Sarah Lawrence College occupies 44 wooded acres in Yonkers, NY, near the Village of Bronxville—just north of New York City. A 30-minute train ride from the Bronxville station takes students into Midtown Manhattan.
Learn more about the area here.
Executive Brief
Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations
Sarah Lawrence College
The Organization: Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence is a prestigious, residential, coeducational liberal arts college. Founded in 1926 and consistently ranked among the leading liberal arts colleges in the country, Sarah Lawrence is known for its pioneering approach to education, rich history of impassioned intellectual and civic engagement, and vibrant, successful alumni. In close proximity to the unparalleled offerings of New York City, Sarah Lawrence's historic campus is home to an inclusive, intellectually curious, and diverse community.
Talented, creative students choose Sarah Lawrence for the opportunity to take charge of their education. In close collaboration with Sarah Lawrence's dedicated, distinguished faculty, students create a rigorous, personalized course of study and connect their passions across a wide array of disciplines. Their students graduate knowing how to apply the knowledge, skills, and critical thinking necessary for life after college.
Campus:
Facilities:
In addition to their round-table classrooms, Sarah Lawrence has outstanding theatres, art and performance studios, and music spaces; modern science labs; state-of-the-art graphic computing equipment; competitive sports facilities; a 60,000-square-foot visual arts center; and recently renovated dining facilities.
Student Body:
Sarah Lawrence's students share an enthusiasm for intellectual rigor, academic risk taking, creativity in all disciplines, and original and interdisciplinary work. They are particularly committed to having Sarah Lawrence's faculty, administration, and student body reflect the social, racial, and economic diversity that characterizes our society. The College’s undergraduate students come from nearly every state and from 50+ countries; more than 80 percent of undergrads live on campus.
Statistics:
Number of students:
- Undergraduate: 1,462
- Graduate: 234
- Total: 1,696
Undergraduate Student Body:
- Students of Color: 26%
- International Students: 6%
Graduate Student Body:
- Students of Color: 25%
- 71% between the ages of 22-29
State representation:
- 44 states plus Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, Guam
- States sending most students: California and New York
International Representation in Recent Years:
Students come from 53 countries, including: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lebanon, Macedonia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the United Kingdom.
Giving at Sarah Lawrence
Giving
Led by the advancement team, Giving at Sarah Lawrence College supports the community, and ensures the College continues its forward momentum.
Leadership Spotlight
Patricia Goldman - Vice-President of Advancement and External Relations
Patricia Goldman
Vice-President of Advancement and External Relations
Since 2018, Patty Goldman has been the Vice-President of Advancement and External Relations for Sarah Lawrence College. Prior to working in higher education, she was a marketing and revenue development consultant for non-profits and startups. She helped to establish The Feminist Institute and Makersfinders.com. In 2016, Patty concluded a 15-year tenure at March of Dimes, where she was the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing officer and a member of the revenue committee of the Board of Trustees. Her core responsibilities included all areas of marketing the organization with an emphasis on building the foundation’s digital content and fundraising capabilities.
Prior to her tenure at the March of Dimes, Patty was Co-Founder and President of e4media, a digital development company that specialized in content management and e-commerce deployment. She was also the head of production for NewsCorp., where she helped to create and manage a site that provided up-to-the-minute news to millions of consumers. She has also worked in the entertainment business, for both Disney and Warner Brothers. Patty is an active volunteer in her community, spent 9 years on an alumni board for a private day school, and is a capital campaign strategist for her local temple.
She holds a BA with Honors in Social Anthropology from Harvard University, and a Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Southern California.
The Opportunity: Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations
Sarah Lawrence College - Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations - Job Description (PDF Download)
Position Summary
Sarah Lawrence College seeks a Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations. Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Philanthropy, the successful candidate will work in partnership with the AVP to oversee grant-related fundraising and stewardship activity for private foundations, government entities and corporate funders, in support of both institutional priorities and faculty sponsored research. As an integral member of the Advancement team within the Major Gifts Unit, the successful candidate will be responsible for raising expendable and endowment funds for operating, capital, programmatic and research priorities, to meet the needs of the College.
