Proposal resources

To learn more about Global Corporate Advancement. please email Jennie.Denison@asufoundation.org.

How Global Corporate Advancement can help you

Corporations are shifting toward more strategic partnerships. Corporate giving strategies no longer favor widespread grants to numerous non-profits. Instead, today’s corporate giving programs are closely aligned with business strategies and defined by deep engagements with a shrinking number of partner organizations. To help ensure that ASU is the academic partner of choice for companies in Arizona, the United States, and around the world, Global Corporate Advancement helps to:

• Secure philanthropic support from the corporate sector
• Partner with corporate representatives and development colleagues to develop university-wide corporate fundraising and engagement strategies
• Identify competitive ASU programs and match them with corporate interests
• Cultivate and maintain ongoing relationships with corporate executives and program officers
• Coordinate multi-unit ASU site visits for corporate partners
• Respond to requests from university colleagues for assistance with other activities related to corporate fundraising, including proposal writing and editing

Note: for assistance with gift and grant agreements, please email ASUFoundationgrants@asufoundation.org.

Meet the Team​

Jennie Denison, Director of Development for Global Corporate AdvancementJennie.Denison@asufoundation.org

Bryn Creek, Development Officer for Global Corporate Advancement

Overview of Foundation Development

The Foundation Development team works to match the interests of private foundations with ASU’s research and programmatic strengths and priorities. We work with university leadership, faculty, and development colleagues to identify foundation funding sources and provide assistance through the proposal process.

We strive to advance the university’s academic, research and institutional goals through lasting partnerships with foundations. These partnerships help develop solutions to technical and social challenges, enrich the excellence of faculty research and teaching, and help generations of exceptional students realize their academic potential.

To learn more about Foundation Development, please email andrew.nelson@asufoundation.org.

How Foundation Development can help you

Like ASU, foundations are mission-driven organizations that are seeking both meaningful change and partners that can help them bring about that change. To be competitive, projects must move the needle in significant and innovative ways on an issue of interest to the funder.

To this end, Foundation Development assists with the following:

• Foundation prospect identification
• In-depth foundation research
• Foundation strategy development
• Contact with Program Officers when appropriate
• Letters of inquiry and proposals
• Cultivation and stewardship activities

Foundation Development is committed to providing our colleagues whatever assistance they require. Note: The earlier you communicate with us about foundation-related activities/needs, the better able we will be to provide you with assistance.

Note: for assistance with gift and grant agreements, please email ASUFoundationgrants@asufoundation.org.

Meet the Team

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Andrew Nelson, Executive Director of Development, Foundation Development, andrew.nelson@asufoundation.org

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Kyle Gresenz , Director of Development, Foundation Development, Kyle.Gresenz@asufoundation.org

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• Shanece Wells, Development Officer, Foundation Development, Shanece.Wells@asufoundation.org

Overview of Writing Services

ASU Foundation Writing Services is a central development services unit that assists development colleagues across the university with philanthropic writing projects. From simple copy editing to impact reporting to proposal writing, our team is ready to help you tell the story of ASU and shape the narrative for your specific donor audience.

To engage Writing Services, please email WritingServices@asufoundation.org.

How Writing Services can help you

Our Services:

The Writing Services team is excited to help you craft a professional and compelling narrative in support of your fundraising efforts. We can assist you with any of the following types of philanthropic writing projects:

• Proposals and letters requesting philanthropic support from an individual or organization*
• Letters of Inquiry briefly describing your project to a potential donor
• Reports (aka impact reports) outlining to a donor how their funds were used and how their gift made an impact
• Case Statements or Concept Documents describing your project and the case for philanthropic support broadly
• Pitch Decks in preparation for a presentation to a funder
• Proofreading your proposals, letters or reports and providing feedback
• Copyediting your proposals, letters or reports to catch typos or grammatical issues
• Other writing-related projects intended for philanthropic purposes

*Note: If you are planning to submit a proposal or LOI to a foundation, please connect first with Andrew Nelson, senior director, Foundation Development, at andrew.nelson@asufoundation.org. “If you are planning to approach a corporation for philanthropic support, please connect first with Jennie Dennison, Director of Development for Global Corporate Advancement at asufoundationgrants@asufoundation.org.

Working with Writing Services:

To engage the Writing Services unit, please email WritingServices@asufoundation.org to discuss your specific needs. One of our writers will be assigned to your project; they will connect with you and/or other project leads as necessary to discuss further details and solicit additional information they may need to complete the assignment.

Here are some helpful tips to help us help you:

• Please detail the scope of what you are looking for. Assistance with a writing project can take many forms, from a simple copy edit to a thorough document review and revision to significant co-authoring. Let us know the specifics of what you are looking for.
• Please give us advanced notice. We will always do our best to accommodate you. If you can give us advanced notice, that will help us schedule time for your project.
• Please tell us your deadline. Whether it’s an internal deadline or the funder’s published due date, please let us know.
• Context is key! You know your project better than anyone else. The more you can share with us about the project, its goals and its leaders, the better.

Find Funding

Here are some helpful tools to assist you with identifying potential funding sources:

• Sign up to receive the ASU Foundation’s RFP Alert newsletter.
• Visit the Knowledge Enterprise’s funding.asu.edu to brows funding opportunities.

