Position Title: Grant Writer
Reports To: Director of Community Resources
Compensation: Full-time, Exempt; Salary is commensurate with experience and education. Full benefits.
About Fresh Lifelines for Youth
Founded in 2000, Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) is an award-winning nonprofit working to break the cycle of juvenile violence, crime, and incarceration. FLY believes that all our children deserve a chance to become more than their past mistakes. FLY’s legal education, leadership training, and mentoring programs motivate and equip youth to change the course of their lives. We are also committed to helping our juvenile justice systems become more just, humane, and equitable. As a result, FLY increases safety in our communities and decreases the costs and consequences of crime.
For more information about Fresh Lifelines for Youth please go to: www.flyprogram.org.
Grant Writer - Position Summary
Currently, over 80% of FLY’s budget comes from foundation and government grants. The organization is in an exciting phase of growth and anticipates expanding into a fourth jurisdiction by 2020. The Grant Writer will play a critical role in supporting this growth plan through on-the-ground execution of fund development activities and tactics. This position will work closely with the Director of Community Resources and a six-member Development team, including Director of Communications, Corporate Partnerships and Events Coordinator, and an Executive Assistant, led by FLY’s Chief Development Officer (CDO). The Grant Writer will report to the Director of Community Resources, who is responsible for local, regional, and national foundation, corporate, and government grant fundraising and partnerships to support FLY’s efforts to provide services to at-risk and juvenile justice system-involved youth.
The Grant Writer will: conduct foundation, corporate, and government prospect research; interface with foundation and government partners to support prospecting and fundraising, manage grant proposal planning and development, collaborate on grant writing for both government and foundation proposals, and once proposals are secured, complete the grant reporting process for foundation and corporate grants in collaboration with key leaders in the Development and Operations teams. The Grant Writer will also be responsible for administrative components, such as data entry and grant file upkeep, with the support of a Community Resources Intern. This individual will demonstrate versatility and FLY spirit through flexibility in the grant development priorities and process, collaborating as needed with key leaders in the organization, while owning responsibility for key pieces of the grant work product.
Primary Responsibilities
- GRANT STRATEGY: Strategize with Director of Community Resources to execute an annual strategy for foundation, corporate, and government grant writing to ensure FLY raises the resources it needs for a balanced budget. This includes: identifying grants for renewals, tiered prospects of new funders, timelines, proposal amounts, and work flow for the year. Additionally, support revenue tracking and projections through regular revenue meetings.
- GRANT WRITING: Develop, prepare, and edit grant proposals for foundations, corporations, and government grants. Develop expert knowledge of FLY programs and services in order to prepare accurate and persuasive funding requests and reports. Collaborate with Chief Financial Officer, Directors of Programs, and Evaluation and Learning to obtain necessary data, information, and materials for proposal and attachment content. Prepare multiple, simultaneous proposals for on-time submission under tight and shifting deadlines, while maintaining a consistently high standard of quality.
- GRANT REPORTING: Develop, prepare, and edit grant reports for foundations and corporations. Prepare multiple, simultaneous reports for on-time submission under tight and shifting deadlines, while maintaining a consistently high standard of quality.
- GRANTS MANAGEMENT: Maintain calendar of public and private grant proposals and reports through Salesforce database to ensure on-time submission of all proposals and reports. Manage positive and professional relationships with current grant makers.
- GRANT PROSPECTING: Research the funding requirements of potential new public and private funding sources and opportunities. Identify, evaluate, and cultivate prospects for new foundation, corporate, and government grants.
- CONTEXT RESEARCH: Conduct research to develop and maintain knowledge of and expertise in policies and theories concerning juvenile justice systems and youth. Conduct research to provide supporting information for grant proposals.
- DONOR DATABASE & RECORDS: Maintain grant activity files in Salesforce, and in electronic and paper records. Generate database queries and reports as required by the department.
- SUPERVISION OF INTERNSHIP PROGRAM: Recruit and supervise Community Resources Intern.
- GENERAL DUTIES: Participate in Department meetings, All-Staff meetings, and other agency-wide meetings. Represent FLY in a professional manner at events, public speaking activities, check presentations, or other functions as requested.
- Other duties as needed and assigned, including availability for occasional evening and weekend work.
Qualification and Competency Requirements
Positional Competencies – required for our Grant Writer
- Grant Writing Experience and Education: 3 years of professional writing experience is required. Experience with grant writing and grant coordination is a plus.
- Education: A Bachelor’s degree is required, preferably in a related field.
- Nonprofit and Volunteer Experience: Work or volunteer experience with underserved and disadvantaged youth is a plus.
- Strategic Project Management: Experience and proven ability to develop and implement creative structures of support and accountability among peers and teams. Proven administrative and time management skills with the ability to supervise and lead grant proposal projects from beginning to end with support from the Director of Community Resources.
- Strong Communication & Customer Service Skills: Exceptional oral and written communication skills including the demonstrated ability to research, assimilate and analyze information, compose documents, and present data in a clear and concise manner to appropriate personnel, including the ability to effectively gather and present information to top management, program staff, and Development stakeholders. Professional and friendly language, tone and energy when speaking will all internal and external stakeholders.
- Knowledge of Bay Area Funding Community is a plus.
- Enthusiasm for Data Collection and Database Maintenance: Knowledge of Salesforce or an equivalent CRM database is a plus.
Organizational Competencies – required for all FLY staff
- System-wide Thinking: Sees the bigger picture of serving our youth and achieving overall agency goals while executing on specific Development department deliverables. Uses role to champion FLY’s strategic vision internally and externally.
- Growth Mindset: Possess the belief that all people are capable of change and ongoing growth; Coaches and develops staff with a strengths-based approach and pursues opportunities to enhance their own personal and professional development.
- Decisive & Accountable: Well-honed ability to independently anticipate and analyze situations, define problems and objectives, recognize viable alternatives and formulate rapid solutions, with understanding of the inherent risks and the implications of making tough decisions. Be accountable to young people, organizational and programmatic results, and the FLY Team.
- Emotionally Intelligent: Aware of and able to monitor one’s own emotions, perspectives, and beliefs, as well as respond respectfully to those of others. Ability to adapt to change and respect differences in a diverse environment.
- Availability for occasional evening and weekend work and for travel as needed.
The Grant Writer is a full time position. FLY offers a competitive salary structure and full benefits.
Interested applicants please submit your Cover Letter and Resume to our Careers link on our website, https://flyprogram.org/about/careers/.