Associate Director, Corporate and Foundation Relations

Job Description:

The Associate Director is a key member of the front-line Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR), team, responsible for supporting the college’s efforts to build philanthropic relationships with national and local foundations, corporations, and government agencies. The Associate Director supervises the Assistant Director and works with the Senior Director to identify and evaluate prospects, write proposals, LOIs, concept papers, and other solicitation materials, provide a high-level of stewardship to current donors through quality written reports and related communications, and conduct outreach to CF prospects and donors through networking events, phone calls, meetings, and visits. S/he will conduct direct solicitations to meet established goals for securing philanthropic support for Berklee programs and initiatives. The ideal candidate will have at least two years or more of relevant work experience and an established record of success securing funding from foundations and corporations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Write and edit proposals, reports, LOIs and other materials for submission of project-based and initiative-based grant applications to foundation, corporate, and government funders
• Provide timely and compelling reports to existing funders
• Supervise the Assistant Director of CFR, providing direction and support to ensure annual goals for performance and professional growth are met
• Use industry-standard resources, such as Foundation Center Directory, to research and identify funding opportunities; work closely with the Assistant Director to proactively manage research/prospect pipeline for CFR
• Prepare proposal budgets and budget narratives in collaboration with the finance office and program staff
• Interact effectively with campus leaders and program staff, as well as with foundation and corporate representatives to ensure successful proposal submissions
• Stay conversant with emerging philanthropic trends and best practices in foundation and corporate giving; recommend new ideas as appropriate to enable the team to creatively secure funding
• Exercise good time management, critical thinking and sound judgment to prioritize projects and identify viable opportunities to pursue funding
• Assist major gifts and stewardship teams in the development of proposals and stewardship reports for individual donors when appropriate (for example, for donors who give through a family foundation)
• On occasion, and at the direction of the AVP of Institutional Advancement, draft, edit, and proofread written materials and correspondence for the IA office

Knowledge and Skills Required:

• At least 5 years of experience in advancement or nonprofit administration, and a record of success in securing gifts from foundations, corporations, and individuals through effective proposal writing
• An interest in music, the performing arts, and/or education desired
• Strong written communications skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information into compelling prose and effectively tailor messaging to different audiences
• Ability to research and cultivate strong relationships among foundation, corporate, and government funding sources to continuously build a pipeline of qualified funding prospects
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with a proven ability to set priorities, bring projects to completion, and meet multiple deadlines with a high degree of autonomy
• Excellent interpersonal skills, and ability to work well with a variety of campus stakeholders
• Willingness to travel and work occasional weekends and evenings
• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree
• Remote/hybrid work arrangements possible; ability to be on campus for key meetings and events is necessary

This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” employment relationship.

 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Equal Employment Opportunity at Berklee: 

We support an inclusive workplace where everyone excels based on personal merit, qualifications, experience, ability, and job performance.  Berklee affirms that inequality is detrimental to our faculty, staff, students, and the communities we serve. Our goal is to make lasting change through our actions. Berklee is committed to providing fair and equitable consideration of all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, ancestry, age, national origin, place of birth, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, or status as a member of the armed forces or veteran of the armed forces, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.

As part of this commitment, Berklee w