Purpose

The Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR) works directly with administrators, faculty, and staff, as well as corporate and foundation representatives, to support Rider University’s academic, institutional, and research initiatives, priorities, and programs. On behalf of administrators, faculty, and staff, CFR helps review and prepare planned proposal submissions to corporations and foundations whose representatives have had, or hope to have, a strong relationship with the University. Which proposals get submitted to corporations and foundations depends on each corporation or foundation’s historical relationship with Rider, the organization’s most current interests, and other factors.

Relationships

Accomplishing CFR’s purpose requires our working with companies and foundations to establish and develop strong relationships on behalf of Rider University and its mission. Ideally, these relationships are not only philanthropic, but something more: strategic partnerships between Rider and its corporate and foundation allies around a common agenda. Together, CFR and various corporate and foundation representatives and friends strive to make advancements and improvements through a wide variety of quality-driven interactions. Conversations, off-campus corporate and foundation tours, receptions, and site visits are just some of the ways that Rider and her external supporters ensure maximum benefit to the University, to partnering organizations, and to the broader community. CFR-facilitated relationships generally possess, or have the potential to acquire, important philanthropic dimensions.

Corporate and Foundation Philanthropy

Gifts from corporations and foundations are, of course, an important source of external support for Rider University activities; in fact, together they comprise an estimated 20–25% of annual external gift support to the University in any given year. (This estimate includes gifts from small community and family foundations, corporate and independent foundations, and large and small corporate and matching gifts, whether to athletics, corporate sponsorships, scholarships, or sponsored research.) In addition, Rider alumni and friends working or recently employed at companies and foundations serve on University boards as well as give countless hours of volunteer service to a wide range of University programs and projects. Corporations, in particular, often make in-kind gifts of equipment, supplies, and so on. Of course, like all gifts to Rider, corporate and foundation gifts are recognized in the University’s Donor Report, which is produced and updated annually. Various activities and events hosted by, or in conjunction with, corporations and foundations are intended to strengthen and improve undergraduate and graduate education here at Rider, as well as foster healthy recruiting and other opportunities for our students.

Other Opportunities

CFR regularly becomes aware of new opportunities that may be of interest to our students and to the corporations and foundations we serve. This role of coordination and facilitation can, at first, take many forms: encouraging corporate and foundation professionals to guest lecture on campus, visiting corporate facilities with our students or with students in Rider-based programs, assisting corporations find Rider student candidates for internships and externships, arranging discussions or symposiums on programmatic or research topics of corporate interest, and so on.

How to Become Involved

Should you have questions about how your company or foundation can make a cash gift or gift-in-kind to Rider, please contact CFR. In addition, you may wish for your company or foundation to become involved (or grow its current involvement) with the University and its vibrant academic and extracurricular life. Either way, CFR welcomes your interest in Rider University and in the building of mutually beneficial relationships. Information for Faculty and Administration Rider University’s Grants Resource Center provides you with information to assist in grants prospecting, proposal preparation, proposal submission and grants reporting.