Corporate Philanthropy, Foundation Development and Writing Services

Corporate Philanthropy, Foundation Development and Writing Services

The Corporate Philanthropy and Foundation Development teams work to cultivate mutually beneficial philanthropic partnerships with organizational funders and support our colleagues across the university in building these relationships. The Writing Services team works in partnership with Corporate Philanthropy, Foundation Development and other ASUF development officers to assist ASU colleagues with philanthropic writing projects. We look forward to working with you to advance Arizona State University as A New American University.

Overview of Corporate Philanthropy

Corporate Philanthropy works to cultivate mutually beneficial philanthropic partnerships that advance Arizona State University as A New American University. We work across the ASU enterprise to promote ASU as the strategic partner of choice for a growing number of corporations that invest in the university to further common interests and goals.

To that end, we collaborate externally with representatives from corporations around the world to identify engagement opportunities which help to cultivate impactful corporate partnerships.

Internally, we coordinate with development staff and university leadership and faculty to secure corporate funding for their work and to encourage engagement with ASU that leads to increased giving and enhanced corporate partnerships over time.

To learn more about Corporate Philanthropy, please email Kimberly.Roland@asufoundation.org.

How Corporate Philanthropy 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, Corporate Philanthropy 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

Kimberly Roland
Kimberly Roland, assistant vice president, Corporate Philanthropy, Kimberly.Roland@asufoundation.org

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

Andrew Nelson
Andrew Nelson, senior director, Foundation Development, andrew.nelson@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 Kimberly Roland, assistant vice president, Corporate Philanthropy, at Kimberly.Roland@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.
  • Our team does not have design expertise. If your project will need design components, please connect with the communications and marketing group.

Meet the Team

Tunga Lodato
Tunga Lodato, director, Writing Services, tunga.lodato@asufoundation.org
AJ Frost
AJ Frost, grant writer, Writing Services, abraham.frost@asufoundation.org
Zachary Bell
Zachary Bell, grant writer, Writing Services, zachary.bell@asufoundation.org

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 Knowledge Enterprise’s funding.asu.edu to browse philanthropic opportunities.

Additional resources for prospect and proposal research:

Network with other faculty:

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:

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

Additional Resources

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:

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

Please provide first name
Please provide last name
Please provide a valid email address

Email sign up successful