Grants Manager

OVERVIEW

The climate emergency is here and it is the greatest societal threat that we face. The world as we know it is running out of time and the window for small, incremental action has closed. Instead, we need an emergency-level response to accelerate decarbonization around the world.

ACE works at the nexus of youth, media and civic engagement to accelerate our pathway toward a decarbonized world. We reach tens of millions of people with our programs each year and are driving a new climate narrative to engage audiences that our movement has yet to reach. We utilize leading-edge media strategies to combat dangerous disinformation, drive action-taking, and increase diverse participation in the democratic process.

Our staff and board members are dynamic, diverse and talented, and our team is currently growing to meet this critical moment of opportunity.

JOB SUMMARY

ACE’s Grants Manager (GM) will provide critical support for the institutional fundraising team—managing a portfolio of institutional funders at all points of the grant lifecycle, from reporting and stewardship to writing proposals, LOIs and renewals. Reporting to the Senior Director of Philanthropy and working collaboratively with the Senior Head of Philanthropy and Communications, as well as the Development and Program Teams, the Grants Manager will be responsible for raising funds from foundation and corporate sources. The ideal candidate will be an experienced fundraiser, excellent writer and communicator, detail oriented, able to meet deadlines, and adapt to changing needs and opportunities.

ACE has experienced transformative growth, expanding our budget sixfold in the last five years (from $2M to $14M annually), with a goal to become a $30 million organization within the next two years. The Grants Manager will play a critical role in contributing to this growth trajectory.

The Grants Manager will join a growing, skilled Development team with strong leadership, support and active fundraising led by the Senior Head of Philanthropy and Communications in partnership with the Executive Director. This is a fully remote position that will require consistent, frequent communication and collaboration with a fully remote team. This is a tech-forward role in a very tech-forward organization. This position will require travel approximately 15% of the time for funder stewardship opportunities, internal team meetings and staff retreats.

Key Responsibilities

• Grant Writing (50%). Draft compelling, fresh grant proposals and reports for approximately 30-50 institutional funders, mainly ranging from $10,000-$100,000 each, that are aligned with ACE’s mission, vision and strategic goals and programming.
  • Write foundation and corporate letters of inquiry, proposals and reports—ensure review by the appropriate team members and submit through the appropriate channel ahead of deadline.
  • Provide writing support for general team fundraising collateral and donor communications as needed.

• Funder Stewardship (25%). Manage donor relationships with 30-50 institutional funders—facilitating moves management strategies and regular communication for this institutional portfolio.
  • Directly manage relationships with a growing portfolio of foundation funders, including 1-on-1 phone calls, invitations to in-person and virtual events, and sharing regular updates on the impact of their funding.
  • Participate in the Institutional Philanthropy team’s moves management strategies across the portfolio, including coordinating outreach opportunities and developing communications to share with funders.

• Grants Management (20%). Ensure that all institutional gifts across the portfolio are processed from pledge to receipt including: grant agreement submissions, proper grant deliverable tracking, timely and thoughtful gift acknowledgment, and that appropriate team members across the organization are notified upon grant receipt.
  • Work closely with the Senior Director of Philanthropy to review grant agreements, paying particular attention to any donor restrictions, and facilitate approval and signature from the Executive Director, then return the signed copy to the funder.
  • Collaborate with the Senior Director of Philanthropy and Development Associate to ensure proper gift processing and back-up documentation for external accountants and auditors, as well as internal data management.
  • Process grant, including adding grant agreement and payment information, in Salesforce, Google Drive grant folders, Monday, and across tracking spreadsheets.

• Prospect Research (5%). Research potential funders and funding opportunities for alignment with ACE’s mission and values.
  • Conduct research of identified foundations, corporations and potential funding opportunities, including analysis of capacity, alignment, and ability as well as compliance with ACE’s gift acceptance policy.
  • Submit cold outreach, applications to open RFPs and other prospecting opportunities.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• 5-7 years experience in non-profit fundraising with a demonstrated track record of success in grant writing, grant management, foundation relations, corporate relations, or another applicable field for this position.
• Excellent writer, bringing in current research and events to craft persuasive, fresh, and compelling proposals.
• Exceptional ability to manage complex systems and projects, while keeping meticulous attention to detail.
• Be self-motivated to manage multiple projects with thoroughness, accuracy, timeliness, professionalism and optimism. (This position will be remote and will require the ability to self-motivate.)
• Familiarity and fluency in technological skills OR ability to learn: Salesforce, Monday.com, Slack, Google Apps, Zoom, and other relevant programs as necessary.
• Strong organizational and time management skills. Ability to work with multiple deadlines and prioritize tasks as needed.
• Collaborative and communicative work style to work with colleagues in the Development team and across ACE.
• Understanding of fundraising best practices.
• A deep commitment to equity and justice in philanthropy.

Desired Qualifications:

• Education: BA/BS preferred, but not required.
• Professional certifications or training in grant writing, foundation management, prospect research, or related field(s).
• Thrive in fast paced environments
• Passion for ACE’s mission and our work at the nexus of youth, climate, strategic communications, and democracy.
• Experience working with a multiracial team with diverse identities and backgrounds.
• Experience managing a portfolio through a period of rapid growth and expansion.

POSITION DETAILS

• Annual salary range: $80,000-$85,000, commensurate with experience
• Generous benefits include: Medical, Dental, Vision, 403b retirement savings plan, Vacation, Sabbatical, Paid Parental Leave, 2 Floating Holidays, 2 Community Service Floating Holidays, sick time, two weeks of full-staff time off (July 4 week and Christmas-New Years week) and 13 observed holidays
• ACE is an equal-opportunity employer that highly values staff diversity
• Location: Remote

Deeply integrated throughout this work is an underlying commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Specifically, as it relates to this role includes engaging in discussion with the Development team around decolonizing wealth, engaging individuals equitably across donors of all levels, and discussing ACE’s values and work toward justice and equity in all that we do.

This description reflects ACE’s assignment of essential functions, it does not restrict the tasks that may be assigned. ACE retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position at any time. Employees must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.