The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Florida (ACLU of Florida) seeks a Grant Writer. The Grant Writer works closely with other members of the Development Department to achieve the organization’s goal of protecting the liberties that define our democracy. This position can be remote or located in the organization’s office in Miami and may include some limited travel.
The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Florida is an affiliate of the ACLU, Inc., a national public interest organization devoted to the defense of civil rights and civil liberties. For over 100 years, the ACLU has served as the nation’s primary protector of the liberties that define our democracy. The organization implements its vital civil liberties mission in all 50 states in large part through affiliate entities such as the ACLU of Florida.
The ACLU of Florida, the state’s largest civil rights and civil liberties organization, employs litigation, public policy advocacy, communications strategies, and public education to protect and promote a broad range of constitutional values and individual rights, such as freedom of speech, equality, due process, racial justice, privacy, religious liberty, criminal justice reforms, voting rights, reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, disability rights, and immigrants’ rights. The ACLU of Florida litigates a broad range of constitutional cases in federal and state courts through direct representation, amicus briefs, and by submitting administrative complaints to state and federal agencies.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Grant Writer is a staff position within the affiliate’s Development Department. The position reports to the Director of Philanthropy. The position is focused on ensuring that the ACLU of Florida meets our fundraising goals by increasing grant funding to support the ACLU’s work while managing funder relations and reporting.
The Grant Writer will be responsible for identifying new grant funding opportunities and building strong relationships between those funders and the ACLU to prioritize the work of the ACLU for the funders and maximize financial support. The Grant Writer will be responsible for keeping the funders up to date on the work of the ACLU and will work closely with the ACLU of Florida team to track the progress and report accurately and timely about the specific work funded by the grantor.
The Grant Writer will work closely with members of the ACLU of Florida’s development and finance departments, the Executive Director, and development colleagues at the national ACLU, as well as with staff in every department of the state organization. The Grant Writer will spend a significant amount of time in direct interaction with funders, to ensure that each funder is well-informed about the work they are funding and that all requirements of the funders are met. The positions may require some limited travel within Florida and possible travel outside of Florida for training purposes.
• Manage an existing portfolio of institutional funders to support the programmatic work of the ACLU of Florida.
• Identify and research Florida-based grant funders to grow the funding pipeline and expand the portfolio of institutional funders.
• Work with National ACLU to identify national funders that fund regional work.
• Balance the financial needs of the ACLU of Florida with the funding needs of grant funding organizations.
• Partner with staff to research, write, and submit creative and compelling grant proposals.
• Schedule and track grant activities and alert program staff to upcoming report and proposal deadlines.
• Ensure compliance with funder agreements and on-time submission of deliverables.
• Maintain contact and relationships with external agencies and respond to inquiries, as necessary.
• Create a comprehensive cultivation and grant application strategy for funders and execute strategies that fulfill funders’ goals.
• Develop and implement a communications plan to keep in regular contact with funders on the issues of their interest.
• Work with the staff to secure project information to develop materials and communication including highly creative and strategic proposals that are consistent with the interests and desired funding of the grantors.
• Collaborate with affiliate finance staff to develop and monitor grant budgets.
• Track activities, communication, and progress for each grant, accurately and timely.
• Maintain working knowledge of the ACLU’s programmatic priorities and issues as they occur.
• Other duties as assigned.
While no one person will have all the qualities enumerated below, the successful candidate will bring many of the following qualifications and attributes:
• A strong commitment to the mission and values of the ACLU, including a demonstrated commitment to equity and racial justice.
• Minimum of three years of experience in nonprofit grant writing, management, and reporting, with a proven track record of securing grant funding, or comparable experience.
• Experience identifying, cultivating, and stewarding funders.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to simplify complex themes and activities into short, compelling proposals and other written fundraising materials. Familiarity with talking about utilizing public policy advocacy and litigation to promote social justice is helpful.
• Strong people skills. The ability to communicate effectively and respectfully on the phone, via email, text, and in person.
• Persuasiveness and perseverance in attaining goals.
• Strong organizational skills, ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously and to meet deadlines. Ability to develop long-term plans, set objectives, and track progress toward achieving goals.
• Personal initiative and flexibility. Friendly, outgoing, and collaborative approach, and a strong team-oriented style.
• Experience with donor database management and CRM systems to track campaigns preferred.
• Ability to keep sensitive information private and secure.
• Proficiency with office technology and information systems (including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and a donor database (Salesforce, Research Point, Looker) preferred.
• Must be available for travel across the state if needed, as well as limited out-of-state travel.
• A confident and professional work style. Ability to work independently and to exercise good judgment in stressful circumstances. Flexibility and a willingness to take on new tasks as the responsibilities of the position evolve.
• Knowledge of the Florida Foundation community preferred.
• Ability to work beyond the traditional workday and work week as needed.
• Ability to understand and execute complex instructions.
• Ability to think strategically, develop effective solutions, and take initiative.
• Fluency in Spanish or Creole preferred, but not required.
Compensation will be commensurate with experience, within the range of $54,000 to $68,000. The ACLU of Florida provides excellent benefits, including health and dental insurance with generous vacation, holiday, and sick leave policies, as well as an employer-matched Defined Contribution/401K Retirement Plan. Base vacation leave is five weeks per year (and six weeks per year after five years).
Please email a cover letter, resume, and two writing examples of development-related content that you have personally written to [email protected]. Acceptable writing examples include concept notes, LOIs, grant proposals and/or reports, and marketing materials such as one-pagers or brochures. All inquiries should include “Grant Writer” in the subject line and all attachments should be in Microsoft Word or PDF format.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Please indicate where you learned of this job posting. No phone calls, please.
This job description provides a general but not comprehensive list of the essential responsibilities and qualifications required. It does not represent a contract of employment. The ACLU of Florida reserves the right to change the job description and/or post at any time without advance notice.
The ACLU of Florida is an equal-opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU of Florida encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, record of arrest or conviction and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. If selected for an interview, please inquire if financial assistance is needed to attend.
The ACLU of Florida makes every effort to ensure that its recruitment and employment efforts provide persons with disabilities with full opportunities for employment in all positions. The ACLU of Florida is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please e-mail [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request accommodation for the interview process.