Senior Grant Writer

Pillars Community Health•La Grange, IL

15h

About The Position

The Senior Grant Writer is an integral member of Pillars Community Health’s Grants Management and External Affairs Teams. The position takes a lead role in the grant process, including prospect research and recommendations, and preparing new and renewal grant applications to corporate and private foundations and government entities. Under the direction of the Vice President of Grants/Community and Government Partnerships, the Senior Grant Writer collaborates with staff across the organization to carry out grant cultivation and management strategies and steward existing and potential funders. The role manages grant applications, awards, reporting, and funder relationships; coordinates grant planning with External Affairs, Finance, and Program staff; and helps maintain consistent organization-wide messaging and current program information for grant and communications materials. The Senior Grant Writer also provides guidance, training, and mentoring to team members and supports the supervisor and team with meetings and projects as needed. This is a part-time position based on 25 hours per week. The listed pay range is $35,625–$40,625, with the wage based on experience and qualifications compared with position requirements and similar employees within the organization.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Communications, English, Business, Public Health, or a related field involving coursework in structured written communication; an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered instead of a degree.
3–5 years of grant-writing experience, including public and private funding applications.
Ability to engage staff across the organization to learn about programs and present them compellingly to funders.
Ability to think strategically, set priorities, and organize concurrent projects.
Ability to manage grant application processes, meet funder deadlines, exercise independent judgment, and reliably follow through.
Effective written communication skills to describe programs, outcomes, and community impact to varied audiences.
Excellent oral communication skills for interacting with funders, team members, and program staff.
Excellent interpersonal, analytical, and organizational skills.
Ability to multitask and willingness to learn new tasks.
Computer proficiency with the internet, email, Microsoft Office, and an electronic donor database.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Nice To Haves

Experience with private foundation and government grant application processes.
Experience with Donor Perfect and Microsoft Project.

Responsibilities

Write and submit new and renewal proposals to corporations, foundations, and government entities in accordance with requirements and deadlines.
Serve as project manager for assigned larger grants, establishing and executing work plans for program planning, narrative and budget preparation, and collection of supporting documents.
Lead grant prospecting by identifying and researching prospects aligned with organizational funding priorities and recommending grant opportunities.
Work with organizational leaders and staff to develop and execute grant implementation plans after awards, including communications, tracking tools, and outcome reporting.
Ensure applications, reports, and supporting materials comply with funder requirements, award terms, and applicable regulations.
Track grant deliverables, reporting deadlines, certifications, and assurances throughout award periods.
Consult with and guide team members on questions and issues; assist with onboarding, training, mentoring, and coaching new team members.
Share grant-writing expertise and guide staff and supervisors preparing grant and reporting narratives.
Recommend improvements to workflows, procedures, and processes.
Assist with representing Pillars Community Health in external funder meetings, with the supervisor or when the supervisor is unavailable.
Assist the supervisor with preparing for or leading team meetings and supporting team projects as needed.
Work with External Affairs staff to support consistent organization-wide messaging.
Maintain a library of current organizational program descriptions, measured outcomes, demographics, and research data for grant and communications use.
Monitor funding trends, priorities, and opportunities aligned with organizational priorities and strategic goals.
Cultivate and steward relationships with established funders and prospects through in-person, telephone, and email contact, in collaboration with the Vice President of Grants/Community and Government Partnerships.
Write and submit periodic funder reports according to requirements and deadlines.
Maintain the organizational grant calendar and project plans for applications, reporting, and supporting materials in collaboration with the Vice President of Grants/Community and Government Partnerships.
Coordinate funder site visits and monitoring reviews, including scheduling, briefing program and leadership staff, assembling documentation, and leading follow-up on findings.
Maintain contact information and notes in Donor Perfect CRM and other systems as needed.
Practice safety, adhere to organizational policies, protect confidential organizational and donor information, and use only aggregate, de-identified data in grant materials in accordance with HIPAA and PCH privacy policies.
Attend required departmental and organizational meetings and perform other duties as assigned.