Grant Writer

GiGi's Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Center; Hoffman Estates (IL); On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Collaborative work environment

Opportunities for professional development

Job summary

GiGi's Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Center is looking for a Grant Writer to manage grant funding initiatives. This role includes researching funding opportunities, writing detailed grant proposals, and maintaining relationships with grantors to ensure ongoing support.

The ideal candidate will have a related Bachelor's degree and possess strong communication and research skills. This position is integral to the organization's mission of empowering individuals with Down syndrome and their families.

Qualifications

• Strong research skills to identify grant opportunities.
• Excellent writing abilities to prepare grant applications.
• Experience in maintaining relationships with grantors.

Responsibilities

• Generate grant funding with quarterly goals.
• Build and maintain relationships with existing and potential grantors.
• Support the development efforts of the Playhouse network.

Skills

Research and evaluation skills

Written communication skills

Relationship-building

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

GiGi’s Playhouse Inc.’s was founded in 2003 and our missionis to change the way the world views Down syndrome through national campaigns, educational programs, and by empowering individuals with Down syndrome, their families and the community.All Programs are free and are therapeutic in nature. Each program is designed to work on specific skill development, including speech and language, socialization and fine and gross motor skills. GiGi’s Playhouse has 36locations across North America and growing.

Job Description

The Grant Writer at the GiGi’s Playhouse National Office is responsible for generating grant funding, with specific quarterly grant-funding goals. To do so, this individual must confidently optimize research, writing and relationship-building efforts. The grant writer builds and maintains relationships with existing and potential grantors (especially non-governmental sources), collaborates with the broader national office team to identify funding needs, writes regional and national grants, and ensures proper documentation and follow-up on all grants received. As a member of the national office, the Grant Writer also supports the development efforts of the Playhouse network by providing tools, resources and periodic trainings and is expected to be the leading example of grant management for the network.

Qualifications

Essential Job Functions:

• Research and identify opportunities for growing grant-funding
  • Research philanthropic foundations, corporate foundations and other grantors to find funding opportunities that are best matched with the needs of the organization, with a target of $10,000+.
  • Collaborate with internal programs, operational and marketing teams to identify funding needs to ensure we are seeking funding for the most pressing needs of the organization.
• Write Grants
  • Prepare all grant-related documents including letters of inquiry, program and project based cases for support, grant applications and budgets.
  • Maintain timelines to ensure timely preparation and submission.
  • Effectively convey GiGi’s Playhouse value proposition, mission and priorities.
  • Build and maintain a clearly defined pipeline/funnel with specific strategies and weekly targets for calls, visits, RFP’s and expected value of grants written.
  • Ensure donor database (Salesforce) is continually up to date with contacts and grant pipeline, including various stages of the lifecycle.
• Build and maintain relationships with grantors
  • Nurture relationships with current and past grantors to develop stronger commitment and ongoing campaign support.
  • Maintain consistent account contact and creatively explore and introduce additional opportunities, as appropriate (i.e. volunteerism, affinity groups, sponsorships, etc.).
  • Ensure all grant-related data is collected, summarized and shared with funders as needed, including mid-grant progress and year-end reports.
  • Fulfill additional grant-related writing projects (e.g. special correspondence with grantors, such as thank you letters and holiday cards).
• Provide grant-related tools and resources to locations across the GiGi’s Playhouse network
  • Support the GiGi’s Playhouse network by providing grant templates, language and resources on shared server to ensure all are using the most current and effective grant language.
  • Participate in a monthly grants & fundraising call with the entire Playhouse network, leading a grand-specific call at least once a quarter
  • Conduct or facilitate 2-3 sessions at the GiGi’s Playhouse National Conference lasting approximately one hour eac

Additional Information

• Teamwork: Balances team and individual responsibilities; exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; gives and welcomes feedback; contributes to building a positive team spirit; puts success of team above own interests; able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; supports everyone's efforts to succeed.
• Problem Solving: Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; gathers and analyzes information skillfully; develops alternative solutions; works well in group problem solving situations; uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Written and oral communication: Ability to express ideas and thoughts verbally; expresses ideas and thoughts in written form; exhibits good listening and comprehension; keeps others adequately informed; selects and uses appropriate communication methods.
• Adaptability: Adapts to changes in the work environment; manages competing demands; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
• Innovation: Displays original thinking and creativity; meets challenges with resourcefulness; generates suggestions for improving work; develops innovative approaches and ideas; presents ideas and information in a manner that gets others' attention.
• Planning/Organizing: Prioritizes and plans work activities; uses time efficiently; plans for additional resources; sets goals and objectives; organizes or schedules other people and their tasks; develops realistic action plans.
• Quality: Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; looks for ways to improve and promote quality; applies feedback to improve performance; monitors own work to ensure quality.
• Customer Service: Manages difficult or emotional customer situations; responds promptly to customer needs; solicits customer feedback to improve service; responds to requests for service and assistance; meets commitments.
• Technical Skills: Assesses own strengths and weaknesses; strives to continuously build knowledge and skills related to technical tools.

GiGi’s Playhouse Core Values

GiGi’s challenges all staff and volunteers to embody the following core values:

• Enthusiasm: Bringing positive, high energy to our work
• Best of All: Always looking to improve in all that we do. Challenge yourself every day.
• Get It Done: Making things happen and blazing through barriers when needed
• Believe: Believe in ourselves, believe in our mission, believe we can achieve all that we set out to achieve
• Locally Concerned, Enterprise Minded: Bringing our Best of All to our local playhouse while being mindful of how our work affects the broader GiGi’s network.