Foundation and Grants Manager

EPILEPSY FOUNDATION• AL, US, NV

4d•$69,000 - $75,000

About The Position

The Foundation and Grants Manager identifies, cultivates, and secures funding from private and family foundations in support of the Epilepsy Foundation’s mission and strategic priorities. The role manages the full grant lifecycle, including prospect research, opportunity qualification, proposal development and submission, grant tracking, reporting, stewardship, and renewal. It develops persuasive proposals that communicate the Foundation’s impact, programs, priorities, and role in the epilepsy and patient advocacy community. Working with program teams, subject matter experts, Finance, Development, and senior leadership, the manager gathers and synthesizes information for proposals, reports, and other funder communications. The role researches and analyzes prospective funders’ giving histories, priorities, grantmaking patterns, and trends; maintains a comprehensive grants calendar; and establishes project management and quality-review processes to support accurate, compliant, compelling, and timely submissions. As a member of the Development team, the manager serves as an internal subject matter expert on foundation fundraising and grant development and contributes to strategies supporting annual fundraising and revenue goals. This is a full-time position working 35 hours per week. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required. The position requires travel to mandatory Foundation events and meetings, with additional travel as needed to support organizational priorities. It has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
Minimum of 2–3 years of professional grant writing and grant management experience.
Minimum of two years of demonstrated experience identifying, researching, and qualifying foundation funding opportunities.
Demonstrated experience developing and submitting competitive proposals to private and/or family foundations.
Experience managing multiple grants through the full grant lifecycle, including proposal development, award management, reporting, stewardship, and renewal.
Experience with grant prospecting, research, and tracking tools.
Demonstrated understanding of nonprofit fundraising principles, grantmaking practices, and foundation relations.
Exceptional grant writing, editing, research, and storytelling skills; ability to translate complex information, data, and outcomes into compelling funder communications.
Strong attention to detail, research and analytical skills, organization, project management, time management, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
Ability to manage multiple proposals and priorities and independently manage projects from research through submission and reporting.
Strong interpersonal, relationship-building, written, verbal, and cross-functional communication skills; ability to collaborate with colleagues, subject matter experts, senior leadership, and external partners.
Demonstrated initiative, accountability, and ownership; ability to exercise sound judgment and maintain strict confidentiality.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and ability to quickly learn new technology platforms.
Knowledge of basic nonprofit budgeting and financial principles related to grant management.
Occasional evening or weekend work may be required based on organizational needs, meetings, events, or grant deadlines.
Travel to mandatory Foundation events and meetings, and additional travel as needed to support business and organizational priorities.

Nice To Haves

Grant writing and management experience within a nonprofit, human health, healthcare, or patient advocacy organization.
Experience using Salesforce or a comparable CRM/donor management platform.
Experience collaborating with programmatic and finance teams on grant budgets, outcomes, and reporting.

Responsibilities

Conduct prospect research to identify private and family foundations aligned with the Foundation’s mission, programs, and strategic initiatives.
Analyze prospective funders’ historical giving, priorities, funding patterns, eligibility requirements, and trends to assess fit and likelihood of success.
Identify, qualify, and prioritize grant opportunities and recommend funding prospects and engagement strategies to Development leadership and internal partners.
Research and recommend tools, resources, and platforms to strengthen foundation prospecting and grant research.
Plan, develop, write, edit, and submit grant proposals, letters of inquiry, applications, and other funding requests.
Collaborate with program teams, subject matter experts, Finance, Development, and senior leadership to gather information for grant submissions.
Translate complex programmatic and organizational information into clear narratives tailored to funder interests and requirements.
Maintain a grants calendar covering proposal deadlines, reporting requirements, renewals, and other milestones.
Establish and maintain quality-control processes and oversee final submissions for accuracy, completeness, compliance, and timeliness.
Manage post-award deliverables, reporting deadlines, program outcomes, and stewardship activities.
Work with Finance and program teams to monitor grant budgets, expenditures, and compliance with funding requirements.
Prepare interim and final reports, stewardship communications, and other funder updates.
Cultivate relationships with foundation representatives and grantmaking decision-makers; identify renewal and continued-funding opportunities.
Maintain foundation and grant records in Salesforce CRM, including prospect activity, proposals, awards, reporting requirements, deadlines, and funder communications.
Improve grant tracking, project management, and reporting processes; maintain documentation supporting institutional knowledge, compliance, and fundraising strategy.
Use data and performance metrics to evaluate grant activity, pipeline health, and progress toward fundraising goals.
Participate in Foundation meetings, trainings, and other organizational activities as required; travel to mandatory events and meetings and as needed for organizational priorities.