Office of Foundation Relations

The mission of the Office of Foundation Relations is to engage in foundation development activities that help Arizona State University (ASU) achieve its vision of becoming a New American University. Foundation Relations assists its university colleagues both by promoting priority initiatives and identifying promising projects that further ASU’s objectives. Emphasis is placed on obtaining funding for activities that contribute to the public good and outreach that connects ASU to the community. In order to accomplish its goals, Foundation Relations:

• Focuses on the university’s priority areas which include the Biodesign Institute, the Global Institute for Sustainability, the University Public Schools Initiative, urban ecology, planetary science, and programs that further its goal of social embeddedness
• Manages ongoing cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of community, family and independent foundations
• Establishes and maintains administrative practices that ensure a coordinated and strategic approach to foundation funding
• Works with the campuses, colleges and units to identify and develop promising programs and match them with foundation funders
• Responds to requests from our university colleagues for assistance with other activities related to foundation funding such as program development and proposal writing and editing.

Our highest priority is to increase foundation funding for the programs that are most promising in terms of their ability to raise ASU’s level of excellence in teaching, research, and service, while building its reputation within the local and national foundation communities. 

In addition to our efforts to identify projects that may be of interest to foundations, we are also responsible for assisting ASU faculty, staff and development officers with other foundation-related activities such as:

• Project development
• Foundation strategy development
• Preparation of concept summaries, letters of inquiry and proposals
• Contact with program officers when appropriate
• Cultivation and stewardship activities

The services of the Office of Foundation Relations are available to all of our ASU colleagues: development officers, sponsored projects officers, faculty and staff.  We are committed to providing whatever level of assistance is requested. Our ability to do so depends on timely communication from colleagues of all foundation solicitation activities as early in the process as possible.