Reports To: Grants Manager
Employment Type: Part-Time/Internship (15–20 hours/week)
Location: Hybrid (Nashville, TN)

 

Who we are:

Raphah Institute is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to the idea that when people have the opportunity and resources to live trauma-free lives, they will. We partner with community stakeholders to design, implement, and scale systemic solutions that restore people’s access to housing, healthcare, economics, education, and social support.

Who you are:

You believe relationships are key to making a difference. Building and keeping safe, stable, nurturing relationships comes naturally to you.

You’re creative, driven, and excited to join a team of therapists, educators, mentors, consultants, and researchers passionate about creating change in Tennessee and beyond.

You share our vision of replacing the cradle-to-prison pipeline with a cradle-to-homeownership one. You believe that access to social, educational, economic, housing, and healthcare resources is how we make that happen.

You love working with people from all backgrounds. You are compassionate and dedicated and want to help empower communities to heal.

Position Narrative

Raphah Institute is seeking a highly organized, mission-aligned individual to join our team as a Grants Management Assistant. This part-time role supports the operational heartbeat of our fund development efforts by maintaining clean systems, tracking time-sensitive tasks, and coordinating the behind-the-scenes workflows that power our grant submissions and reporting.

Raphah Institute works to advance community safety by replacing cycles of harm and incarceration with community-driven accountability, healing, and restoration. Through initiatives like our Accountability and Repair Conferencing (ARC) program and Early Embrace early childhood ecosystem, we partner with individuals and communities most impacted by violence, incarceration, and disinvestment to design solutions rooted in our five pillars for thriving: housing, healthcare, education, economic opportunity, and social support.

The Grants Management Assistant plays a crucial role in sustaining this work. Under the direction of the Grants Manager, this person will maintain accurate records in our grants database, coordinate deadlines and deliverables across internal teams, support proposal and report preparation, and help manage relationships with philanthropic partners. They will work closely with the grants team and program staff to ensure that every grant cycle — from discovery to submission to stewardship — is handled with excellence, integrity, and alignment with our values.

This role is ideal for someone who finds deep purpose in precision, order, and operational care. It requires someone who is systems-oriented and proactive, who sees detail management as a form of justice work, and who is motivated by the opportunity to make invisible labor visible and impactful. The person in this role will contribute meaningfully to our ability to grow sustainably, deepen trust with funders, and secure resources that allow communities to heal and thrive on their own terms.

Why You Should Apply

  • Join a mission-driven team working to transform justice, healing, and community safety from the ground up.
  • Work part-time with flexible scheduling and the opportunity to help shape a growing, values-aligned grants program.
  • Receive hands-on training and mentorship in grants management systems and fund development strategy using platforms like Instrumentl.
  • Collaborate with a team of restorative justice practitioners, educators, and community leaders deeply committed to justice, transformation, and excellence.
  • Be part of an organization where detail-oriented operational work is recognized as essential to systemic change — and where your contributions help fuel sustainable impact.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Grants Tracking and Task Coordination

  • Maintain accurate, up-to-date records in Instrumentl, including grant stages, funder profiles, and internal deadlines.
  • Assign and monitor grant-related tasks for the Grants Manager, grant writer, and program team.
  • Conduct weekly check-ins with the Grants Manager to confirm timeline readiness and identify any blockers.

Grant Research and Pipeline Updates

  • Conduct preliminary research on funding opportunities using Instrumentl and other sources.
  • Tag and organize prospects based on strategic alignment and eligibility.
  • Prepare concise summary briefs of high-potential opportunities for review.

Proposal and Report Coordination

  • Serve as liaison between Grants Manager, grant writer, and program staff to align calendars and asset collection.
  • Maintain up-to-date versions of standard attachments (e.g., IRS letter, board list, program overviews).
  • Manage version control and uploads of all proposals and reports to shared drives and Instrumentl.

Funder Communication and Stewardship Support

  • Draft thank-you notes, calendar invites, and progress emails using templates.
  • Support preparation of funder meeting materials, including bios and talking points.

Grant Filing and Documentation

  • Ensure organized digital filing of proposals, funder communications, and post-award documentation.
  • Update Instrumentl with post-submission details such as award status, payment schedules, and report deadlines.

Process Improvement and Team Learning

  • Suggest refinements to the grant tracking system, including labeling, workflows, or templates.
  • Participate in post-submission debriefs and contribute insights to improve future processes.

Educational Requirements

Current enrollment in or completion of a bachelor’s or graduate degree program is welcome. Students in nonprofit management, public policy, social sciences, communications, English, macro social work, or related fields are encouraged to apply. A strong match in skills, values alignment, and attention to detail is more important than specific credentials.

Preferred Knowledge (not required but makes you a more competitive applicant)

  • Familiarity with Instrumentl, Salesforce, or other grant or CRM databases
  • Understanding of the nonprofit funding landscape, especially within justice, education, or social impact sectors
  • Knowledge of grant submission processes or philanthropic workflows
  • Comfort navigating Microsoft
  • Competency in using ChatGPT

Preferred Experience (not required but makes you a more competitive applicant)

  • Experience supporting grant writing, development operations, or project management
  • Working in mission-driven or justice-oriented organizations
  • Experience with version control, deadline tracking, and file management systems
  • Coordination across multi-disciplinary teams or with program staff
  • Individuals with lived experience of systemic injustice or incarceration are strongly encouraged to apply

Preferred Personal Competencies

  • Exceptional organizational and time-management skills
  • Self-starter with proactive problem-solving abilities
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Deep commitment to social justice and community healing
  • High attention to detail and accuracy
  • Ability to work collaboratively and independently in a fast-paced environment
  • Willingness to grow in anti-racist practice and equity-centered decision-making

Communication Skills

  • Ability to write clearly and professionally in emails, summaries, and file notes
  • Comfort interpreting instructions, templates, and funder guidelines
  • Strong interpersonal communication when coordinating across departments or with funders

Reasoning Ability

  • Ability to interpret timelines, grant requirements, and funder instructions
  • Capacity to identify tracking issues and propose process improvements
  • Skilled at balancing multiple variables (e.g., proposal deadlines, internal deliverables, communication flow)

Physical Demands

  • The employee is frequently required to sit, use a computer, communicate via video or phone, and manage digital files.
  • Must occasionally lift and/or move materials up to 25 pounds.
  • Reasonable accommodations will be made to support individuals with disabilities in meeting these requirements.

Work Environment

  • This role is primarily in-person with occasional remote engagement in Nashville, TN.
  • The noise level is generally quiet to moderate.
  • Must have reliable internet access and a workspace conducive to focused, independent work.

Salary and Benefits

Competitive hourly compensation, commensurate with experience. Benefits include:

  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage
  • Personalized and Responsible Paid Time Off
  • Hybrid with flexible work hours
  • Training and mentorship in fund development systems
  • Connection to a values-driven team and mission-centered organizational culture.
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