Grants Manager

YWCA Delaware•Wilmington, DE

2d•$57,500 - $60,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Grants Manager leads the day-to-day development, writing, coordination, and timely submission of YWCA Delaware grant proposals, including complex federal and other government applications, foundation requests, and corporate requests. The role manages the full grant lifecycle from opportunity review through closeout, including the shared development inbox, grant calendar and tracker, application files, post-award requests, reporting, compliance follow-up, and internal coordination. The Grants Manager uses historical materials as a foundation while developing accurate, persuasive, funder-specific proposals reflecting current program design, outcomes, budgets, and requirements. Working with the Chief Development Officer, Finance, and program leadership, the Grants Manager keeps deadlines, approvals, compliance requirements, and funder deliverables on track. The Chief Development Officer leads agency-wide funding strategy, executive funder relationships, and high-level stewardship. This role also coordinates internal grant processes, supports post-award administration and compliance, provides staff with instructions and technical assistance, prepares updates for leadership, and recommends improvements to grant workflows and controls. It attends agency and departmental meetings as needed and represents YWCA Delaware professionally with funders, partners, and community stakeholders.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in public administration, nonprofit management, business, human services, communications, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
Demonstrated experience developing, writing, coordinating, and submitting grant proposals and managing reporting schedules and post-award requirements.
Strong administrative and project-management skills, including the ability to manage a high volume of concurrent deadlines and follow-up items.
Excellent grant writing, editing, proofreading, and document-production skills, including the ability to develop persuasive narratives and follow complex funder instructions and submission requirements.
Ability to interpret funding guidelines, contracts, budgets, reporting requirements, and compliance documentation.
Proficiency with Microsoft 365, shared mailboxes, spreadsheets, databases, and online grants portals.
Ability to work collaboratively with program, Finance, Development, and executive staff while maintaining clear accountability for deadlines.
Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft 365, including SharePoint document libraries and collaborative document workflows; Outlook shared mailboxes and calendars; Teams; Word; Excel; and PowerPoint.
Ability to build and maintain accurate Excel grant trackers and reporting tools using filters, formulas, data validation, conditional formatting, pivot tables, and other appropriate functions.
Proficiency with Adobe Acrobat for creating, editing, combining, compressing, converting, organizing, and reviewing PDF application packages, and with Adobe Acrobat Sign or comparable electronic-signature platforms.
Experience navigating and troubleshooting online grants and government systems, such as Grants.gov, SAM.gov, federal and state e-grants systems, foundation portals, and other funder-specific platforms.
Strong digital research skills, including locating authoritative sources, assessing opportunity fit and eligibility, comparing current guidance with historical requirements, verifying information, and translating findings into recommendations.
Ability to use technology to monitor funding trends and communicate relevant changes, risks, and opportunities to leadership in a timely manner.
Knowledge of secure document handling, access controls, file naming, version control, records retention, and audit-ready electronic file organization.
Ability to learn new grant management, CRM, project management, reporting, and collaboration systems quickly and use digital tools responsibly while protecting confidential organizational, participant, and funder information.

Nice To Haves

Experience with federal, state, or local government grants and familiarity with government submission and reporting systems.
Knowledge of nonprofit grant compliance, grant accounting, cost allocation, match requirements, and Uniform Guidance principles.
Experience with a grants management or prospect research platform.
Experience in a nonprofit, human services, housing, victim services, workforce development, or community-based organization.

Responsibilities

Lead proposal development and submission across the grant portfolio, including government, foundation, and corporate applications.
Analyze funding notices, requests for proposals, and guidelines; summarize eligibility, priorities, evaluation criteria, required attachments, and internal responsibilities.
Draft and tailor proposal narratives, letters of inquiry, concept papers, and related materials to current funder requirements and program information.
Coordinate with program and Finance staff to obtain and reconcile narratives, budgets, outcomes, data, certifications, and supporting documentation.
Manage portal entry, formatting, attachment assembly, approval routing, proofreading, and quality-control review; submit approved applications by deadlines and retain records and confirmations.
Manage the shared development and grants inbox, route requests, and track items through completion.
Maintain the grant tracker, submission calendar, grant management system, electronic files, reusable materials, standard attachments, and funder records.
Research funding opportunities and monitor notices, amendments, award communications, reporting requests, funding trends, priorities, policy changes, and historical award information.
Prepare funding alerts, recommendations, workplans, checklists, timelines, reminders, and pipeline, award, deadline, and compliance updates for leadership.
Coordinate award acceptance materials, contracts, signatures, payment documentation, and internal post-award notifications.
Maintain award files and reporting schedules identifying deliverables, due dates, approved budgets, performance periods, restrictions, match requirements, and responsible staff.
Track programmatic and financial reporting requirements and follow up with program and Finance teams to obtain complete and timely information.
Draft and submit funder reports, reimbursement or payment requests, modifications, extensions, and other post-award correspondence after review and approval.
Support monitoring visits, audits, desk reviews, and corrective-action requests by organizing records and coordinating responses.
Flag potential compliance concerns, spending delays, scope changes, missed deliverables, and documentation gaps to the Chief Development Officer and appropriate leadership.
Provide staff with clear instructions, templates, and technical assistance related to grant requirements, portals, and documentation.
Identify workflow bottlenecks and recommend improvements to templates, file organization, grant processes, and internal controls.
Support funder stewardship by preparing reports, updates, background materials, and follow-up items for the Chief Development Officer.
Attend agency and departmental meetings as needed, represent YWCA Delaware professionally, support efficient use of organizational resources, and perform other related duties as assigned.