This panel discussion will review a variety of non-frontline fundraising roles that sit on Corporate & Foundation Relations (CFR) teams. Panelists will describe their roles, the value they provide and how they are evaluated, their career paths, and making the case for non-frontline fundraising positions.

Many of our universities and institutions work in an increasingly complex funding environment. This includes blurred lines between corporate/individual giving, family foundations/LLCs/DAFs, foundation/private donor gifts, and hybrid gifts-grants that may include outright contracts. As complexities grow, miscommunications between offices can lead to strained relationships with funders and higher institutional hurdles. There is no quick fix to navigating these situations; however, as a collective of CFR professionals, we have considerable wisdom to share.
This session will explore how different institutions navigate the challenges of an evolving funding environment, with CFR offices taking the lead in fostering collaboration rather than acting as gatekeepers. Attendees will learn about innovative approaches that utilize the expertise of multiple offices, increasing both bandwidth and the success rate of proposals.
The panel will feature a diverse mix of institutions, from liberal arts colleges to major research universities and health systems, each offering unique insights into building effective partnerships in higher education and research landscapes. Panelists will engage audience participants in a lively exchange that we hope will help conference attendees develop custom toolkits they can use in the future.

Many foundations are mission-driven organizations working on some of the most pressing issues of our time: democracy, climate change, and health equity, to name a few. How do they know their funding is making an impact? How do they evaluate their programs and argue for putting resources towards one program versus another? Join us for an inside look at how some leading foundations evaluate their funding programs, and get tips on how you can make your university's proposals more compelling. The panel will bring together experts from foundations who are committed to using evidence to increase the impact of their funding, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the William T. Grant Foundation. The foundation representatives will also share upcoming funding priorities for their organizations and what they hope to achieve.

Is corporate philanthropy alive and well? Yes, and… when it comes to higher education, philanthropy is but one way to engage companies. This panel will facilitate a lively discussion of the evolving landscape of corporate engagement with higher education — where we’ve come from and where we’re headed. We’ll gain an understanding of where philanthropy can be an effective approach, but we’ll also hear from companies about the breadth of ways we can engage with them to bring value to our universities while supporting companies’ aims and aspirations.

Many foundation opportunities focus on early-career faculty, especially Assistant Professors — in fact, the Boston University Foundation Relations (BU FR) team maintains a growing list that contains more than 350 early career funding programs. Many early career faculty members, across all disciplines, have never engaged with foundation funding and look to their foundation relations colleagues for assistance. BU FR has developed a toolkit for faculty that encourages proposal submission and increases funding success. This session will introduce the tools to engage and support early-career faculty with funding programs targeting their professional level, which include the following: identifying incoming faculty accompanied by introductory meetings, tailoring Early-Career Funding Roadmaps for faculty; maintaining a Successful Proposal Library; arranging “Red Team” Application/Presentation reviews; holding webinars with funders for faculty; and providing data on who has success with particular awards. These tools have helped our BU FR team develop long-standing relationships with faculty members, build faculty confidence in applying for foundation funding, and achieve repeated funding success in prestigious programs.

We’ve all been there. Whether it’s trying to re-engage a donor who’s gone cold, recovering from a fumbled communication or meeting, or nursing a relationship that’s barely hanging on—fundraisers need to know the ins and outs of repairing and revitalizing donor relationships. Join us for a session filled with relatable stories and case studies that showcase the ins and outs of reconnecting with donors. Sure, building new relationships with corporate and foundation donors can feel like the easier route, but don’t underestimate the power of reviving lapsed or even strained relationships. Sometimes the most fruitful connections need a little TLC to flourish! You’ll leave with actionable tips for repairing, rekindling and revitalizing your funder relationships.

It seems every public- and private-sector organization is exploring how partnerships can help advance their missions and increase their impact. While there is a strong desire to leverage collaborations, many universities — and their partners — struggle to maximize the impact of partnership. This session will explore contemporary approaches that companies, governments, private funders, and universities are employing to increase impact, and we’ll also examine some of the new approaches that are being developed and piloted.