Expectations and Qualifications
Principal Responsibilities:
- Research and monitor government, foundation and corporate funding opportunities and disseminate that information, campus wide.
- Ensure effective and timely communication of proposal requirements, eligibility, restrictions, deadlines, and other pertinent proposal/grant information with appropriate Sarah Lawrence College (SLC) staff, faculty and/or administration.
- Produce compelling top-level funding proposals that link funder priorities with SLC goals and initiatives. Ensure that proposal materials meet funder criteria, are persuasive, accurate, well targeted and meet funder deadlines.
- Prepare grant budgets and budget justifications. Monitor grant expenditures in conjunction with the Office of Finance and appropriate staff, faculty, or administration.
- Prepare professional letters of inquiry to potential funding sources and collaborating sources, and letters of support/commitment for grant applications.
- Ensure institutional compliance with federal, state, agency and other applicable governing regulations, policies and procedures concerning sponsored and non-sponsored research.
- Formulate, implement, and recommend short-term and multi-year fundraising plans for foundation, government, and corporate sources. Maintain and enhance a seven-figure portfolio.
- Responsible for the development of long-term relationships with grantors and potential grantors.
Qualifications:
- Minimum five-seven (5-7) years of successful corporate, foundation and government relations experience.
- Entrepreneurial approach, with a proven track record of securing increased and new institutional grants of $100,000 or more.
- Demonstrated knowledge of foundation and corporate funding communities, and success in building long-term relationships that lead to larger grants.
- Experience with successfully securing and stewarding state and federal government grants.
- Demonstrated success identifying and qualifying new institutional prospects.
- Excellent verbal and written skills, with a demonstrated ability to write compelling and strategic letters of inquiry, funding proposals, and stewardship reports.
- Excellent numeracy skills, with a demonstrated ability to create budgets and financial reports.
- Ability to work in partnership with a wide range of constituents, including foundation representatives, government officials, faculty members, senior-level volunteers, colleagues, senior administrators, and students.
- Ability to travel periodically (including staffing the President) with occasional evening and weekend work required.
- Bachelor's degree required.
Applications & Nominations
To explore this opportunity further, please send your resume in confidence to:
Lisa Vuona
Managing Partner, Boston
lvuona@boyden.com
LinkedIn
Lisa Vuona has decades of experience in executive search and human resource management, primarily in the non-profit, healthcare and education sectors. She is distinguished by her track record and network, and by her approach, which combines the strategic power of data with a finely tuned ability to understand the client’s organization and identify high-caliber leaders who fit the culture.
Beth Parsons
Principal, USA
bparsons@boyden.com
LinkedIn
Beth Parsons specializes in the education and non-profit sectors, having held fundraising and leadership roles in prominent educational and social impact organizations for nearly 20 years. She partners with clients to develop search strategies on the basis of organizational needs and core values. Her extensive advancement network serves as a source of high-impact talent.
Leslie Smith
Executive Search Consultant, Boston
leslie.smith@boyden.com
LinkedIn
Leslie Smith has helped numerous individuals and organizations achieve their goals. She works with non-profits and educational institutions, helping to define leadership needs and connecting them with the right talent. Along with extensive knowledge of the non-profit sector, she has a passion for strengthening mission-driven organizations and advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
Don’t check off all the boxes or meet every single requirement? We have learned that potential candidates hesitate when applying for a job unless they meet every single requirement. Boyden Boston is dedicated to inclusivity and valuing diversity and equity in the workplace. If this opportunity excites you, but your background may not be a perfect match, we still encourage you to apply.
Boyden Confidentiality Notice
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This executive brief contains confidential and/or legally privileged information. Therefore, any disclosure, copying, reproduction, or distribution without the consent of Boyden is strictly prohibited.
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