Executive Brief

Director of Foundation Relations
Georgia Tech Institute for Technology

The Organization: Georgia Tech

The Georgia Institute for Technology (Georgia Tech)

Georgia Tech is a top-ranked public research university situated in the heart of Atlanta, a diverse and vibrant city with numerous economic and cultural strengths. The Institute serves more than 50,000 students through top-ranked undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs in engineering, computing, science, business, design, and liberal arts. Georgia Tech’s faculty attracted approximately $1.37 billion in research awards in the most recent fiscal year, supporting work across critical fields including biomedical technology, artificial intelligence, energy, sustainability, semiconductors, neuroscience, and national security. Georgia Tech ranks among the nation's top 20 universities for research and development spending and remains No. 1 among U.S. institutions without a medical school.

Georgia Tech - At a Glance:

Georgia Tech's mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute has nine key values that are foundational to everything they do:

  1. Students are our top priority.
  2. We strive for excellence.
  3. We thrive on diversity.
  4. We celebrate collaboration.
  5. We champion innovation.
  6. We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression.
  7. We nurture the wellbeing of our community.
  8. We act ethically.
  9. We are responsible stewards.

Over the next decade, Georgia Tech will become an example of inclusive innovation, a leading technological research university of unmatched scale, relentlessly committed to serving the public good; breaking new ground in addressing the biggest local, national, and global challenges and opportunities of our time; making technology broadly accessible; and developing exceptional, principled leaders from all backgrounds ready to produce novel ideas and create solutions with real human impact.

  • Georgia Tech is ranked No. 3 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs. All of Georgia Tech's undergraduate engineering programs rank in the top 6, and all of the University's graduate engineering programs rank in the top 10. (Source: U.S. News & World Report)
     
  • Scheller College of Business ranks No. 19 among all Undergraduate Business Programs — with several programs featured in the top 10. Analytics (No. 3), quantitative analysis (No. 5), and management information systems (No. 2) are among the standout areas. Scheller College of Business also ranks No. 10 for their Part-Time MBA (Source: U.S. News & World Report).
     
  • Computer Science ranks No. 5 by U.S. News & World Report's Undergraduate Program Rankings, No. 6 by U.S. News & World Report's Graduate School Rankings, No. 17 by Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and No. 28 in The Guardian's QS World University Rankings.
     
  • In the category of Statistics and Operational Research, Georgia Tech ranks No. 9 in The Guardian's QS World University Rankings. Georgia Tech's graduate urban planning program is ranked No. 6 in the U.S. and No. 2 in Big City Programs by Planetizen.

Georgia Tech Office of Development (DEV)

The Office of Development is committed to securing the philanthropic resources that are transforming Georgia Tech. We engage alumni, friends, families, corporations, and foundations in the life of the Institute and encourage financial investment in Tech's future.

The fundraising team at Georgia Tech currently consists of 100+ professionals who are focused on securing transformative philanthropy (major and principal gifts) to support the strategic priorities of the Institute and its colleges, schools, and programs including Athletics.

College & School Representatives
College & School Representatives

From endowed chairs and professorships to undergraduate scholarships, graduate fellowships, and facilities, donors can support the college, school, or academic program of their choice.

Corporate Engagement
Corporate Engagement

Building partnerships with the corporate community is a top priority for Georgia Tech. Working together, the group grows philanthropy and helps companies connect to Tech through research, recruitment, and diversity initiatives.

Foundation Relations
Foundation Relations

Support from foundations provides vital resources for Georgia Tech strategic initiatives, making it possible for the Institute to advance knowledge across all disciplines.

Gift Planning
Gift Planning

Gift planning begins with a donor's desire to make a gift. Whether the choice is a bequest provision in a will or revocable trust, or a life-income gift, the gift planning team assists with all gifts.

