Foundation Relations Officer

Overview

Auburn Advancement is excited to begin the search for a Foundation Relations Officer to join the Corporate and Foundation Relations team! This position plays a key role in advancing Auburn University's philanthropic mission by building meaningful relationships with public and private foundation partners and securing critical support for university priorities and initiatives.

What You'll Do:

• Build and Manage Foundation Relationships: Identify, cultivate, and maintain relationships with foundation donors and prospects through strategic research, outreach, peer reviews, and engagement opportunities. Partner with stakeholders across campus to align funding opportunities with Auburn's priorities.
• Secure Philanthropic Support: Develop and present compelling proposals and funding opportunities to foundations through in-person meetings, presentations, and ongoing communication. Help secure increased philanthropic support that drives impact across the university.
• Steward and Engage Donors: Ensure foundations feel valued and connected to Auburn through thoughtful stewardship efforts, including personalized acknowledgements, regular updates, events, and engagement opportunities that highlight the impact of their support.
• Collaborate Across Campus: Serve as a central partner to colleges, schools, and units across Auburn University by coordinating foundation fundraising efforts and helping maximize engagement opportunities with corporate and foundation stakeholders.
• Drive Strategic Fundraising Efforts: Prepare reports, analyze fundraising data, develop proposals and campaigns related to funding priorities, and support strategic planning efforts that advance university goals and objectives.

Why You'll Love It Here:

• Meaningful Impact: Your work will directly support Auburn University's mission and help create opportunities that positively impact students, faculty, research, and programs across campus.
• Collaborative Culture: Join a team that values partnership, innovation, and shared success while working alongside passionate professionals dedicated to advancing Auburn.
• Purpose-Driven Work: Experience a role where relationship-building and strategic thinking come together to create meaningful philanthropic impact.
• Culture by Design: Thrive in an environment that champions professional growth, accountability, collaboration, and respect.

The nature of this role is highly relationship-focused and externally engaged, requiring meetings on and off campus during regular and non-traditional business hours. This position is expected to operate with a high level of professionalism, initiative, and autonomy.

Responsibilities

• Identifies potential prospects for cultivations through research, initial contact ratings, peer reviews and other relevant resources.
• Solicits gifts and/or club memberships through person-to-person visits, group presentations, and/or phone contacts.
• Provides stewardship to include acknowledging and showing gratitude for donating/joining clubs either by letter, phone call, and/or participating in/attending events and function for donors.
• Updates and informs supervisors and other staff of goal status, new plans and project proposals, and ensures that a cooperative team effort is made to meet goals and objectives.
• Prepares budget with input provided by Director, reviews and approves financial records, vouchers and acquisitions.
• Develops reports, records, and programs and analyzes information necessary to plan and complete projects and assignments.
• May develop campaigns and/or presentation proposals related to funding priorities in order to keep top prospects informed, interested, involved and to meet development goals and objectives.
• The nature of this role is highly externally focused, requiring frequent travel and meetings on and off campus during regular and non-traditional business hours, and is therefore expected to operate with high-levels of autonomy.
• May produce or assists in producing marketing materials to support development efforts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree
• 4 years of experience in fundraising, marketing, sales, and/or public relations
• Driver License