J-1 Visa Foundation Director Jobs
Foundation Director roles in the U.S. are accessible to international professionals through the J-1 visa Specialist or Research Scholar program category, depending on your background and the host organization's mission. A designated sponsor issues your DS-2019 and provides sponsorship, while the foundation serves as your host employer.
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Get Access To All JobsJob Summary
The WVU Foundation is looking for a Corporate & Foundation Relations Intern to join our team!
This internship is a great opportunity for a current West Virginia University student to get hands-on experience in the world of fundraising and nonprofit development. You'll gain valuable skills in research, proposal development, and donor stewardship while supporting the Corporate & Foundation Relations (CFR) team in securing philanthropic support for West Virginia University.
What We Offer:
- Hands-on experience in a professional fundraising environment.
- Mentorship from experienced development professionals.
- An opportunity to build your resume and professional network.
- A flexible schedule to accommodate your class schedule.
Duties and Responsibilities
Essential Functions and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
- Prospect Research: Help the team identify potential corporate and foundation donors. You'll research their giving priorities and gather information to help us determine if they're a good fit for WVU.
- Faculty Engagement: Assist the CFR team by identifying and distributing Request for Proposal (RFP) opportunities from foundations and corporations. You'll help develop a system to ensure relevant opportunities are shared with the appropriate university departments.
- Proposal Support: Assist in drafting, editing, and submitting grant proposals and reports. This includes helping to gather information and data from various departments across the university.
- CRM Support & Database Integrity: Help maintain the accuracy and integrity of our donor database (CRM). This includes updating constituent records, entering new information, and running reports to ensure data quality.
- Stewardship: Assist with donor communication and stewardship activities, ensuring our partners are informed and appreciated.
Qualifications
Education, Experience and Competencies:
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Demonstrate strong accountability and follow-through.
- Currently enrolled as a student at West Virginia University.
Physical Requirements
While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is often required to sit and use his/her hands and fingers, to handle or feel. The employee is required to stand, walk, reach with arms and hands, and possibly at times, climb or balance, stoop or kneel. Vision abilities required to perform this job include close vision. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
Supervisory Responsibilities
NA
Other Duties
Work Environment: The position is expected to be hybrid in alignment with the WVUF work/telecommuting policy.
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time, with or without notice.
Job Summary
The WVU Foundation is looking for a Corporate & Foundation Relations Intern to join our team!
This internship is a great opportunity for a current West Virginia University student to get hands-on experience in the world of fundraising and nonprofit development. You'll gain valuable skills in research, proposal development, and donor stewardship while supporting the Corporate & Foundation Relations (CFR) team in securing philanthropic support for West Virginia University.
What We Offer:
- Hands-on experience in a professional fundraising environment.
- Mentorship from experienced development professionals.
- An opportunity to build your resume and professional network.
- A flexible schedule to accommodate your class schedule.
Duties and Responsibilities
Essential Functions and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
- Prospect Research: Help the team identify potential corporate and foundation donors. You'll research their giving priorities and gather information to help us determine if they're a good fit for WVU.
- Faculty Engagement: Assist the CFR team by identifying and distributing Request for Proposal (RFP) opportunities from foundations and corporations. You'll help develop a system to ensure relevant opportunities are shared with the appropriate university departments.
- Proposal Support: Assist in drafting, editing, and submitting grant proposals and reports. This includes helping to gather information and data from various departments across the university.
- CRM Support & Database Integrity: Help maintain the accuracy and integrity of our donor database (CRM). This includes updating constituent records, entering new information, and running reports to ensure data quality.
- Stewardship: Assist with donor communication and stewardship activities, ensuring our partners are informed and appreciated.
Qualifications
Education, Experience and Competencies:
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Demonstrate strong accountability and follow-through.
- Currently enrolled as a student at West Virginia University.
