Private foundations differ in many ways from federal funders, from how they operate to how they make funding decisions. Our office is here to help you navigate the unique landscape of foundation grants for universities. Below, you’ll find answers to some of the most common questions about research funding from foundations and how we can partner with you.
The Office of Foundation Relations helps faculty and university partners secure support from private foundations and charitable organizations.
Our team can:
Our goal is to help position faculty and institutional priorities for success while building strong relationships with private funders.
Foundation Relations (FR)
Foundation Relations helps faculty identify and pursue foundation funding opportunities. Services include:
Research Administrator (RA)
Research Administrators provide proposal development and administrative support. Responsibilities include:
Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP)
OSP serves as the university’s authorized office for sponsored project review and approval. Responsibilities include:
We encourage faculty to contact us as early as possible, ideally before contacting a foundation or beginning proposal development.
Early engagement allows us to:
The earlier we are involved, the more support we can provide throughout the process.
Start by contacting us.
Our team can:
Even if you have already identified a funding opportunity, we can help strengthen your approach and maximize competitiveness.
Yes — However, we recommend checking with our office before initiating contact.
Our team can:
We are not here to gatekeep relationships. Rather, we serve as a resource to help faculty engage foundations strategically and effectively.
Foundation Relations does not write proposals on behalf of faculty. Proposal content should be developed by the project team and subject matter experts.
However, we do provide support by:
Our goal is to strengthen proposals while allowing faculty to retain ownership of their work.
Faculty can identify foundation opportunities through several resources, including:
Our team also monitors limited submission opportunities and distributes internal announcements when applicable.
It depends on the requirements of the funding opportunity.
As a general rule of thumb, if an LOI requires a line-item budget, it should be routed through OSP for review and approval prior to submission.
Because requirements vary by foundation and faculty are encouraged to consult both Foundation Relations and their Research Administrator early in the process.
The Office of Foundation Relations is available to support researchers and interdisciplinary teams throughout the foundation funding process.
Whether you are exploring an idea, searching for funding opportunities, preparing a proposal, or developing a strategy for foundation engagement, we are happy to help.
Contact our office to schedule a consultation to discuss your project with a member of the Foundation Relations team.