Lead Grant Writer and Strategist

Durham , North Carolina  | 
Durham County

 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The Lead Grant Writer and Strategist performs a wide range of functions including, but not limited to the following:

Grant Writing and Strategy:

  • Collaborate with the Associate Director, the Finance Team, and the Advancement Team to carry out a comprehensive grant-seeking strategy to secure funding from private foundations, corporations, and government sources. 
  • Oversee and coordinate all grant proposals, ensuring they are compelling, well-structured, and align with funder and El Futuro program priorities. Typical portfolio for entire grants effort:  60-70 active awards.
  • Discover, identify, and evaluate potential new sources of funding support (prospect research); develop prospect profiles and opportunity notes in language appropriate for programmatic (non-grant-writing) personnel; determine appropriateness of opportunities and whether to apply 
  • Supervise and mentor grant writing staff, providing guidance, support, and professional development. 
  • Develop and maintain a grant calendar to track deadlines, submissions, and reporting requirements; provide project management to all application/report collaborators; when support staff are hired, oversee this function.

Program & Organizational Alignment: 

  • Maintain awareness of all El Futuro programs and initiatives to ensure funding request strategies align with organizational priorities. 
  • Collaborate with program teams to develop and refine logic models, funding strategies, and proposal requests/narratives. 
  • Lead strategy sessions to identify funding opportunities that align with programmatic goals and long-term sustainability. 

Evaluation & Impact Measurement: 

  • Support program evaluation efforts to ensure ability to describe and report on outcomes and assess program effectiveness, communicating robust impact to funders. 
  • Develop and refine impact metrics in grant applications and reports to demonstrate the impact of funding awards and supported activities. 
  • Work closely with leadership and program teams to ensure program data collection and program reporting mechanisms meet funder requirements. 

Post-Award Management: 

  • Oversee the post-award grant management process to ensure compliance with funder requirements and organizational policies. 
  • Collaborate with the finance team to monitor grant expenditures, ensure accurate financial reporting, and maintain transparency in fund utilization. 
  • Work closely with program staff to track grant deliverables, ensuring timely reporting and alignment with grant objectives. 

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF EL FUTURO STAFF:

  • Participate in meetings and organizational related activities as directed by the supervisor, which may include All Staff Meeting, Individual Supervision, participation on a committee, or other activities.
  • Play an active role in the continued development of El Futuro’s work via participation in fundraising and other agency-wide activities.
  • Engage in learning opportunities through “La Mesita”, El Futuro’s training platform and network of bilingual providers in North Carolina, or through other appropriate career development opportunities.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

  • Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as Nonprofit Management, Public Administration, or Communications; Master’s degree preferred; OR equivalent training and experience.
  • Minimum 5 years of grant writing experience, with a proven record of securing significant funding.
  • Strong leadership experience, including supervision of staff and cross-departmental collaboration. 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES

  • Demonstrated expertise in development of logic models and impact metrics. 
  • Excellent writing, editing, and storytelling skills with the ability to craft compelling narratives. 
  • Strong organizational and project management skills. 
  • Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities while affording attention to detail and organization.
  • Flexibility, creativity, and adaptability to meet the changing needs of El Futuro services and programs. 
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office and project management systems. 
  • Preferred: Bilingual in English and Spanish.
  • Alignment with El Futuro’s mission to nurture stronger familias to live out their dreams. 
  • Alignment with El Futuro’s values: Calor Humano, Trust, Resilience, Belonging, and Community. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT

  • Hybrid role, primarily remote; with occasional in-person meetings or events, mainly in Durham and the Triangle area.
  • Work schedule includes availability to work occasional evenings and weekends.
Salary and Benefits

The annual salary for this position starts at $70,000.00, based on experience. El Futuro provides employer paid medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability; 403B matching; generous PTO and paid holidays; paid family medical leave; paid parental leave; and stipend and paid time off for professional development.