Senior Director of Development, Spur Campus

Position Summary

This position will join a dynamic team at the Colorado State University Foundation (CSUF) that is working alongside the University in fulfilling the promise of the CSU Spur campus in Denver as a research, outreach, and educational space. The Senior Director will work across various cross-functional teams to identify and cultivate corporate and philanthropic partners, as well as individual donors, to support the innovative work of this new campus while fulfilling CSUF’s overall goals.

The Senior Director reports to the Executive Director of Development (EDOD) for the Office of Engagement & Extension within the CSU Foundation, is embedded with the Spur Leadership Team, and works closely with them aligning efforts with the Metro Denver engagement strategy. The Senior Director identifies and works to pursue industry and corporate partnerships and corporate and philanthropic funding opportunities to support programming and overall activation of the Spur campus. Programs and activations include research, outreach, K-12 and family programming, capital improvements, events, and more.

Guided by a donor-centric approach and an expansive view of corporate and philanthropic partner engagement, this position will work with the EDOD and Spur Leadership to create and implement a strategy that supports the long-term sustainability of the Spur campus and its programs, allowing CSU to meet its goals of providing a 21st-century approach to the land grant mission. This position is part of a dynamic team within CSUF, sits on the CSU Spur leadership team, and holds primary office space at Spur.

Position Information

• Position Title: Senior Director of Development, Spur Campus
• Organization Name: Colorado State University Foundation
• Reports To: Executive Director of Development, Office of Engagement & Extension
• Employment Type: Full-time
• FLSA Status: Exempt
• Location: Denver, Colorado
• Salary Range: $120,000 - $140,000 annually
• Organizational Overview

Located in the beautiful town of Fort Collins, Colorado State University is a premier land-grant university with world-class programs in education, outreach, and research. CSU has a student body of over 34,000 students, 271,911 living alumni, and annual research expenditures exceeding $613 million.

The CSU Spur Campus strives to connect urban and rural communities by bringing awareness and appreciation of the food system, water, and health to a broad audience, engaging the next generation in various careers, and creating innovation to serve rural communities. Through its urban location in Denver, CSU Spur creates connections and appreciation for rural communities in Colorado and will continue to work to honor CSU’s rural and agricultural roots. More information about CSU Spur is available at www.csuspur.org.

The Colorado State University Foundation (CSUF) was founded in 1970 and is the official non-profit perpetuity partner for Colorado State University. The CSU Foundation is in the midst of exciting growth as the University Advancement division of CSU recently transitioned to the Foundation, growing the organization to 170 employees. This merger has allowed us to more effectively serve our donors, alumni, and stakeholders with a unified structure, strengthen accountability, and build the capacity to scale our fundraising enterprise. With one of the leading development teams in the country, we most recently achieved our highest fundraising year to date at $231 million.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and execute comprehensive fundraising and partnership strategies to secure philanthropic, corporate, foundation, and industry support for CSU Spur and related university priorities.
• Build, manage, and grow a portfolio of corporate, foundation, and individual donors through effective cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and relationship management.
• Identify and pursue new philanthropic, corporate, grant, and strategic partnership opportunities in collaboration with CSU Spur leadership, CSUF, Corporate Relations, and campus partners.
• Develop compelling proposals, case statements, donor communications, stewardship reports, and other fundraising materials in partnership with CSUF and OEE MarComm.
• Meet or exceed annual fundraising, partnership, and engagement goals established in collaboration with university leadership.
• Serve as the primary development liaison between CSU Spur, CSUF, and the Fort Collins campus, fostering collaboration across colleges, departments, and university leadership.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with donors, corporate leaders, foundations, community organizations, and other external stakeholders throughout Colorado and beyond.
• Represent the CSU Foundation, CSU and CSU Spur at internal and external meetings, events, and community engagements to strengthen relationships, enhance visibility, and identify new partnership opportunities.
• Stay informed about CSU Spur priorities, programs, and emerging initiatives to align philanthropic opportunities with institutional goals.
• Work collaboratively across CSUF to advance university-wide fundraising priorities and maximize philanthropic impact.
• Maintain a high degree of confidentiality and adheres to the industry policies and procedures for accepting, recording, and acknowledging gifts.