Grant Writer

Donor Organizing Summary: Groundswell is committed to cultivating a vibrant and engaged, multiracial and multigenerational community of donors and funders who connect their values to their resources. We believe generosity and intention go hand in hand with the success of the RJ movement and intersectional grassroots organizing. Giving at every level empowers individuals, families, and entire communities to create a better world. Groundswell’s values around authentic and respectful partnerships undergird our relationships with grantees, donors, and funders. Our mission to support grantee organizations as they build their grassroots power mirrors our fundraising mission, supporting the power of our donors through learning about the issues our grantees face and collaborating for greater collective impact and liberation for all people.     

Groundswell is embarking on an ambitious donor and funder organizing plan to accomplish our Blueprint goal of moving over $100 million to the field from 2020-2025. By 2025, we aim to increase our donor base to 1,000 people and our annual budget to $25 million. We will increase outreach to new funders and donors  and ask current funders to increase their giving levels to support momentum in this critical moment. We aim to ensure the ongoing stability of our annual revenue and grantmaking capacity despite likely shifts in the larger economic and philanthropic landscapes. To remain on target with our Blueprint goals and our key function in the field, Groundswell must continue cultivating, stewarding, and retaining existing and new income and revenue sources.

Position Summary: The Grant Writer is a new position at Groundswell as the organization brings our grant writing in-house. In addition to being responsible for writing proposals and reports for a diverse docket of funders and prospects, the person in this role will manage the full funding cycle and process for each foundation as well as coordinate the involvement of other staff in this work. Candidates should have a deep alignment with Groundswell’s mission and values as well as a passion for translating this work into compelling written content. The role requires someone who is a strategic thinker, an experienced writer, and able to synthesize information from multiple sources into one coherent narrative. The ideal candidate will be detail-oriented, inspired by a fast-paced environment, and capable of handling a high volume of work with grace and flexibility.  As part of the Funder Organizing Department, the Grant Writer will report to the Director of Funder Organizing and work on a team with the Senior Foundation Relations Manager and Foundation Relations Associate. 

Responsibilities:

Content Development: Researching, Writing, & Revising (approximately 70%)

Manage a docket of foundations and other institutional funders including writing, preparation, and submission of proposals, letters of intent, reports, and other materials.
Draft compelling narratives for funding proposals to secure revenue for general operating support, ongoing or new programs, and special projects.
Draft reports that clearly describe goals achieved as well as metrics and milestones.
Ensure all proposals, reports, and supplemental materials are completed on schedule and in compliance with grant requirements.  
Work with the Foundation Relations Associate to prepare and review supplemental materials required with funding applications.
Conduct research as needed to strengthen proposals and other content.
Manage online proposal submissions, including translating online forms into accessible working documents for internal collaboration.
Identify and research sources of potential funding to bolster the pipeline of prospective sources aligned with Groundswell’s work.
Maintain an up-to-date understanding of Groundswell’s priorities, programs, and campaigns for inclusion in funder materials.

Management & Administration (approximately 30%)

Coordinate staff participation and involvement during proposal design, development, and implementation phases to ensure agreement with goals and objectives, feasibility, and funding needs.
Work with program leads across the organization to create and maintain boilerplate content and program narratives that make a strong case for funding.
Collaborate with department heads to understand program needs and assess compatibility with available funding opportunities.
Create timelines and manage project plans that allow for meeting multiple, often competing deadlines.
Develop formal, internal processes for grant writing operations, ensuring efficiency and transparency for the entire life cycle of each funder.
Support the tracking and administering of grants with the Foundation Relations Associate.
Assist in preparation for funder visits, reviews, and evaluations; participate as appropriate.

Qualifications:

Essential

At least 5 years of combined experience in grant writing and/or grants management.  
Superb writing and strategic thinking capabilities, including proficiency distilling content from multiple sources into one cohesive narrative.
Strong verbal communication skills via phone, video, and email; the ability to present ideas and concepts clearly.
Ability to manage relationships with colleagues to move projects forward.
Excellent project management skills, proofreading experience, and strong attention to detail.
Ability to work gracefully under pressure and produce high-quality work within tight time constraints; accountability for meeting deadlines.   
Ability to prioritize and manage shifting duties in a fast-paced environment.
Adaptable, flexible, and willing to grow with the needs of the organization.
Impeccable judgment and discretion in dealing with sensitive information.

Fluency in spoken and written English.
Strong experience using a race, class, gender, and decolonization lens in verbal and written communications.

Strongly Preferred

Familiarity with nonprofit fundraising practices.
Ability to work as part of a team across several time zones. 
Good problem-solving skills and the ability to troubleshoot.  
A willingness to learn new skills, systems, and frameworks.  
Experience working across cultures and differences, including comfort working with people of color and transgender and gender-expansive people.
Demonstrated commitment to Groundswell’s mission, vision, and values.

Preferred

Experience with Slack, Asana, GSuite, Microsoft Office, Zoom, and CRM systems.
Experience working in social justice movements.

Virtual Organization: Groundswell is a completely virtual organization and has been for many years before the COVID-19 pandemic. We are committed to building a strong identity and thriving culture that is exemplary in the nonprofit world and in the greater landscape of fully remote organizations.  To succeed as remote workers, applicants should have a dedicated workspace, a commitment to clear and frequent communication, and comfort utilizing technology to increase collaboration and connection. Those with previous remote work experience are preferred, but we also welcome those who are new to remote work and understand the requirements of working in a thriving virtual organizational culture. When travel is safe again, we will have the opportunity to travel and see each other in person for retreats, conferences, and events; but until then, all our work is virtual. 

Work Schedule: Groundswell is a completely virtual organization, allowing for flexibility in work schedules for our staff across differing U.S. time zones. While work can usually be completed during standard business hours of the applicant's time zone, there may be times where early morning, evening, and weekend work may be needed to ensure organization-wide collaboration, to staff or attend events, and/or to meet organization workload needs during busy times of the year. When travel is possible again, staff whose jobs require travel can expect longer hours, as travel may happen outside of business hours and on weekends.   

To Apply: Please submit a cover letter, resume, three professional references, and at least two writing examples of development-related content that you have personally written. Acceptable writing examples: Email or direct mail appeal; Concept note, LOI, grant proposal, and/or report; Marketing materials like one-pagers, brochures, or postcards; Boilerplate content and/or templates; Prospect research conducted for foundation support; Correspondence to a foundation and/or donor; Agenda and/or talking points for a foundation site visit or donor meeting; Protocols for the grantwriting process.

Please make sure your cover letter includes your salary expectations and describes why you feel you are a strong candidate and that your writing examples have minimal input from other sources. Estimated start date for this position is March 2024. No phone calls, please. Due to the high volume of applications, only those selected for further discussion will be contacted.

Computer Skills: To perform this job successfully, an individual should have an openness to learning and working with technology, including Microsoft Office 365 and suite of programs, Gsuite, Slack, Asana, Excel, CRM database software, web browsers, social media, the basics of conferencing software and Zoom.

Travel: Candidate must be available to travel at least six times a year for overnight events/meetings across the U.S. Travel needs will be evaluated and determined on an ongoing basis with an eye toward staff safety as we continue navigating COVID-19.