigned portfolio of private foundations with the goal of securing commitments of $100k to generate support for priority projects and programs at Iowa State University.
• Conduct landscape analysis, including current and former foundation relationships and research investment opportunities, to prioritize grant potential and funding fit based on the school’s priorities.
• Create mechanisms and presentations for educating and building strong partnerships with faculty to amplify foundation support opportunities. Comprehend and distill complex research to understand faculty interests and needs.
• Work with the senior director of development to establish annual fundraising goals. Actively participate in the development, implementation, monitoring, and assessment of strategies to achieve goals.
• Serve as a liaison to university, college, and department research leadership and faculty to understand expertise and college priorities and align foundation criteria with funding needs.
• Proactively identify and nurture relationships between external stakeholders and Iowa State University representatives.
• Provide strategy briefings and meeting objectives to university, college, and department leadership and faculty in preparation for face-to-face/virtual interactions with external foundation representatives.
• Document activities in customer relationship management (CRM) Salesforce and project management system.

Qualifications

Education & Work Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or appropriate related years of experience.
• 3 years of experience in foundation relations, grant writing, or related fundraising role, preferably in higher education or nonprofit sector.

Desired Skills & Experience

• Ability to achieve ambitious goals. You should have a proven track record of securing foundation grants and achieving fundraising goals.
• Basic knowledge of foundation fundraising best practices, trends, and compliance requirements.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. The ability to express ideas well and communicate clearly is a must.
• Computer literacy and a high comfort level in learning new programs, systems, and online services. Experience with Salesforce or another CRM and project management software is preferred.
• Superb organizational and time management skills to successfully engage in multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Ability to work with a high level of confidence and independence, prioritize assignments, and manage time effectively. Must be able to work independently and as a self-starter in a team environment.
• Effective interpersonal skills that help foster and maintain strong relationships with colleagues, foundation representatives, university leaders, and faculty. You will need the ability to interact effectively with diverse groups with competing interests and priorities within the university community.
• Must have a high degree of flexibility, accuracy, and attention to detail in a fast-paced environment with numerous deadlines and occasional pressures.
• Knowledge of higher education preferred.
• Creativity, patience, a sense of humor and a belief in our organizational mission of: Aligning donor passion and generosity to advance Iowa State University’s land grant ideals.

Travel: Some travel

FLSA Status: Exempt

Location: Ames, IA; potentially hybrid

For additional information, visit the following pages:

• Iowa State University Foundation
• Benefits Package Information
• Iowa State University