Grants and Operations Manager (Remote)

The Heartland Fund, part of the Rural Democracy Initiative, is seeking a Grants and Operations Manager. The position requires a highly motivated, detail-oriented leader who is committed to racial equity and a thriving democracy, prepared to serve our grantee network of more than 100 organizations. They will oversee complex grants management and reporting systems, and support efficient communications and operations for our growing team.

This is an exciting and dynamic job in an emerging nonprofit funding collaborative, with opportunities for advancement and leadership.

The successful candidate will be well organized and highly productive, an excellent written communicator, able to manage multiple priorities and competing deadlines. We are looking for an upbeat team player who shares our vision of connecting leaders and funders, to build powerful civic and political infrastructure in rural areas. 

About the Organization

The Heartland Fund, part of the Rural Democracy Initiative, is a funding collaborative that connects rural leaders with funders to build powerful, permanent civic infrastructure in small towns, small cities and rural areas. We challenge the stereotype of the conservative white rural voter, and instead center racial justice and partner with groups working in rural communities of color, and modeling groundbreaking anti-racist organizing in majority-white communities.

Our coalition of rural innovators and aligned funders is working in 20 states across diverse regions, including Alaska and Montana in the Northwest, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania in the Midwest and Northeast, Arizona in the Southwest, and North Carolina, and Georgia in the Southeast. We support rural people working to transform rural America – and therefore the entire country – for decades to come.

Why RDI

Small town, small city and rural voters maintain disproportionate power to shape national politics. The progressive movement was built on a strong coalition of rural farmers and urban laborers. But in recent decades, progressive leadership and funding infrastructure has largely withdrawn from non-metro areas.

At the same time, regressive interests have invested heavily in rural voters. They’ve built organizing, policy, and communications machines to spread disinformation and ignite fears among rural electorates, promoting their own political agendas to deepen urban-rural divides.

Progressives are winning again in small towns and rural communities.

In 2018 and 2020 it has become clear that with focused organizing progressives can win in rural communities: even though rural areas voted overwhelmingly for Trump, rural Democratic gains in the 2018 midterms and 2020 presidential election were actually larger than the gains made in urban and in many suburban areas, and were decisive in the battleground states.

With small, grassroots investments in strategic rural engagement, a motivated coalition comprised largely of rural women, people of color, and younger voters fueled a historic progressive bounce-back in small cities, towns and rural areas.

The Heartland / RDI approach

The Heartland Fund is a 501c3 grantmaking and power building organization that, alongside the 501c4 Rural Victory Fund, comprises the Rural Democracy Initiative. RDI invests in civic infrastructure in small towns and rural areas. Building power in these communities is essential to establishing an enduring progressive, multi-racial national majority, and to implementing the policies required for rural and small city communities to have vibrant, thriving futures.

The Position

The Grants and Operations Manager will be supervised by and work alongside the Program Officer to manage grant making, support the grantee network, and communicate learning and success stories. They will work with the Deputy Director to support efficient and joyful organizational operations for our growing, hard working staff and consultant team.

 RDI takes pride in building an organizational culture rooted in learning, collaboration, equity, and a deep commitment to our mission. We center racial justice and anti-racism throughout all of our work. All staff are expected to contribute leadership and vision to advance our mission, and core strategies.

Primary responsibilities include:

Grant Management: Work closely with the Program Officer and program team to ensure timely review of all grant making materials and efficient preparation of grant dockets.

• Gather and organize grantee proposals and accompanying materials. Support grant docket preparation.
• In partnership with the Program officer, pilot new streamlined grantee reporting process including organizing and providing initial review of grantee reports, pulling out relevant highlights.
• Review grantee legal and financial documents, flagging questions or concerns for the program team.
• Update detailed grant projections dashboard, synthesizing current data for the team as needed.
• Incorporate RDI’s Racial Equity Plan into implementing grant process improvements

Grantee Support: Serve the grantee network as a responsive liaison. Help grantees easily access RDI resources.

