University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Foundation President Search

This position is an employee of the University. Reporting structure and specific responsibilities are detailed below.

The President/Executive Director is responsible for the overall success and strategic direction of the UWEC Foundation, an institutionally related foundation with assets exceeding $180 million, including nearly $90 million in endowment funds.

The President/Executive Director will be an authentic and collaborative leader with the ability to guide complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives and build meaningful partnerships across diverse constituencies. The successful candidate will possess strong business acumen and strategic insight, along with a proven record of cultivating and sustaining trusted relationships both internally and externally. This individual will demonstrate the ability to engage, inspire, and lead volunteer boards effectively, fostering a culture of transparency, collaboration, and shared purpose. The President/Executive Director will provide the visionary leadership necessary to advance the Foundation’s mission and position it for continued growth, impact, and long-term success.

The President/Executive Director will work collaboratively with the Foundation’s Board and senior leadership team, including the Chief Development Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Finance Director, to advance the Foundation’s mission and strategic priorities. Through strong partnership and shared leadership, the President/Executive Director will foster alignment across all areas of the organization.

The President/Executive Director also provides executive oversight of the Blugold Real Estate Foundation (BGREF), described further below.

The President of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Foundation, Executive Director of the Blugold Real Estate Foundation (BGREF), serves as the university’s principal partner overseeing the strategic direction, vision, and management of the University’s institutional advancement. This position supports the University's strategic priorities by leveraging relationships and resources to ensure student success.

This position is an employee of the University, reports to the Chancellor, and is appointed to Foundation Presidency at the discretion of the UWEC Foundation Board Executive Committee. The Chancellor and the Board Chair work collaboratively to determine goals and assess performance. The President of the Foundation is responsible for the general management of the Foundation's affairs. The President/Executive Director is a member of the Chancellor’s Executive Staff and is an ex officio, non-voting member of the Foundation Board. In addition, this position serves as Executive Director of the BGREF, a supporting entity of the UWEC Foundation, and as Executive Director of the Blugold Innovation Foundation (BIF), a related entity of the UWEC Foundation.

• Serve as the Foundation's principal fundraiser, personally leading major and principal gift cultivation in partnership with the Vice President/Chief Development Officer.
• Work with the Foundation's senior leadership team — the Vice President/Chief Development Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Finance Director — to set the Foundation's strategic direction and priorities.
• Oversee the performance of the Chief Development Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Finance Director, who in turn manage their respective teams and day-to-day operations.
• Retain final approval authority over advancement operations — including financial operations, gift entry, alumni operations, information technology, scholarship administration, and staff support — with day-to-day management delegated to the Chief Operating Officer.
• Approve or decline gifts tendered to the Foundation in accordance with gift acceptance policy, in collaboration with the Chief Development Officer.
• Retain final approval authority over expenditures of Foundation funds and the Foundation's operating budget, developed in partnership with the Finance Director.
• Maintain ultimate responsibility for the Blugold Real Estate Foundation's alignment with the Foundation's mission and strategic priorities, while coordinating day-to-day real estate and development activities with the Chief Operating Officer.
• Approve budgeting and financial controls for the Blugold Real Estate Foundation and the Eau Claire Community Complex, developed by the Finance Director and Chief Operating Officer.
• Provide strategic leadership to the Foundation Board — including strategic planning, board development, and recruitment and retention — with logistical support coordinated by the Executive Assistant.
• Retain final approval authority over partnership agreements and contracts, and represent the Foundation and University on key community, industry, and contractual collaborations.
• Advise the Chancellor on matters related to strategic partnerships involving the Foundation and BGREF on behalf of the University and its strategic initiatives.
• Serve on university committees as designated by the Chancellor.
• Set alumni relations strategy in cooperation with the Alumni Association Board, with staff oversight provided by the Chief Development Officer.

• A skilled partner to the Chancellor and university leadership, able to elevate fundraising as a shared, collaborative institutional priority.
• Track record of leading high-performing teams and fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and excellence.
• Strategic thinker with strong organizational, planning, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and listening skills.
• High emotional intelligence and the ability to build trust with a team navigating significant change.
• A natural connector and storyteller who can mobilize donors, alumni, and campus leadership around a shared vision for the Foundation's impact.
• Comfortable operating as part of a portfolio-thinking leadership team, with the judgment to delegate and the discipline to verify.
• An appreciation of UWEC's mission of excellence and inclusion, and an ability to communicate what makes the institution distinctive.
• Familiarity with UWEC, the Chippewa Valley, and Wisconsin, or a strong desire to become engaged in the region and university community.

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution; master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of five years of demonstrated success in a senior leadership role at a complex nonprofit or business entity, including organizational management and philanthropy.
• Proven success cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts, or comparable experience demonstrating fundraising potential.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing fundraising strategies, with knowledge of fundraising and foundation best practices.
• Experience working with a university or related foundation.
• Experience working effectively with governing boards and board committees.
• Business and financial management experience, including budgeting, resource allocation, and nonprofit financial oversight.
• Demonstrated success building strategic partnerships and leading strategic planning or organizational growth initiatives.
• Experience working with diverse populations.
• Ability to leverage technology, data, and CRM systems to support decision-making.