Grants Management Specialist

Description: Our Mission Our mission is to leverage the power of food to end hunger and build healthier communities. Our Vision We believe that the fight against hunger and the fight against poverty are one and the same. We envision a future in which food is recognized as a human right and every person is able to feed themselves and their families in dignity. Together, we work to create a more nourished, prosperous region. The Foodlink Way Act With Compassion Take Responsibility Be a Team Player Listen, Learn, Adapt Job Title: Grants Management Specialist Department: Marketing & Development Reports to: VP, Development & Community Engagement Status: Full-time, hourly, nonexempt Job Level: (7) Specialist Updated: August 2024 SUMMARY The Grants Specialist will be responsible for overseeing the entire lifecycle of grant management, from initial planning and proposal submission to compliance and reporting. This role combines the strategic elements of cultivating relationships with funders and ensuring all financial and regulatory requirements are met. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in grant administration, grant writing and management, with a keen attention to detail and excellent communication skills. Foodlink currently has 75 active grant sources across multiple years, totaling over $40M. This person has the unique opportunity to work across all Foodlink departments including career empowerment, food banking, community health and strategic projects. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Grant Planning, Prospecting and Proposal Preparation Utilize online databases/websites to research grant opportunities (corporations, corporate foundations, etc.) and new sources of support; Prioritize prospect solicitation based on findings. Develop and maintain an up-to-date documentation of common grant questions and recent responses to streamline grant application and reporting Manage all grant proposal development (including oversight of contract grant writer or coordinating appropriate grant writing team among Foodlink leadership) for private, corporate, foundation, Feeding America and government funding Coordinate staff grant planning meetings; Develop and manage a detailed calendar of work timelines for all public and private grants—from proposal to final grant report Grant Management and Reporting Prepare, edit and submit LOIs, interim and final reports and stewardship correspondence as needed. Manage all online grant portal systems and submissions for foundation, city, state, and federal funders Maintain grant records and track grants and gifts requested and received using CRM Analyze pending or anticipated grants and manage grant lists for current and prior fiscal years; assist with annual departmental budget. Prepare annual fiscal year grant projections and grant award summaries for staff. Represent the organization in meetings, site visits, and phone conversations with grant representatives. Collaborate with Program and Finance teams to build a process to ensure timely submission of all grant reports. Financial Grant Management For each grant proposal serve as the liaison between finance and the program team to ensure budgets are reflective of grant and departmental goals. In collaboration with the Finance Team to develop a streamlined/replicable process for determining restrictions and budget development. In partnership with Finance team, serve as lead in ensuring documentation of all government and donor-restricted contracts are compliant. Redact all sensitive information from grant budgets before passing onto program teams for implementation of the grant. Interdepartmental Collaboration Attend regular and special development and cross-division meetings to represent grantor perspectives. Collaborate with staff to ensure proper crediting of funders in published and marketing materials. Initiate monthly check-ins with finance, development, and program staff to review grant budgets. Develop and maintain a system for managing and querying internal programs and operations data for efficient and accurate reporting to grant funders; Maintain accuracy of cost center allocations such as FTE%, square-footage, and poundage. Develop and update system to track relevant external data and literature relevant to food insecurity and poverty alleviation. Completes all other tasks as assigned by the VP of Development Requirements: QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor's degree in Communications, Business Administration, or related field Project Management Professional Certification or other equivalent experience Minimum of 5 years of experience in grant writing, financial management and/or compliance Proficiency using ASANA or other project management software. Proficiency in accounting software and financial management systems. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills. Ability to work collaboratively across departments. We are actively seeing a diverse pool of candidates for this position and strongly encourage applications from candidates of color. SALARY AND BENEFITS This is a full-time position paid on an hourly basis, ranging from $23.91 to $31.03/hour, depending on experience. Foodlink covers 100% of individual health and dental insurance with the ability to acquire family coverage with pretax dollars. In addition to generous paid time off (PTO), we observe 14 paid holidays throughout the year. Opportunity to contribute to a 401k retirement savings plan upon hire. Eligible for generous employer match after 1 year of service. Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand and talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to use hands to handle or feel items such as documents. The employee is frequently required to stand and walk for long periods of time. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision and ability to adjust focus. Work Environment The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a team member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet. Note: The above description is illustrative of tasks and responsibilities. It is not meant to be all- inclusive. Employees will follow other instructions and perform other related duties as required. Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Foodlink is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. At Foodlink we believe that anti-hunger work is only possible with a commitment to removing barriers caused by systems of oppression that perpetuate hunger and poverty. We recognize that systematic injustice and bias disproportionately impact some identities more than others. Foodlink is actively working to center equity- the fair treatment of all people- in everything that we do so that everyone in our region has access to nourishing food that reflects and values cultural differences. Foodlink is committed to listening and supporting solutions to hunger that are sourced from people and communities with lived/living experience of hunger and poverty, and to responding where inequities exist. Foodlink is committed to taking great care to cultivate internal culture and practices that support diversity and inclusion. We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique. We aim to foster an environment in which everyone feels a sense of belonging and understands their connection to the Foodlink mission. Foodlink employees have a responsibility to always treat others with dignity and respect. Employees are expected to always exhibit conduct that reflects our values and promotes equity and inclusion during work, and at work functions.