Physical Requirements
While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is often required to sit and use his/her hands and fingers, to handle or feel. The employee is required to stand, walk, reach with arms and hands, and possibly at times, climb or balance, stoop or kneel. Vision abilities required to perform this job include close vision. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
Supervisory Responsibilities
NA
Other Duties
Work Environment: The position is expected to be hybrid in alignment with the WVUF work/telecommuting policy.
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time, with or without notice.
See all J-1 Visa Foundation Director Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding J-1 Visa Sponsorship in Foundation Director
Align your credentials with program category requirements
Research Scholar sponsorship requires a graduate degree and a research or academic component in your role. Specialist sponsorship suits practitioners with at least five years of documented expertise in nonprofit leadership, fundraising, or philanthropic strategy. Match your CV to the right category before approaching host organizations.
Identify foundations with international exchange history
Target foundations that have previously hosted J-1 exchange visitors, since they understand training plan requirements and DS-2019 timelines. Community foundations, corporate foundations, and university-affiliated giving programs are common host types with established compliance infrastructure.
Search for J-1-aligned Foundation Director roles on Migrate Mate
Use Migrate Mate to find U.S. Foundation Director openings at employers familiar with J-1 hosting obligations. Filtering by J-1 compatibility narrows results to host organizations already equipped to work with a designated sponsor on your DS-2019.
Clarify the two-year home residency requirement early
Many J-1 exchange visitors in Specialist or Research Scholar categories face a two-year home-country residency requirement before changing to certain other visa statuses. Determine whether your specific program category carries this requirement before accepting an offer, since it affects long-term immigration planning.
Confirm the host organization will complete a training plan
Your designated sponsor requires the host foundation to co-sign a structured training plan detailing your program objectives, supervision arrangements, and schedule. Verify that your prospective employer is willing to complete this documentation, as unsigned training plans are a common cause of DS-2019 delays.
Request the DS-2019 before your consular appointment
The DS-2019 form, issued by your designated sponsor, must be in hand before you schedule your J-1 visa interview at a U.S. consulate. Factor in your sponsor's processing lead time, which can range from two to six weeks, when negotiating your start date with the host foundation.
Foundation Director J-1 Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
Which J-1 program category fits a Foundation Director role?
Most Foundation Director positions fall under the J-1 Specialist category, which is designed for professionals with at least five years of recognized expertise in a specialized field such as nonprofit management, philanthropy, or grantmaking. If your role has a significant research or academic component hosted by a university-affiliated foundation, the Research Scholar category may apply instead. Your designated sponsor makes the final category determination.
Who actually sponsors the J-1 visa for a Foundation Director position?
The J-1 visa sponsor is a U.S. Department of State-designated organization, not the hiring foundation. The designated sponsor issues the DS-2019 form, monitors your program compliance, and maintains your SEVIS record throughout your exchange. The foundation serves as your host employer and co-signs your training plan, but it does not hold sponsorship authority itself.
How do I find Foundation Director roles where the host employer is prepared to work with a J-1 sponsor?
Use Migrate Mate to search for Foundation Director positions at U.S. employers with J-1 hosting experience. Many foundations are unfamiliar with the host employer obligations, so targeting organizations that have previously participated in exchange programs significantly reduces the risk of a role falling through at the offer stage due to administrative unfamiliarity.
Does the two-year home residency requirement apply to Foundation Director exchange visitors?
It depends on your country of nationality, your program funding source, and whether your J-1 category is subject to the requirement. Specialists and Research Scholars from certain countries, or those funded by a U.S. government agency or their home government, often carry the two-year requirement. This affects your ability to change to H-1B visa or apply for a green card without first obtaining a waiver.
What documentation does a host foundation need to provide for J-1 sponsorship to proceed?
The host foundation must complete a formal training plan co-signed with the designated sponsor, provide written confirmation of your supervisory arrangements, and demonstrate it has the resources and qualified staff to support an exchange program. The foundation may also need to supply financial or organizational documentation to satisfy the designated sponsor's vetting process before the DS-2019 is issued.