Senior Grants Manager

Full Time: 100% FTE / 40 hours per week
Compensation: $70,000 - 85,000 annual salary, exempt 

Benefits Overview: Medical, vision, dental and life insurance, vacation and sick time off, paid federal holidays, and retirement plan (See full job description for more details).

Organization Size: 50+ Employees

Reports to: Chief Executive Director

Location(s): This role has the possibility of working out of the Watsonville, Salinas, Gilroy, Modesto, or Stockton Centers. This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule after successful completion of the first 90 days of employment. If not located within commuting distance of these Centers, full remote work may be considered.

JOB OVERVIEW:

Digital NEST is a workforce development center that has welcomed thousands of youth from working-class, farmworker communities to develop the technical and professional skills they need to achieve their dreams. It is an exciting time for the NEST. We are focused on growth and expansion to five communities across The Monterey Bay (MBR) and San Joaquin Valley (SJVR) Regions in Northern California by the end of 2024. Digital NEST has Centers in the heart of Watsonville, Salinas, Gilroy and Modesto. The final Digital NEST Center is expected to launch in Stockton in the January of 2025.

The Senior Grants Manager is responsible for raising contributed revenue for Digital NEST from institutional donors, such as foundations, corporations, and government agencies. Key responsibilities include stewarding current funders to maintain and grow awarded grants, prospecting for new funding opportunities, building relationships with potential funders, and writing effective grant applications and reports. The Senior Manager will work with other Development team members to ensure the timely submission of grant applications and reports, including meeting with leadership staff from Programs, Evaluation, and Finance teams to review funding opportunities and acquire content to include in grant applications and reports. The Senior Manager will work with staff involved in grant-funded projects to ensure compliance with grant requirements and processes. The Senior Manager will engage with leadership and programming staff as needed to help develop strategies for institutional funding opportunities and with the Development team to ensure all communications with donors (whether individual or institutional) align and best represent Digital NEST.

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Funder Research, Writing, and Reporting (80%)

• Lead funder and grant opportunity research, developing profiles needed to evaluate and prioritize prospective foundation, corporate, and government funders, and sharing research with leadership or other stakeholders. 
• Engage the leadership (C-Suite, VPs, and Center Directors) to identify and develop relationships with current and potential institutional partners.
• Develop and maintain procedures for managing current funders, including reviewing funder’s interest areas and how that might influence future grant giving, tracking applications and reports (required and courtesy) due dates, arranging meetings and other communications with funders, managing award letters, grant agreements, acknowledgment letters, and distribution/notification of grant funds to stakeholders.
• Independently write and submit grant applications and proposals and supervise Development team members who support these efforts. 
• Work with Leadership, Program, Evaluation, and Finance teams to provide an efficient process for collecting content and obtaining feedback on grant applications and reports, including maintaining a staff calendar of deliverables and tasks.
• As necessary, after discussing with leadership, communicate with funders regarding funding challenges that might impact our ability to meet outcomes or questions about changes in scope.
• Assist with the preparation of monthly development reports for the Board of Directors, focused on institutional giving revenue, prospects, key wins, and challenges.
• Maintain an understanding of and competency with government rules and regulations pertaining to the grantmaking process; attend trainings or do research to stay current.
• Write and submit required and courtesy reports to steward all grants effectively and ensure we are invited to apply again. 
• Assist with annual budget preparation for institutional giving revenue, in collaboration with the CEO and Controller by reviewing and providing reports on previous and expected grant revenue for the next fiscal year.
• Attendance and participation at weekly Development team meetings and other organizational meetings as required.

Grants Database and Administration (10%)

• Create and maintain foundation accounts, affiliated contacts, grant opportunities, deliverables (grant task due dates) and pledge/payment information.
• Collaborate with the Information Technology team on system maintenance, including identifying and documenting problems, defining requirements for new protocols, and testing new procedures. 

Grant Financial Administration (10%)

• Work with Development staff to process, track, and forecast institutional revenue so that it matches institutional revenue as reported by the Controller.
• Work with Finance and other departments to ensure restricted and multi-year grants are tracked and spent-down on schedule and that invoices for reimbursement grants are submitted and paid in a timely manner.
• Work with Finance to ensure compliance with reporting requirements of funded programs in accordance with NEST program requirements, policies and procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• At least 8 years of grant writing experience in a nonprofit organization. 
• At least 3 years of managerial and supervisory experience.
• A proven track record of writing awarded grant applications to foundations, corporations, and government agencies.
• Ability to build and manage budgets, including those for restricted grants.
• Experience managing and writing required and courtesy grant reports.
• Keen eye for detail to ensure excellence and accuracy of grant applications, reports, and other funder communications.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Google tools (Google Docs, Sheets, etc.).
• Proficiency with Asana or other task management systems.
• Proficiency with Salesforce or other similar donor databases.
• Strong organizational, communication, and presentation skills. 
• Ability to interact with and relate to others in a variety of settings, including networking with and working with individuals in nonprofit circles, corporate, and business settings.
• Ability to work independently when needed but also work collaboratively to produce high-quality work.

PREFERRED-BUT-NOT REQUIRED:

• Previous experience with youth service or educational organizations and/or a strong desire to work in an industry that focuses on helping others.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Passion for the mission of Digital NEST and belief in upholding organization’s core values.
• Understanding of and sensitivity to issues of culture/ethnicity/race, gender, sexual identity, class/socioeconomic status and immigration status.
• Ability to be an ally to people of color, women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, queer, questioning and intersex individuals and their allies (LGBTQIA).
• Candidates must have a valid CA driver's license, pass a background check, and be able to travel and work evenings or weekends occasionally, or as needed.

NOTE: The job offer will be contingent upon the successful completion and passing of a background check.

ABOUT OUR BENEFITS: We take a holistic approach to wellness, physical, emotional, and financial. Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• 100% Agency Paid Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance for the employee
• SIMPLE IRA Retirement Benefit with up to 2% employer match
• 10 Paid Vacation Days for Full-time Employees (non-Director and non-Chief positions)
• 13 Paid Holidays Annually Plus Business closure/holiday the week between Christmas Day and New Years Day
• Paid Sick Time Off
• Annual Parking Permit
• Flexible Work Schedule

We understand that no candidate is perfectly qualified for any job. Experience comes in different forms; many skills are transferable, and passion goes a long way. Even more important than your resume is a clear demonstration of dedication, impact, and the ability to thrive in a fluid and collaborative environment. We want you to learn new things in this role and encourage you to apply if your experience is close to what we’re looking for. We also know that diversity of background and thought makes for better problem-solving and more creative thinking, so we're dedicated to adding new perspectives to the team. We look forward to hearing from you.

Digital NEST, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Digital NEST is also committed to an inclusive experience for all applicants and will endeavor to make reasonable accommodations in the interview process, to the known physical or mental limitations of qualified employees with disabilities unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business.

Please refer to our career page for more information on how to apply for reasonable accommodations.