The Office of Foundation Relations coordinates and manages DePaul University’s relationships with all private professional foundations.
University policy requires that you consult us before contacting or soliciting any foundation, as we help ensure that the university’s relationships with foundations are appropriate, strategic and of the highest quality.
About Foundation Relations
Foundation Relations works with faculty, staff and administrators to generate support for institutional priorities by:
- Helping identify private professional foundations that are potential sources of funding
- Providing prospect research in conjunction with Advancement staff
- Strategizing how to approach, cultivate, solicit and maintain a strong relationship with foundations
- Writing, reviewing and editing letters of inquiry and proposals
- Coordinating grant proposal submissions with the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research
(OSPR) 
- Gathering supporting materials from the Office of Institutional Planning and Research (OIPR) and obtaining institutional signatures
Foundation Relations has formed many productive and long-term relationships with private professional foundations throughout the United States, especially Chicago-area foundations.
Arthur J. Schmitt Foundation board member Patricia Shevlin and Schmitt Scholar Esteban Velazquez (LAS ’07).
Groundbreaking for the
Andrew J. McGowan Science Building.
Clearance Requests
To ensure that Foundation Relations can facilitate the most productive relationships with foundations, DePaul faculty, staff and administrators are required by university policy to inform us of any contacts with Top Tier Centrally Managed and Coordinated Corporations and Foundations.
Faculty, staff and administrators also are required to complete the
Clearance Request Form before submitting a proposal to a foundation. Email the completed form to
Sheri Lee, Foundation Relations coordinator, at
slee23@depaul.edu.
DePaul Office of Foundation Relations Staff
Abena Apea
Assistant Vice President, Foundation Relations/Development Communications
(312) 362-5788
aapea@depaul.edu 
Olena Marshall
Director of Development Communications
(312) 362-6114
omarshal@depaul.edu
Janet Trzaska
Director of Foundation Relations
(312) 362-8930
jtrzaska@depaul.edu
Tracy Krauchun
Associate Director of Foundation Relations
(312) 362-8972
tkrauchu@depaul.edu
Sheri Lee
Coordinator
(312) 362-7171
slee23@depaul.edu