Director of Grants

Oasis Center•Nashville, TN

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Grants manages Oasis Center’s grants portfolio, coordinating the pursuit, stewardship, and expansion of institutional funding in alignment with organizational priorities, program impact, and long-term sustainability. In close partnership with Leadership, Program Department Directors, the Finance team, and contracted grant support, the Director of Grants assesses funding needs, establishes priorities, allocates and coordinates grant work, directly leads selected high-priority proposals, ensures excellence in compliance and reporting, and maintains clear systems for tracking progress and results.

Requirements

Demonstrated success securing, managing, and stewarding significant nonprofit funding, including competitive foundation grants and complex government funding.
Proven ability to manage a complex grants portfolio, exercise sound judgment and initiative, and effectively prioritize, assign, coordinate, and track work across internal and contracted resources.
Strong organizational, project management, and planning skills, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines, allocate workload, and maintain clear documentation and follow-through in a fast-paced environment.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex programmatic and financial information into compelling, funder-ready narratives.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with diverse staff, senior leadership, and external partners, fostering trust, alignment, and shared accountability.
High level of proficiency with standard office technology and software, including Microsoft Office.
Experience using grant management and CRM platforms to track prospects, submissions, awards, and reporting requirements; Salesforce experience preferred.
Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in grants development, institutional fundraising, or a related field, preferably within a complex nonprofit or government-funded environment.
BA degree or experience equivalent

Nice To Haves

Salesforce experience preferred

Responsibilities

Manages the grants portfolio in support of annual and multi-year revenue goals, including up to $1.5M in foundation support and $5-6M annually in federal, state, and local government funding.
Coordinates the full grants lifecycle, including prospect research, strategy development, proposal writing, submission, and timely completion of all required reports, assigning work across internal and contracted resources while directly leading selected priority opportunities.
Designs, manages, and continuously refines a comprehensive grants pipeline, work plan, and submission calendar aligned with organizational strategy, program priorities, funding opportunities, and available grant-development capacity.
Oversees and contributes to ongoing prospect research and analysis of funding trends, public policy, and relevant data related to youth, family, and community needs to inform funding strategy and positioning.
Partners closely with Program Directors to assess funding needs, co-develop proposal content, and ensure strong alignment among program design, measurable outcomes, and funder priorities.
Develops and presents funding recommendations for review with Executive and Senior Leadership, supporting informed decision-making and long-term sustainability.
Supports the development of capacity-building and infrastructure grants that advance investments in development operations, data systems, staffing, and overall organizational effectiveness.
Ensures all grant submissions, whether prepared directly or with contracted support, are accurate, complete, compliant, and submitted in accordance with funder guidelines and deadlines.
Provides oversight of grant reporting and compliance processes, coordinating responsibilities and ensuring contracted deliverables, outcomes, and financial requirements are met, documented, and reported accurately and on time.
Maintains comprehensive, organized, and audit-ready grant records, documentation, workflow tracking, and status updates for prospects, submissions, awards, reporting requirements, and next steps.
Cultivates and steward's strong relationships with foundation and government funders, in close partnership with the President/CEO and the Vice President of Fund Development & Community Engagement.
Demonstrates the ability to build strong, caring, and affirming relationships with all youth –including LGBTQ+ youth.
Operates with a clear understanding of racial inequities and systemic discrimination, demonstrating a sustained commitment to anti-oppression and equity-centered practices.
Applies knowledge of Positive Youth Development, Trauma-Informed Care, and evidence-informed practices grounded in adolescent development.
Provides day-to-day coordination of contracted grant support, establishing priorities, assigning and reallocating work as needed, monitoring deadlines and deliverables, and maintaining clear documentation of responsibilities and status.
Partners with the Chief Financial Officer to ensure all fiscal, legal, contractual, and fiduciary requirements related to grants and government contracts are met and documented.
Supports program evaluation, data collection, and outcomes measurement efforts to strengthen proposal competitiveness, funder confidence, and high-quality reporting.
Ensures all grant-related activities adhere to ethical fundraising standards, organizational policies, and funder guidelines, maintaining the highest level of integrity and accountability.
Participates actively in agency leadership and cross-functional staff meetings, contributing to organizational planning, alignment, and continuous improvement.
Works closely with Executive Leadership to support performance tracking and progress reporting, ensuring transparency and alignment with strategic objectives.