Guidelines and Resources

• Developing Philanthropic Partnerships with Foundations and Corporations: A guide
  We have developed guidelines to support you as you navigate the Corporate and Foundation philanthropy world.
   
• Distinguishing Gifts from Sponsored Projects Policy
  Corporate and Foundation support can come in as either a gift or a sponsored project. The University has developed a policy is to provide guidance on determining the proper classification between these categories.
   

• Distinguishing Gifts from Sponsored Projects: A guide
  The guide offers further explanation on the University's policy and practical tips on distinguishing gifts from sponsored projects.

   

Webinars

• Funding Faculty Research: Columbia Development and Fundraising 101
  How can faculty partner with the Office of Development and Alumni Relations (OAD) to find philanthropic support for research? These slides, from a Faculty Development Session organized by the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement, provide a general roadmap of development and fundraising at Columbia and how faculty can best engage with potential individual and institutional donors.
   
• Funding Faculty Research: Meet and Greet with Foundation Funders
  Dimitra Koutsantoni, Executive Director of University Corporate and Foundation Relations, led a conversation with Shawn Morehead, vice president for grants at New York Community Trust, and Bruce Western, Bryce Professor of Sociology and Social Justice and Justice Lab director, on foundation missions and funding priorities, decision-making processes, and the ways they develop partnerships with higher education institutions and faculty. 
   
• Meet and Greet with Foundation Funders for Early Career Scientists
  Dimitra Koutsantoni, Executive Director of University Corporate and Foundation Relations, led a conversation with Gerard Brandenstein, Managing Director of the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Daniel Goroff, Vice President and Program Director of the Sloan Foundation, Anne Hultgren, Executive Director and CEO of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, and Laura J. Kaufman, Columbia University Professor of Chemistry and Chair of the Department of Chemistry, on funding programs for early career faculty in STEM fields. The discussion covered the aims and goals of foundation fellowships, the selection process for candidates, differences between federal and foundation proposals, and the impact of early career awards on academic careers.
   
• Funding Faculty Research: Navigating Columbia's Research Resources
  This session provided an overview of Columbia’s research funding landscape featuring presentations from University Corporate & Foundation Relations in the Office of Alumni and Development; Office of Sponsored Projects Administration; the Office of Research Initiatives and Development; and the Industry Relations Group at Columbia Technology Ventures. Colleagues from these offices discussed their distinct roles and how they work with faculty to support academic research. 
   
• Navigating the Competitive Landscape of Limited Submissions
  This session explored how early-career researchers can effectively communicate with foundations and other funders, navigate the competitive landscape of limited submission opportunities, plan for the institutional nomination processes, manage expectations throughout the application cycle, and develop compelling proposals.
  Key Takeaways
   
• Funding Forward: A Conversation with Health Sciences Foundations and Grant Makers The session was a conversation with Sindy Escobar-Alvarez, Program Director of Medical Research, Duke Doris Foundation; Irfan Hasan, Vice President of Programs and Grants at the New York Community Trust; and Victoria McGovern, Senior Program Officer at Burrough Wellcome Fund. It explored strategies for building successful approaches and strengthen engagement with health-focused foundations.
  Key Takeaways
   
• Funding Forward: Strategies for Securing Foundation Funding in the Sciences and Engineering 
  Dimitra Koutsantoni, Executive Director of University Corporate and Foundation Relations and Farhana Mather, Principal Gifts Officer, Corporations and Foundations shared insights into the current foundation landscape, tools to identify funding opportunities, strategies to position proposals competitively, and Columbia-specific resources to support faculty.
  Key Takeaways
   

Contact Us: 

Dimitra Koutsantoni, PhD
Executive Director of University Corporate & Foundation Relations
E: dk2617@columbia.edu