• Proactively communicate with 100+ grantees about their grant awards.
• Act in a “help desk” capacity to support the grantee application process.
• Track grantee contact information, and each step in the process - from grant proposal, to agreements and payments.
• Provide scheduling support for outreach with grantees and partners, and all logistical support for grantee convenings and site visits.

Administration and Operations: Support a rewarding, efficient and high performing “virtual office” so that every member of the team can be effective.

• Maintain core systems that support high team performance, including project management platforms, Google Workspace for file sharing and meetings, Slack, Zoom, etc.
• Maintain and update digital security and password management systems.
• Support staff to access HR systems and protocols provided by fiscal sponsor.
• Provide scheduling, logistical, and technical support to the staff team as needed.

Communications: Assist the communications team in organizing and preparing written materials and presentations for our funder and partner audiences.

• Help gather and organize impact stories, photos, quotes, and anecdotes from grantees to support compelling written content for our funders and grantees, and for our website and social media.
• Manage logistics for regular donor webinar series spotlighting leaders from our network.
• Collaborate with development and communications teams to write Heartland Fund and Rural Victory Fund grant proposals and reports for our foundation funders.
• Update contacts and regularly maintain CRM to ensure communications are received by key audiences.

 Examples of Growth and Development Opportunities include:

• Continuous learning about current grantmaking, philanthropy, civic engagement, and political best practices.
• Assist with development of capacity building programs for grantees, including legal, communications, physical and digital security resources, etc.
• Managing a designated grant making portfolio.

This is a permanent, full time staff position. The organization is virtual, and the Grants and Operations Manager will be a remote position. As COVID allows, the position will require occasional travel across the United States. Expected compensation will be based on skills and experience, with an approximate salary range of $65,000 - $75,000 per year. Our comprehensive benefits package includes employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance, 6% employer match on 401k contributions, pre-tax transportation benefits, and paid holidays, vacation, sick, and volunteer time off.

To center the safety and well-being of its employees, Windward Fund requires that any employee who is required to conduct in-person activities for their job must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 within four weeks of their start date. This position may require candidates to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Accommodations may be sought and approved in accordance with the law by contacting human resources at HR@windwardfund.org.

The person holding this position may also work part-time for a coordinated project, Rural Victory Fund, in the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a 501(c)(4) organization, under a resource sharing agreement between the Windward Fund and Sixteen Thirty Fund. The responsibilities under that position will be overseen by Sixteen Thirty Fund.

Qualifications

Heartland / RDI is seeking an organized and ambitious team member who is excited to work in an entrepreneurial, fast paced, and creative environment. The person should exhibit a high degree of professionalism, initiative, and independence while also being collaborative and team focused. Specifically, the successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:

Minimum:

• 3+ years related professional experience in a non-profit, campaign and/or foundation setting, working on projects with varied deadlines and deliverables
• Strong writing skills, with an ability to clearly communicate an organization’s mission and impact
• Commitment to racial justice and fluency with racial equity practices
• Passionate attention to detail
• Strong relationship management skills with diverse constituencies, and a service orientation towards the work
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Suite, spreadsheets, databases
• Understanding of social change, civic engagement, or political strategy

 Desired:

• Demonstrated connection to and passion for our rural mission
• Experience in the philanthropic sector and with grant making

Application Instructions

Priority deadline January 21, 2022. Applications will be reviewed and considered on a rolling basis with interviews anticipated to start late-January. The desired start date is March 1, 2022

Online applications only. You will be asked to upload a resume and cover letter. In your cover letter, please describe how your experience, skills, and interests align with this position and RDI’s mission and phase of growth.

The Heartland Fund is a project of Windward Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant-making programs. Windward Fund is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, LGBTQ people, and women are strongly encouraged to apply. We believe that a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace culture enhances our ability to fulfill our mission. Employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law.