About Us

Anchored in the central Office of Alumni and Development, University Corporate & Foundation Relations partners with Columbia University faculty and administrators to develop and deepen collaborations with foundations and corporations in support of Columbia’s research, scholarship and strategic initiatives.

Leveraging our:

• In-depth knowledge of the philanthropy landscape and the evolving funding priorities of corporate and foundation funders
• Thorough understanding of how Foundations operate and their grantmaking policies and procedures
• Existing relationships with corporations and foundations and bird’s eye view of their funding history at Columbia
• Expertise in fundraising strategy and proposal development 
• Comprehensive institutional knowledge of Columbia’s policies and processes

We work with you to:

• Advise you on the best strategies for finding support for your work
• Research corporations and foundations whose interests align with your research/program/center/Institute
• Keep you informed when private funding opportunities arise in your field
• Provide background information on corporations and foundations’ giving history to Columbia
• Leverage alumni in Board/ leadership/staff positions in foundations and corporations
• Connect you with corporate and foundation representatives and help you cultivate relationships that may lead to funding
• Provide briefings for meetings with corporate and foundation representatives
• Provide strategic advice with development of letters of inquiry and proposals
• Help you center your proposals in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Provide supporting documents, budget development assistance, and other requirements for proposal submission
• Help you navigate university and funder policies and procedures
• Liaise with sponsors and manage relationships
• Support with annual reporting and stewardship

Contact Us: 

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