Assistant Director, Foundation Relations and Strategic Initiatives

About Occidental College

Founded in 1887, Occidental is a nationally recognized, private college of the liberal arts and sciences, dedicated to providing a gifted and diverse group of students with a total educational experience of the highest quality -- one that prepares them for leadership in an increasingly complex, interdependent and pluralistic world.

What makes Occidental special? An intellectually rigorous academic environment. Small classroom settings where students collaborate with professors and their peers while pursuing or discovering their passion. A beautiful residential campus that offers students hands-on engagement with the cultural and intellectual resources of Los Angeles. A community open to stimulating conversation and divergent points of view. Some 2,100 students from 46 states and 28 countries choose from 41 majors and minors and participate in one the country’s top undergraduate research programs. Oxy students routinely win top awards and fellowships; its first Rhodes Scholar was named in 1907. Dedicated to excellence and equity, Occidental also is one of the country’s most economically diverse campuses, according to the New York Times. Some 71 percent of Oxy students receive some form of financial aid; 20 percent are Pell Grant recipients; and 19 percent are the first in their family to attend college

Job Summary

Reporting to the Executive Director of Corporate, Foundation and Strategic Initiatives, the Assistant Director supports the College's comprehensive fundraising goals for the identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of private institutional prospects and donors. The Assistant Director develops and writes grant proposals, implements cultivation and solicitation strategies for an assigned portfolio of foundation prospects, collaborates on the College's annual grant renewal program, ensures comprehensive stewardship of donors, supports principal gift writing, and proactively supports annual fundraising targets. This is a hybrid position that requires a minimum of three days in the office. To ensure portfolio coverage, this role requires local and domestic travel of up to 10%-20%.

Job Duties

• 60% - Grantseeking & CFR Portfolio Management - Manage existing and proactively expand a portfolio of 20-30 private foundation prospects. Develop compelling narratives and cases for support, collaborate closely with key internal and external partners to craft proposals, reports and stewardship documents. Communicate with assigned prospects through face-to-face cultivation, solicitation and stewardship meetings as well as written strategies. Ensure adherence to College and funder guidelines, and alignment with institutional fundraising priorities. Collect and validate institutional data as required to demonstrate impact of grants/philanthropic support. Ensure grant compliance and timely reporting. Collaborate with OSI colleagues to ensure smooth CFR operations. Manage and participate in site visits and special events to establish, maintain, and improve donor relationships; represent the College in meetings with foundations with other administrators or faculty; ensure appropriate follow-up activity. - (Essential)
• 30% - Collaboration & Content Knowledge - Develop and sustain relationships with faculty and key program staff to understand the range of work at Oxy, enhance storytelling, and to map institutional needs and priorities with funding opportunities. Help guide faculty's understanding of the grantseeking process, funder requirements and Oxy's internal grant oversight procedures; work with colleagues to provide ongoing support and donor engagement training for faculty partners. Liaise effectively with the President's Office, Dean's Office, Sponsored Research Office, Business Office, Center for Research and Scholarship and other campus partners. Develop briefings and preparatory documents for college leadership as requested/needed. In collaboration with the Prospect Research team, identify and develop new funding sources. Partner with OSI colleagues on proposal management. Provide additional writing support as required. Support drafting of principal gift proposals for individual prospects as requested; collaborate with gift officers and other campus partners on the customization of persuasive requests. Develop and grow personal knowledge about both the local and national philanthropic landscape. - (Essential)
• 10% - Other IA Support Support - IA tentpole events and other on campus activities. Serve as a College ambassador at events, meetings and visits. - (Essential)

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in related field to position duties or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Three years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising, development, or advancement, including experience supporting and developing donor cultivation and solicitation strategies, as well as prior grant writing experience in a nonprofit or educational setting.
• Familiarity with Salesforce CRM functionality and processes.
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize information and concepts to clearly convey value to potential donors.
• Ability to analyze, synthesize and organize data, and present findings in a compelling and comprehensible manner for different audiences.
• Skill in organizing ideas and turning institutional objectives and messages into compelling cases for philanthropic support.
• Ability to convey messages through words, images, data and infographics.
• Ability to be detail-oriented and thorough, and to anticipate and prevent potential problems, ability to handle a wide variety of tasks with efficiency and accuracy.
• Strong commitment to a quality work product.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate verbally, in writing and electronically. interpersonal skills as evidenced in the ability to collaborate with a variety of constituencies.
• Demonstrated commitment to justice, equity, inclusion & diversity.
• Demonstrated skill in adapting to and performing work effectively in high-volume, high accountability, confidential environment with multiple and changing priorities.
• Effective organizational, logistical, time management and planning skills with the ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks/projects simultaneously, prioritize and fulfill the functions of an office in a timely manner.
• Ability to self-motivate and work independently.
• Strong collaborator with the ability to work effectively and professionally across functions, disciplines, levels, and diverse groups.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Google drives/folders/forms, Adobe Acrobat, or any combination of productivity programs applicable to position responsibilities.