Intercollegiate Athletics
Intercollegiate Athletics

Athletic excellence has long been a source of pride and passion at Georgia Tech. The university wants to become one of the elite athletics programs in the nation with the best combination of athletics and academics.

International Development
International Development

Georgia Tech's vision of leadership in the 21st century is a global one. Moving international efforts to the next level cannot happen without private philanthropy.

Parent Giving
Parent Giving

Parents play a vital role in the life of Georgia Tech. Through advocacy, volunteering, and philanthropy, they have a unique opportunity to become stakeholders in every Yellow Jacket's future.

Regional Development
Regional Development

Regional development representatives travel extensively, connecting with alumni and friends and sharing opportunities for supporting Georgia Tech through private philanthropy.

Reunion Giving
Reunion Giving

Each year, milestone reunion classes celebrate through combined philanthropic giving that advances Georgia Tech and enhances opportunities for students – today and for generations to come. 

For the calendar year 2025, the DEV team’s efforts resulted in over $417.6 million in new gifts and commitments. This monumental success fuels momentum for Transforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech, the most ambitious philanthropic effort in the Institute’s history, which now totals $1.83 billion and counting. Calendar Year 2025 places Georgia Tech on pace to achieve its $2 billion campaign goal by the end of 2027. To learn more about Transforming Tomorrow and the other thematic priorities of the campaign, click here.

“Georgia Tech’s brand has never been stronger. People close to campus and those across the nation are seeing Georgia Tech as a problem-solver in a changing world. We simply can’t thank our friends, alumni, volunteers, and staff enough for the great work that’s being done on so many levels.”  – Jim Hall, Vice President for Development.

Georgia Tech has achieved the most successful fundraising year in its history. Click here to learn more.

Georgia Tech Office of Development (DEV) - Leadership Spotlight:

Kristine Haskett
Executive Director of Development, Foundation Relations


Kristine M. Haskett is a seasoned leader in philanthropy and foundation relations with over two decades of experience in fundraising, grant development, and strategic partnership management. She holds an M.A. in Philanthropic Studies and a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies from Indiana University and a B.A. in Spanish and French from Loyola University New Orleans.

Currently serving as the Executive Director of Foundation Relations at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Kristine spearheads the university’s foundation relations strategy, overseeing an annual foundation support. Her role involves leading a dedicated team, forging strategic funding opportunities, and representing the university in key events and strategy sessions.

Before joining Georgia Tech, Kristine was the Executive Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at Tulane University in New Orleans. There, she successfully increased corporate and foundation funds from $4M to $15M through innovative strategies and team leadership. Her efforts involved managing a substantial portfolio of major funders and collaborating with university and community partners to drive impactful initiatives.

Kristine's previous roles include directing foundation relations in STEM fields at Rutgers University Foundation, where she managed a diverse portfolio of key foundations, and overseeing corporate and foundation relations at the University of Texas at Austin, where she significantly expanded funding support and enhanced engagement with external partners.

Throughout her career, Kristine has raised and/or managed over $100 million in grants and cultivated relationships with prominent national and global foundations and corporations, including the Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, and ExxonMobil. Her exceptional skills in proposal writing, strategic funding development, and stakeholder engagement have consistently driven successful outcomes for the institutions she has served.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Kristine contributes to the field through her involvement in various professional activities, including serving on the planning committee for the CASE Corporate and Foundation Relations Conference and contributing to the "Philanthropy In America: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia."

Kristine's commitment to advancing philanthropic goals and building robust partnerships makes her a respected leader in the field, dedicated to leveraging her expertise to benefit both academic and community-focused initiatives.