Additional resources for prospect and proposal research:

• Foundation Directory Online: Detailed profiles of U.S. grant makers
• Foundation Center: Information on philanthropy, fundraising and grant making programs
• Philanthropy News Digest: A leading source of information on philanthropy in the news
• Chronicle of Philanthropy: Free online subscription, the premier news source of the world of philanthropy
• GRAPES: UCLA's Graduate and Postdoc Educational Support helps you find fellowships, scholarships, and awards

Network with other faculty:

• SciVal Experts: Find faculty collaborators at ASU, UA, and NAU

Links to ASUF Institutional and Financial Information Frequently Requested by Grant Makers

Following are links to ASU Foundation forms that are frequently requested by grant makers as part of proposal submissions:

• Annual operating budget
• Financial statements, Articles of Incorporation and Corporate Bylaws, and IRS documents
• IRS Form W9
• ASU Foundation Board of Directors
• Bank Letter (provided by ASUFoundationgrants@asufoundation.org upon request)
• ASU / ASUF Fee Policy Memo (for budgets being administered by ORSPA)

These links can be helpful to finding facts and data about ASU and ASUF for inclusion in your proposals:

• ASU Foundation Institutional Information Sheet
• ASUF Board and Employee Demographics
• ASU Facts
• Inclusive Excellence at ASU

Additional Resources

• A Guide to the Basics of Corporate and Foundation Philanthropy – Obtaining corporate and foundation funding is different from obtaining federal funding. This guide will introduce you to the basics.
• Knowledge Enterprise Research Development – This site provides ASU faculty, students and staff with a robust suite of resources to help you succeed in securing research funding.

Proposal Templates

More often than not, funders will provide their own templates or request specific information be uploaded into their online grants portal. In cases where no guidance is given, these templates can help you organize your document:

• Proposal Planning Worksheet
• Proposal Outline

Feel free to email WritingServices@asufoundation.org to request samples of previously submitted letters, proposals, or reports, etc.

Overview of Moonshot Accelerator

The Moonshot Accelerator is a central unit of the ASU Foundation. We provide teams of ASU faculty, staff, and their community partners with a continuum of support and learning opportunities to secure philanthropic resources for their ideas at any scale. As part of the continuum of supports, we:

• Design and lead experiences that equip ASU faculty and staff with the tools they need to collaborate with the ASU Foundation and pursue philanthropic funding for their work (at any scale).
• Build a robust moonshot pipeline through programming that equips ASU teams with the foundational approaches and tools for moonshot thinking.
• Provide specialized support and coaching to enhance the competitiveness of ASU teams who are advancing proposals in philanthropic moonshot competitions.

Join our mailing list to stay in the loop with our upcoming programming and other moonshot opportunities!

Join the mailing list

How the Moonshot Accelerator can help you

Advancing ideas to address society’s most complex challenges requires rigorous design, collaboration across sectors, systems thinking, and dynamic iteration—and philanthropy is uniquely positioned to help test and scale such ideas. Higher education institutions like ASU are well positioned to generate these ideas, but effectively translating them into philanthropic investment requires intentional strategy and relationship-building.

The ASUF Moonshot Accelerator equips ASU teams with the training, frameworks, and support needed to engage donors and build investable projects over time. From first-time philanthropic gifts to moonshot investments of $10M or more, the Accelerator helps ideas become ready for meaningful philanthropic partnership. Learn more about our programs and training below:

• Discovering Philanthropy Program: The Discovering Philanthropy program is a workshop series designed to help ASU faculty and staff better understand the philanthropic sector and how to engage with philanthropic funders to advance their work. Through workshop sessions, faculty explore the philanthropic landscape, connect with ASU Foundation’s frontline fundraisers, and develop a philanthropically compatible vision and framing for their work. Additionally, ASU Foundation development staff have the opportunity to request unit-specific workshops.
• For more information on the Discovering Philanthropy program, email arianna.beverly@asufoundation.org
• Join the Discovering Philanthropy mailing list to stay up-to-date on learning opportunities.
• Join the Discovering Philanthropy mailing list
• Moonshot Cohort Program: The Moonshot Cohort prepares teams of ASU faculty, staff, and their community partners to design, strategize, and lead big ideas to address complex societal challenges and position themselves to secure philanthropic funding for their work. The Moonshot Cohort is a 9-month program (August-May), taking teams through monthly in-depth sessions on topics, frameworks, and approaches common in the philanthropic space. The Moonshot team holds an open application process every spring, selecting up to ten teams for participation in each Cohort cycle.
• For more information on the Moonshot Cohort, email monro.obenauer@asufoundation.org
• Moonshot Workshops and Moonshot Thinking Primers: The Moonshot Accelerator team hosts in-depth workshops (4-8 hours in length) and Moonshot Thinking Primers (60-minute webinars) that equip ASU faculty, staff, and their community partners with the foundational approaches and tools for building a moonshot idea. Workshop and webinar topics include: theory of change, systems thinking, scaling pathways, and measurement and evaluation.
• Moonshot Workshops and Moonshot Thinking Primers are advertised through our Moonshot mailing list.
• Join the Moonshot mailing list
• Coaching and Proposal Development Support: The ASU Moonshot Accelerator team provides 1:1 coaching and proposal development support to ASU teams submitting proposals for philanthropic “moonshot” competitions (see examples here). The Moonshot Accelerator team also coordinates support from other central services teams, including Outreach Hub and Writing Services, bringing the full capacity of ASUF to bear on these high-risk, high-reward opportunities.
• Active Moonshot RFP opportunities are shared through our Moonshot mailing list.
• Join the Moonshot mailing list

Meet the Team

Michelle Govani, Assistant Vice President, Moonshot and Science Philanthropy, michelle.govani@asufoundation.org

Jace Reed, Assistant Director of Development, Moonshot and Science Philanthropy, jace.reed@asufoundation.org

Monro Obenauer, Assistant Director, Moonshot Cohort, monro.obenauer@asufoundation.org

Arianna Beverly, Program Manager, Discovering Philanthropy, arianna.beverly@asufoundation.org