Job Summary

Are you an experienced grant writer with a passion for driving impact through securing grants from private and corporate foundations and building meaningful relationships? If you are interested in helping faculty and program staff solve public health problems like access to healthcare and health disparities in underserved communities, or resolve the barriers causing the nation’s current nursing shortage, or improve access to services and change public perception of neurodiverse students and adults, we want to hear from you. Your skills as a grant writer can help to secure critical funding.  

As the Associate Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations, you will lead fundraising efforts for the College of Nursing and Health Professions, Dornsife School of Public Health, the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, and Salus at Drexel University. In this role, you will collaborate with institutional leaders and faculty, strategize to secure significant funding, and craft compelling grant proposals and reports. If you thrive in a dynamic, mission-driven environment and are ready to play a pivotal role in advancing health-related programs, we encourage you to apply. Prior experience in health sciences is not required—your expertise in securing funds from private foundations and corporations and managing key relationships is essential.

This is a hybrid position, and candidates must be located within a reasonable commuting distance to Philadelphia to attend in-person meetings on a monthly basis.

Essential Functions

• Plan, organize, and implement strategies to secure foundation and corporate funds for the College of Nursing and Health Professions, Dornsife School of Public Health, and the A. J. Drexel Autism Institute and Salus at Drexel University.
• Emphasize the importance of relationship-building in working with foundations and corporations and their designees.
• Develop and steward relationships with faculty and staff from the aforementioned school/colleges, departments, institutes, and centers.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director, Foundation & Corporate Relations (Health Sciences) to arrange visits with foundations personnel, which may include virtual meetings.
• Seek out opportunities to host site visits on behalf of the aforementioned school/colleges, departments, institutes, and centers.
• Write, edit and assemble letters of inquiry, grant proposals, stewardship reports, thank you letters, and supporting documentation to foundations and corporations and maintain electronic correspondence with faculty/staff in need of support.
• Work independently and collegially across Institutional Advancement to research and review corporate and foundation prospects and develop strategies for significant funding proposals that are responsive to both University and grantor priorities.
• Make direct contact with grantors to gather information, answer questions or provide other assistance that increases the likelihood of new or renewed investment in Drexel.
• Track deadlines for submitting proposals and stewardship reports for funded projects by preparing and submitting required materials on a timely basis and responding to grantor requests for information.
• Collaborate closely with the Senior Vice President, Institutional Advancement, Associate Vice President, Health Science, Institutional Advancement, Executive Director, Foundation & Corporate Relations and colleagues working at the aforementioned school/colleges, departments, institutes, and centers to develop strategies towards annual and campaign goals and seek out opportunities to maximize fundraising progress.
• Provide high-level customer service to the Dean(s) of assigned colleges/schools/programs and other key leadership as appropriate.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director, Foundation & Corporate Relations (Health Sciences) to assist with the identification and qualification of foundations and develop proposals as needed.
• Participate in FCR internal education activities, which aim to:
  • Ensure that constituents across Drexel are informed about the responsibilities, procedures, and priorities of FCR as a service unit to the entire University.
  • Develop, streamline, and maintain effective procedures, systems, and strategies to support researchers, center directors, and administrators.
  • Develop strategic approaches to foundations and corporations aligned with schools, colleges, departments, and projects in the individual’s portfolio.
• Follow IA procedures regarding prospect management and contact documentation, including responsibility for oversight and submission of all related fundraising reports, statistics, projections and publications.
• Enter reports of contacts within Advance in a timely manner for documentation and reporting purposes.
• Maintain a robust proposal pipeline and work within IA procedures and protocols for tracking progress to goals as an individual, for the portfolio of schools/colleges/programs assigned, and in line with Institutional Advancement’s overall financial goals.
• Coordinate grant submissions with colleagues in foundation and corporate relations across Drexel University as appropriate.
• Work on the internal call process for proposals using the InfoReady system.
• Utilize and follow best practices in foundation relations prospect research tools and techniques.
• Create annual goals for oneself that align well with the schools/colleges/department’s fundraising goals, as well as peers within FCR.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor's degree or Equivalent.
• Minimum of 5 years of full-time grant-writing and editing experience within a non-profit setting.
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal skills.
• Meticulous attention to detail and accuracy and the ability to work independently.
• Ability to handle high volume of specific and increasingly complex proposals as well as other writing assignments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of proposal development as well as corporate and foundation fundraising.
• Excellent administrative skills.
• Knowledge of database fundraising software programs desirable.
• Ability and willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends.

Location

Hybrid: Remote/University City, Philadelphia PA

Additional Information

This position is classified as Exempt with a grade of M, $75,200 - $ 112,790 per year. The offered salary is dependent upon internal equity and the successful candidate’s competencies, education, and experience.

For more information regarding Drexel’s Professional Staff salary structure and Compensation Guidelines & Policies, please visit the Compensation and Salaries website. 

Please review the Benefits Brochure for some information on our benefits offerings.

Special Instructions to the Applicant

Please make sure you upload your CV/resume and cover letter when submitting your application.

Please also upload a copy of a grant proposal you have written within a non-profit setting. Please remove/black-out any sensitive information.

Review of applicants will begin once a suitable candidate pool is identified.