Grant and Foundations Specialist

Salary: 49,500/Annually

Job Summary: 

Under the direction of the Director of Donor Relations, the Grant and Foundations Specialist will be responsible for meeting and exceeding annual fundraising goal. The position will act as a frontline fundraiser and is tasked with developing and maintaining relationships with family foundations, grant makers, civic groups, and United Ways and securing funding through storytelling and grant writing. The Grant and Foundations Specialist will be responsible for prospect management to include prospect research, development and cultivation, stewardship, proposals and reporting. This position maintains effective relationships internally to ensure consistently strong grant and project execution, coordination of internal and external resources, and satisfaction of all agreed deliverables. The Grant and Foundations Specialist will work with foundation prospects, Council’s Fund Development Team, Chief Development Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Board of Directors Fund Development Committee, and other staff as appropriate. 

Duties & Responsibilities: 

• Builds a culture of philanthropy by working across teams and volunteers to write, edit and submit grant proposals to meet annual fundraising benchmarking. 
• Identify and research sources of funding and review their giving guidelines to identify matches with specific projects and programs. 
• Monitor deadlines for proposals and reports, grants denied and awarded, disbursements made, and provide analysis of information in the pipeline. 
• Develop and manage stewardship grant and foundation stewardship calendar to ensure all contractual obligations are met or appropriately addressed. 
• Monitor donor-funded projects, including timelines, goals/objectives, outcomes, and budget spending for each assigned donor account and report activity monthly. 
• Work with Council leadership and staff to identify funding needs and/or programs of interest to the foundation and corporate gift prospects, including United Way. 
• Gather feedback and success stories related to each donor-funded initiative; write narrative and budget reports on the use of funding for interim and annual donor reports; ensure overall reporting (including photos, media samples, etc.) is compliant with donor format/standards. 
• Coordinate meetings with funders and potential funders in addition to assembling the background information in preparation for these meetings. 
• Coordinate with Development Operations Manager to ensure donor’s acknowledgments are received and properly recorded in Raiser’s Edge. 
• Facilitate monthly grant meeting with internal stakeholders. 
• Provide administrative support, including but not limited to, calendar management, appointment setting, preparing reports, correspondence, and cultivation packages for internal staff required to participate in foundation visits or United Way interviews. 
• Maximize the operational systems, processes, and policies in support of the department’s mission -- specifically, by supporting the flow of information via Raiser’s Edge.   

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: 

• 2-3 years project management experience, with a focus on data analysis and report preparation. Ability to plan and meet deadlines. 
• Direct fund-raising experience with civic groups and/or foundations. 
• Excellent attention to detail, follow-through, and execution on grant obligations 
• Prior experience securing financial support through proposal writing. 
• Solid, proven business writing skills (including grammar and punctuation). 
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills including a professional demeanor with employees and external constituents. 
• Ability to identify challenges and think creatively to provide solutions 
• Understanding of and commitment to the mission of the Girl Scouts. 
• High level of organizational and multi-tasking skills. 
• Possess a positive and determined disposition. 
• Effective and persuasive oral communications skills. 
• Experience managing budgets.  
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from all levels of the community, corporations, foundations, and the public. 
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidential documents, correspondence, and discussions. 
• Bachelor’s degree and two or more years, or equivalent experience, in fundraising required. 
• Excellent computer skills and proficiency in office software packages (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, Raiser’s Edge, Adobe, and Project Management tools). 

PREFERRED SKILLS: 

• Demonstrated proficiency in Raiser’s Edge. 
• Experience writing and preparing United Way reports. 

**Must be able to successfully complete & clear a Criminal, Sex Offender, and MVR background check**