Grants & Development Manager

The Ability Center; Wisconsin; On-site; USD 55,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Ability Center in Wisconsin is seeking a Grants & Development Manager to support the Executive Director and Chief Philanthropic Officer in cultivating philanthropic partnerships, tracking gifts, and maintaining the grants pipeline. You will lead foundation and grant efforts from drafting through reporting, while managing donor communications and events.

Responsibilities include prospect support, event support, and lead foundation & grants work, with hands-on stewardship and independent

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in nonprofit management, communications, or a related field.
• 2–4 years of experience in development, fundraising, or grant writing.
• Demonstrated grant writing and reporting experience.
• Strong organizational skills with CRM/database proficiency.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace tools.

Responsibilities

• Track and maintain accurate records of gifts, prospects, and donor communications to support the Chief Philanthropic Officer and Executive Director.
• Prepare briefing materials, donor profiles, and follow-up communications ahead of and after meetings.
• Monitor the donor pipeline, flagging key next steps, deadlines, and stewardship touchpoints.

Skills

Grant writing

Fundraising

CRM/database proficiency

Google Workspace

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Salesforce

FundraiseUp

Job description

The Grants & Development Manager provides support to both the Executive Director and Chief Philanthropic Officer on behalf of The Ability Center and Moss Universal Park’s philanthropic endeavors: Responsibilities include: tracking gifts, prospects, and donor communications. This role will offer key support that includes: fundraising events with sponsorship materials, leading foundation and grant efforts from drafting through reporting. This is a hands‑on, detail‑driven role for someone who thrives in keeping the philanthropic culture running smoothly and who can work independently growing and maintaining the grants pipeline.

Essential Responsibilities

Prospect Support

• Track and maintain accurate records of gifts, prospects, and donor communications to support the Chief Philanthropic Officer and Executive Director.
• Prepare briefing materials, donor profiles, and follow‑up communications ahead of and after meetings.
• Monitor the donor pipeline, flagging key next steps, deadlines, and stewardship touchpoints.

Event Support

• Develop sponsorship materials and budget proposals for TAC’s fundraising events.
• Provide staffing/volunteers and on‑site logistics support at events, including the UnstoppABLE Cup and UnstoppABLE Awards.
• Coordinate sponsor fulfillment, recognition, and post‑event follow‑up.

Foundation & Grants (Lead)

• Work with the team to build on past success, applying strong stewardship and reporting to deepen existing relationships with foundations and future funding.
• Lead the drafting of grant applications and letters of inquiry.
• Manage grant reporting and compliance, ensuring all deadlines are tracked and met.
• Maintain a comprehensive grant calendar and tracker across all foundation relationships.

General Development Support

• Maintain accurate donor records and funding data across systems such as Salesforce and FundraiseUp.
• Lead the execution of giving campaigns (Giving Day, year‑end appeals) with materials, tracking, and reporting.

Professional Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in nonprofit management, communications, or a related field.
• 2–4 years of experience in development, fundraising, or grant writing.
• Demonstrated grant writing and reporting experience.
• Strong organizational skills with CRM/database proficiency.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace tools.

The type of person who will really succeed in this role will have:

• A strong understanding of the philanthropic landscape in the community; Meticulous attention to detail and follow-through;
• Looking to build a career in development at TAC, you won’t be siloed in one lane; you’ll be involved in to manage events, grants, and campaigns with philanthropic leadership
• A strong writer who can move confidently between a grant narrative and a donor thank‑you note.
• Support senior leadership while also independently owning a full grants portfolio.
• Energy for both behind‑the‑scenes tracking and being on the ground at events.
• A commitment to the founder’s mission and vision and a strong understanding of the people and the community we serve with disabilities.

Additional Information

• Local travel required for events and donor meetings.
• Evening and weekend availability required for events.
• Valid driver’s license required.