The Opportunity: Director of Foundation Relations

Georgia Tech - Director of Foundation Relations - Job Description (PDF Download)

Position Summary

The Director of Foundation Relations is a front-line fundraiser reporting to the Executive Director in the Office of Foundation Relations. This position is responsible for meeting or exceeding personal annual fundraising goals of $3M+; leading the development of and collaboration with faculty and academic staff to submit compelling proposals to national and local foundations for a diverse range of purposes including, but not limited to, research, facilities, programs, scholarship, and endowment. This position also contributes to foundation relations training for colleagues and faculty, and positively represents Development within the institution and Georgia Tech externally among funders, collaborators, and others. The Director works as a trusted partner and ready resource for faculty and staff colleagues in Georgia Tech schools, colleges, and programs, as well as for Development, the Office of Research, and the Office of Sponsored Programs, lending foundation relations expertise, strategic guidance and hands-on support in fundraising approaches. In addition, this position will supervise assigned staff.

The Role and Responsibilities

  • Maximize support for Georgia Tech from local and national foundations in following ways: manage a portfolio of approximately 40 private local and national foundations; establish and follow strategies to effectively guide relationships from identification to cultivation to solicitation to stewardship; cultivate foundations through any point of entry afforded university-wide; ability to prioritize multiple projects and funding priorities; and identify new funding prospects and/or proposal opportunities.
     
  • Identify funding opportunities and prepare letters of inquiry, grants, and other proposals. Serve as a resource for editing and/or proofreading for proposals and reports before submission.
     
  • Become informed on programs and research being conducted by faculty within the colleges, schools, center, and programs for which they are the Foundation Relations liaison as a means of identifying work that aligns with foundations' funding interests.
     
  • Serve as a key contributor to and leader in campus-wide foundation relations training for staff, faculty, and program leads through meetings, onboarding sessions, roundtables, and workshops.
     
  • Arrange campus visits with foundation representatives and/or secure visits for appropriate Georgia Tech leadership and/or faculty with national and local foundations at their respective offices. Prepare briefings and logistics for the visits and staff Georgia Tech representatives.
     
  • Follow Division of Development protocols for timely documentation and database entry of all contact reports and proposal submissions.
     
  • Manage Associate Director of Development, including supporting their fundraising and professional development goals and ensuring administrative tasks associated with the role follow Division of Development protocols.
     
  • Represent Foundation Relations in campus meetings.
     
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills and Qualifications

  • High sense of professionalism.
     
  • Knowledge of the major national foundations.
     
  • Attention to detail. Strong analytical thinking skills.
     
  • Goal oriented and commitment to high productivity.
     
  • A self-starter who possesses strong communication skills.
     
  • An affinity for the mission of higher education and research.
     
  • Understanding of effective foundation relations and grant making.
     
  • Ability to work independently, as well as an integral member of a team of seasoned foundation relations professionals.
     
  • An aptitude for working in a large organization. Ability to interact effectively with university constituents at all levels; to grasp and maintain the service-oriented nature of the office. Project management and organizational skills.

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
     
  • Five or more years of job-related experience.
     
  • Strong proposal writing and editing skills.
     
  • Demonstrated success in playing a lead or highly active role in securing grants from foundations, including at the six- and seven-figure level.
     
  • Five years of front-line fundraising in cultivating and soliciting foundations on the national and local level, including prospect identification and research, and proposal writing.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Master’s Degree.
     
  • Ten years of experience working in an academic setting.
     
  • Multiple years of experience and success in foundation fund raising for higher education, particularly in the sciences and/or technology.
     
  • A career of 10 or more years that includes a significant amount of experience in development which could be coupled with work in other applicable fields such as marketing, communications, public relations, non-profit management or consulting.

Applications & Nominations

The Georgia Institute for Technology has partnered with Boyden Executive Search. For more information about this opportunity or to submit a cover letter and resume, please email:

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.

Sara Swisher-Anderson
Principal
sswisher@boyden.com
LinkedIn

Sara Swisher-Anderson is an accomplished executive search professional and human capital expert with more than 15 years’ experience and a strong track record of successful searches. Specializing in the non-profit and higher education sectors, she partners with leadership teams to develop strategies and recruit transformative leaders capable of driving organizational growth and resilience.

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.

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