Grants Manager

About WEPOWER

WEPOWER is building a team full of dreamers and doers. We partner with Black and Latinx communities to build power to re-design education, economic, justice, and health systems to be just and equitable for all. We build powerful relationships with community members and amplify their voices to inform critical decisions that impact their lives. We train community members to design new policies, organize, and lead policy and systems change. We provide early-stage companies with access to coaching, capital, connections, and community as they create jobs in the communities with whom we partner.

In just three years, WEPOWER has activated 300 community leaders, won a historic ballot measure that guarantees public funding annually for early childhood education, supported 30 businesses with access to capital, coaching, and connections, and launched a one-of-a-kind investment fund for Black and Latinx businesses. We envision a future where systems are accountable to powerful communities that have been historically oppressed, and nurture our freedom, well-being, dreams, and joy. We are building a powerful movement led by everyday people, and we have bold plans for the years ahead to get us there. Join us!

Our team is…

• Fun
• Focused
• Values-driven
• Community-centered
• Collaborative
• Innovative
• Creative: Lots of brainstorming and imagining what’s possible and then chasing each possibility until it is reality!

About the Opportunity

Reporting to the VP of Development, the Grants Manager is an exempt full time employee. The Grants Manager is part of the development team responsible for raising $2.8-3M annual contributed income from individuals, institutions and events. This role requires a creative individual with the skills necessary to write clear, structured, and compelling grant narratives that align proposal requirements with WEPOWER’s mission, vision, and program outcomes/impacts.

Responsibilities:

• Support institutional fundraising by writing letters of inquiry, proposals, and reports for corporate, foundation, and organization grants.
• Assemble supporting documents such as budgets and other materials as requested by the donor.
• Collaborate with team members to maintain updated knowledge of current programs and outcomes.
• Manage grants calendar, including deadlines for grant proposals, reports, and other documents and correspondence according to donors' guidelines and criteria.
• Utilize Every Action database to record and track deadlines, relationship contacts, notes, correspondence, and other details and tasks on behalf of the development team
• Research prospective donors and find supporting statistics to qualify prospective donors.
• Provide support, information, and background materials in preparation for donor meetings.
• Help create messaging for emails, reports, letters, and social media that communicates our work and impact.
• Perform other duties as assigned, including writing gift acknowledgments, contributing to quarterly and annual reports/presentations, and providing event support.
• Attend webinars, information sessions, and/or meetings about upcoming opportunities as appropriate and report on the opportunities to appropriate team members.

The ideal candidate will have:

• 2+ years of professional experience writing and managing grant submissions and reports for a nonprofit organization.
• Diversified portfolio of writing samples required.
• Demonstrated success in winning funds/awards.
• Track record of working with a team to expand and cultivate donor relationships over time.
• Strong project management skills and attention to detail, and must be able to meet deadlines in a fast-paced, quickly changing environment.
• Proven self-management and team-management skills.
• A desire to be part of a collaborative, dynamic team of staff.
• Awareness of economic justice initiatives and of Black-led nonprofit challenges, current systemic issues, and sources of technical support and partnerships.
• Deep commitment to racial equity, with self-awareness around privilege, bias, and oppression.
• Preference for familiarity with the St. Louis region

More Information

Reports to: Vice President of Development

Salary: $55,000 - $60,000 range

Location: This position can be fully remote, but preference given to local candidates

Travel: This role will require travel to St. Louis for team retreats and major WEPOWER events. There will be the opportunity to travel to access professional development experiences, support networking and growing partnerships, and cultivate relationships with mission-aligned national funders.

Benefits include:

• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Health benefits plus dental, vision, and affordable family coverage.
• 403b Plan: To save for retirement.
• Paid Time Off: 10 days of vacation, 8 sick days, 2 rest weeks with additional 2 weeks off at the end of December, and 8 holidays each year.
• Life insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability coverage
• Paid Parental Leave: New parents get this time to spend with their family. 10 weeks if you've been here a year or more.
• Cell Phone Reimbursement Benefits: We have two reimbursement options.
• Wellness Stipend: Up to $50/month reimbursement for spending on physical and mental health needs.

Process

The interview process for this role will include a 5 step process which we expect to take ~1 month after the application is submitted.

1. Application
2. Grant narrative writing sample submission
3. Round one interview
4. Performance activity and round two interview
5. Reference check

The application window will close once the position is filled. We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis.

Equal Opportunity Employer

At WEPOWER, we don’t just accept differences — we celebrate them, we support them, and we thrive on them for the benefit of our team, our programs, and our community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, veteran status, political affiliation or belief, or genetic information.

This position description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.