Director of Development, Foundation Relations, College of Engineering

The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA) the private fundraising and alumni relations organization for the University of WisconsinMadison is seeking a relationship-driven and strategic Director of Development Foundation Relations to support the College of Engineering.This role is ideal for a collaborative fundraiser who enjoys connecting innovative academic and research priorities with philanthropic foundations that want to make a meaningful impact.

In this role you will build manage and steward strategic relationships with philanthropic foundations to advance the academic research and engagement priorities of the College of Engineering. You will work closely with college leadership faculty staff and WFAA colleagues to identify funding opportunities develop compelling proposals and communicate the impact of foundation support. This position will be a combination of remote in-office and on-site work environments.

Who is WFAA
The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association is a private nonprofit corporation that encourages individuals and organizations to make gifts to the university and to connect with the 2014 the UW Foundation merged with the Wisconsin Alumni Association to better serve a growing population of UW alumni and donors. We believe that private support grows out of good relationships between campus leaders faculty and program staff who need support and the alumni and friends who want to invest in UWMadison. We provide important engagement opportunities to link UWMadison alumni to each other and to their alma mater building a strong community of Badgers.

Diversity and Inclusion:

Just as the university community benefits from differing viewpoints perspectives and experiences inclusion and diversity are imperative for the success of our mission. WFAA values people and the differences that they bring to the organization and creates an environment in which all staff members and constituents feel respected and have opportunities to thrive.

• Identifying and cultivating new relationships with foundations that support the programming and research goals of the College and its constituent departments and schools;
• Coordinating managing and advancing existing relationships with external foundation funding partners;
• Developing strong collaborative partnerships with internal and external stakeholders and leveraging those relationships to result in successful funding opportunities;
• Working with the dean associate deans department chairs faculty and staff to identify develop and submit funding proposals;
• Facilitating stewardship of awarded funds including required reporting by funding partners and communicating research and programming impact to internal and external stakeholders;
• Creating and presenting concise readily understood presentations of complex materials;
• Maintaining knowledge of current best practices and trends in foundation-based philanthropy;
• Successfully articulating department and College research and programming priorities to internal and external stakeholders;
• Understanding and accessing resources within WFAA to support the fund development process.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree or equivalent professional work experience
• Experience working in a university setting and an understanding of research/programs engineering fields
• 3 years of experience in fundraising from philanthropic foundations
• Advanced oral and written communication skills including grant writing skills.
• Ability to create and deliver concise informational presentations is required.
• Ability to meet travel requirements (25%)

Other Qualifications:

• Intellectual curiosity paired with an advanced ability to think creatively and independently about concepts requiring advanced analytical skills.
• Advanced interpersonal skills and ability to work with diverse groups to achieve results.
• Must be self-motivated take initiative and lead work independently.

At WFAA we are dedicated to creating an inspiring creative and respectful work environment for our employees. We offer competitive pay and an outstanding benefits program including a generous 10% 401k contribution after just one year of service! Join us and be part of a team that values your growth and well-being.Click hereto learn more about our employee benefits!

*The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association is an Equal Opportunity Employer *The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association () is the doing business as name of the merged organization comprising the University of Wisconsin Foundation () and the Wisconsin Alumni Association (). Its legal corporate name is registered as the University of Wisconsin Foundation.