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.

Now is the perfect time to join Auburn Advancement, a dynamic team encompassing Operations and Strategy, Culture and Talent, Engagement, Philanthropy, and Communications. Under the visionary leadership of Senior Vice President Rob Wellbaum, Auburn Advancement continues to build momentum and shape the future of philanthropy at Auburn University.

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