Grant Specialist

Latin American Youth Center•Washington, DC

6h•$55,000 - $58,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Grant Specialist writes, revises, and submits grant applications and reports in collaboration with program staff and in response to government, corporate, and foundation funding opportunities. The role coordinates rotating teams of program staff to develop grant narratives, budget requests, and supporting documentation that meet funder requirements. The Specialist maintains knowledge of LAYC programs and their financing, works with Learning and Evaluation staff to incorporate program data, and coordinates with Finance and Development on financial materials and funder relationships. The position also supports grant tracking and helps maintain consistent style, messaging, policies, standard language, and process improvements across the Grants team. The position calls for superior writing ability, strong organization and attention to detail, independent problem-solving, and the ability to lead contributors while meeting multiple deadlines in a fast-paced, hybrid work environment. The Grant Specialist represents the needs of LAYC's community and accurately describes its programs. The role is an opportunity to learn fundraising principles and advanced writing techniques as part of an experienced Grants team. LAYC is a youth-serving organization whose mission is to empower young people toward a successful transition to adulthood through programs addressing social, academic, and career needs. The position is largely sedentary and may require local or regional travel. Applicants must complete criminal and child abuse/neglect clearances. To apply, submit a cover letter, writing sample, and resume. Applicants must disclose whether they used AI tools to develop application documents.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; preferably in a writing-intensive major such as English, communications, or journalism.
At least one to three years of successful grant writing experience required.
Excellent communication and writing skills, including the ability to produce accurate, well-organized analytical and descriptive text.
Ability to work and solve problems independently as lead on grant applications and reports.
Strong leadership skills and ability to organize and lead contributors during the grant application process.
Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
Ability to understand and write about youth program objectives and outcomes.
Ability to understand and describe program budgets.
Ability to meet multiple deadlines with minimal supervision in a fast-paced, hybrid work environment.
Ability to conduct online research and use findings in writing.
Ability to work well and communicate with culturally diverse populations.
Completion of criminal and child abuse/neglect clearances.

Nice To Haves

Experience with DonorPerfect or other client relationship management (CRM) software.
Familiarity with grant database entry and report creation.

Responsibilities

Write, revise, and submit grant applications and reports with program staff for government, corporate, and foundation funding opportunities.
Manage rotating teams of program staff to create or compile grant narratives, budget requests, and other documentation in accordance with funder requirements.
Maintain current knowledge of LAYC programs and how those programs are financed.
Coordinate with the Learning and Evaluation team to incorporate programmatic data into grant applications and reports.
Interpret program data, evaluation metrics, and logic models for use in grant applications and reports.
Coordinate with Finance to understand financial reports and prepare financial attachments for applications and reports.
Coordinate with Development to help manage relationships with major donors and institutional funders.
Support ongoing data entry to track grant submissions and awards.
Collaborate with Grants team members to maintain LAYC style and messaging in external grant communications.
Collaborate with Grants team members to establish and maintain grant policies, boilerplate language, and continuous process improvement initiatives.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision plans with prescription coverage.
Employer-paid life insurance.
Voluntary long-term disability and supplemental life insurance.
Matching 401(k) program beginning at hire.
Three weeks of paid vacation per year, increasing to four weeks with tenure.
Twelve paid holidays per year.
Twelve days of paid sick leave per year.
Four wellness days.
Eight weeks of paid parental leave, including adoption and foster care.
Health club discounts.
One to two days per week of telework for most positions, eligible after the first 60 days.