Grants and Foundation Manager

Capitol Region Education Council; East Haven (CT); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) is seeking a Grants and Foundation Manager to provide strategic leadership and oversight for CREC's grants, development services, and the CREC Foundation. You will secure funding, manage proposals, build partnerships, and lead fundraising initiatives to support CREC's mission and programs.

The successful candidate will collaborate with CREC leadership, districts, and community partners to expand resources, ensure compliant grant activity, and advance

Responsibilities

• Lead grants management and development activities including research, proposal development, and reporting.
• Identify funding opportunities across federal, state, local, corporate, and private foundations.
• Oversee grant proposals, budgets, documentation, and reporting to funders.
• Coordinate content management and knowledge systems to support grant processes.
• Monitor grant-funded activities for compliance with funder requirements and CREC policies.
• Develop partnerships with government agencies, foundations, and donors to support CREC programs.

Job description

JOB DESCRIPTION

Since 1966, the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) has been dedicated to providing innovative, high-quality, and cost-effective educational programs and services to meet the diverse needs of children and adults in Greater Hartford. Serving 33 member districts and reaching additional communities statewide, CREC supports approximately 12,000 students annually through more than 120 educational programs. Our offerings include professional learning and coaching for educators, specialized programming for students with diverse needs, and PreK-12 education across 16 interdistrict magnet schools. Additionally, CREC provides school construction, operations, and cooperative business services, while also delivering programs that help adults build real, job-ready skills.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Grants and Foundation Manager provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for CREC's grants and development services and the CREC Foundation. This position is responsible for identifying and securing funding opportunities, managing the grant development process, developing grant content, building and maintaining partnerships, and overseeing fundraising initiatives that support CREC's mission, programs, schools, and member districts. The Manager also oversees the day-to-day operations of the CREC Foundation, working closely with its Board of Directors to advance fundraising priorities, cultivate donor relationships, coordinate charitable giving, and develop strategic community partnerships. The successful candidate will work collaboratively with CREC leadership, program administrators, school districts, community organizations, and funding partners to expand financial resources, strengthen educational opportunities, and ensure the effective management of grants and philanthropic initiatives.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES

Grants Management and Development

• Provide leadership and oversight for CREC's grants and development services, including grant research, proposal development, funding procurement, and grant administration.
• Identify, evaluate, and pursue federal, state, local, corporate, and private foundation funding opportunities that align with CREC's strategic priorities and the needs of its schools, programs, and member districts.
• Oversee the preparation, writing, editing, submission, and management of competitive grant proposals, including budgets, supporting documentation, and required reporting.
• Collaborate with CREC leadership and program administrators to assess funding needs, establish priorities, and develop strategies to secure sustainable funding.
• Establish and maintain systems for tracking grant opportunities, applications, awards, deadlines, reporting requirements, and funding outcomes.
• Establish and maintain system and/or processes for content management to improve current content and access to information typically required for grants.
• Utilize strong project management skills in order to meet grant timelines.
• Monitor grant-funded activities in collaboration with program and business office staff to support compliance with funder requirements, approved budgets, and organizational policies.
• Build and maintain relationships with government agencies, corporate and private foundations, and other funding organizations.
• Provide grant writing technical assistance, and consultation to internal and external stakeholders, as appropriate.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of grant development activities and recommend strategies to improve funding outcomes and expand services.

CREC Foundation Leadership and Operations

• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the CREC Foundation, advancing its mission to support CREC's educational programs, schools, students, families, and communities.
• Collaborate with the Foundation's Board of Directors to establish strategic priorities, develop fundraising goals, and implement initiatives that support the Foundation's mission.
• Coordinate Board meetings, prepare meeting materials and reports, and support Board engagement, governance, and committee activities.
• In collaboration with CREC Communications, develop and implement annual fundraising plans, including individual and corporate giving, sponsorships, grant opportunities, fundraising campaigns, and special events.
• In collaboration with CREC Communications, cultivate and maintain relationships with individual donors, corporate sponsors, community organizations, and philanthropic partners.
• Identify opportunities to expand the Foundation's financial resources and develop new partnerships that support CREC's educational initiatives.
• Oversee CREC's workplace giving program, CREC Cares, including developing strategies for increasing employee participation.
• In collaboration with CREC Communications,coordinate fundraising events and campaigns, including event planning, sponsorship solicitation, donor engagement, and post-event evaluation.
• Oversee CREC's donor management system, Donor Perfect, to track charitable contributions and facilitate donor stewardship activities, including timely gift acknowledgment, donor communications, recognition, and ongoing relationship management.
• Collaborate with CREC leadership to identify opportunities for Foundation support, including educational innovation, classroom resources, student scholarships, professional development, adult education, and workforce development.
• Work with CREC's business office and the Foundation's Board to monitor financial activities, manage budgets, and support appropriate financial reporting and nonprofit compliance.
• Develop communications and promotional materials that highlight the Foundation's mission, accomplishments, funding priorities, and impact.
• Evaluate fundraising initiatives and provide regular reports to CREC leadership and the Foundation's Board regarding financial performance, donor engagement, and progress toward strategic goals.