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The Role
Grace Farms Foundation seeks its first Grant Writer. Working within a small but growing development team, the Grant Writer will raise annual restricted and unrestricted support from sources, with a focus on government support. The Grant Writer will engage with staff through giving programs and partnerships which support Grace Farms and its five initiatives of nature, arts, justice, community, and faith. Responsibilities include research, writing, grants management, budget development, report management, stewardship and any related administration. The ideal candidate will have experience applying for and managing government-allocated grants, in areas most closely aligned with the mission and values of Grace Farms.
The Grant Writer will also actively establish grant support from foundations and corporations and possess the ability to navigate complex grant processes with administrative acumen. The Grant Writer will play a meaningful role in supporting the Foundation’s fiscal longevity, so that its work can thrive in the years and decades ahead.
Location & Travel
This position will be located at 365 Lukes Wood Road in New Canaan, CT.
Responsibilities
Develop and maintain an annual work plan with the Director of Development for all active and prospective grant proposals, across all sources of giving, for donors aligned with the priorities of Grace Farms.
Interface directly with the President, Initiative Directors, and other program experts to understand the most current plans for the Initiatives; enhance this knowledge by contextualizing their work within the broader fields in which they advance and accelerate good and maintain relevancy.
Track and document key each phase in the lifecycle of the grant, including proposal development, funds receipt and transfer, execution of grant, and reporting requirements.
Conduct prospect research and shape fundraising opportunities that align with the Foundation’s stated programmatic aims and financial needs.
Write all funding proposals, drawing from the existing body of approved writing from the Communications & Marketing team on Grace Farms and each of the Initiatives; and create a cache of new material that can be centralized for future use by other departments; in doing so, demonstrate the urgency of Grace Farms Foundation’s work and how each Initiative advances the ideals and mission of the funder(s).
Develop, organize, and administer all aspects of grants and the overall grantmaking cycle with the ability to meet deadlines for content development, budgeting, and all administrative steps to fully complete the process, including final approval.
Establish strong relationships with program officers at foundations; collaborate with the Director of Development and Director of Communications and Marketing to build and steward relevant relationships.
Support senior development and communications staff in their frontline and public-facing activities with donors, not limited to researching giving histories and patterns.
Be knowledgeable of all IRS and compliance-related needs of Grace Farms; and of the basic tools of grant writing and research, including the ability to read 990s.
Support the creation of public-facing texts for special events including the annual gala, cultivation events, meetings, tours, and other activities as needed.
Generally support the administrative work flow and processes in the development team.
Requirements
The ideal candidate is
A professional with a minimum of 5 years of associate-level grant writing experience, working directly with leadership and donors, in a fast-paced, nonprofit environment; 10-15 years of total professional experience preferred.
An exceptional communicator with strong expository writing skills.
Highly knowledgeable of grant opportunities through governmental agencies (among other sources) and able to successfully manage the complex process to meet deadlines;
Experienced in the collaborative development and efficient management of grant proposals, reports, budgets, and collateral material;
Personable, energetic, and an excellent communicator, on- and offline, who is responsive to directives, able to manage multiple deadlines, and troubleshoot;
Results-oriented with ability to meet needs of staff and donors, and able to recalibrate strategies accordingly;
Knowledgeable of the evolving philanthropic sector, including individuals, foundations, corporations, and governments;
Enthusiastic about working in a highly-collaborative “start-up” environment with colleagues from diverse professional backgrounds, and as part of a growing team;
Proficient with industry-standard software and technologies (PatronManager, a plus);
Holds a relevant bachelor’s degree; higher-level degrees preferred.
Vision
Grace Farms Foundation aspires to advance good in the world, providing a peaceful respite and porous platform to experience nature, encounter the arts, pursue justice, foster community, and explore faith.
Mission
Grace Farms Foundation supports initiatives in the areas of nature, arts, justice, community, and faith, and encourages participation locally and globally. The Foundation carries out its work through the publicly available facilities and integrated programs of Grace Farms, an 80-acre property owned and operated by the Foundation. Grace Farms was established as an essential platform for the Foundation, serving as a welcoming place where individuals, not-for-profit organizations, and government entities come together to collaborate for the common good.