Grants Specialist bei Greater Cleveland Food Bank

Description

Consider a career that allows you to make a positive impact on others’ lives while enhancing your own. The Greater Cleveland Food Bank, the largest hunger relief organization in Northeast Ohio, provided over 50 million meals in 2024 to those in need across Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, Ashland, and Richland counties. 

Greater Cleveland Food Bank Mission Statement: “We work to ensure that everyone in our communities has the nutritious food they need every day.” 

Join the Greater Cleveland Food Bank team and experience a supportive culture of continuous learning and development. We offer competitive pay and excellent benefits, including:

• Paid Time Off and Holiday Pay beginning day one
• Low-cost medical, dental, and vision insurance 
• Generous retirement plan 
• Wellness programs
• Childcare assistance
• Tuition and Student Loan assistance
• Short-term and long-term disability coverage
• Life insurance

Apply today and become part of a mission-driven organization dedicated to making a difference in the community.

SUMMARY

The Grants Specialist will support the overall fundraising and stewardship efforts of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank by drafting accurate and compelling grant proposals and reports to corporations, foundations, and organizations in a timely manner. The Grants Specialist will work under the direction of the Manager, Foundation Relations and in partnership with the Institutional Relations team and Development Department. The Grants Specialist will collaborate with colleagues across the organization to maintain updated knowledge of the Food Bank’s current programs and emerging work. This position will coordinate the grant application and renewal process with current funders, track the status of all proposals and reports in Raiser’s Edge, and produce status reports on a regular basis. The Grants Specialist maintains complete and accurate files on funders, including contact information, giving history/interests, proposal and reporting requirements, etc. The Grants Specialist is responsible for other communications, including but not limited to thank-you letters, that support the Food Bank’s donor cultivation and fundraising efforts.

Requirements

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. This list is not all-inclusive; other duties may be assigned as necessary.

• Conduct prospect research; develop, write, and submit proposals and reports.
• Research foundations, corporations, and organizations to determine if their interests match the needs of the Food Bank. Work with Manager, Foundation Relations to identify potential funders to be approached each year.  
• Develop, write, and submit proposals and reports for current and potential funders in a timely manner. Work with other Food Bank departments and program managers to create proposals and reports that are both accurate and compelling. Work with Manager, Foundation Relations to communicate regularly with program managers to assess progress toward reaching program goals detailed in proposal and to report back as dollars are received.
• Track foundation information and proposal status in Raiser’s Edge, run reports on outstanding proposals, and provide Manager of Foundation Relations, Assoc. Director of Institutional Relations, and Chief Development Officer with regular reports.
• Facilitate weekly grants timeline meetings with Foundations team.
• Assist in the implementation of an annual plan for foundation/corporate/organization support.
• Develop relationships with funders as appropriate and effective; create a plan for regular communication with key contacts and communicate with them over the course of the year with newsletters and other appropriate information and materials in order to carry out effective stewardship.
• Identify key contacts at each current and prospective donor organization and work with Manager, Foundation Relations to develop strategies for approaching them.
• Write personalized thank-you letters in a timely fashion and develop other ways to recognize donors for their gifts; utilize these communications efforts as donor cultivation & stewardship opportunities.
• Draft, review, update, and maintain documents related to Food Bank programs for Development Department use.
• Support the work of other Institutional Relations staff (notably the Manager, Foundation Relations and Associate Director, Institutional Relations), including by editing draft proposals and reports.
• Maintain required job knowledge and skills and core professional competencies. Attend and participate in required educational programs and take advantage of available professional development opportunities.
• Attend and participate in all required staff meetings and GCFB development events (Market at the Food Bank, Taste of the Browns, etc.).
• Actively support and champion initiatives aimed at driving continuous improvement throughout the organization. May participate in one of the following: LEAN council, a kaizen, 5S campaign or other process improvement efforts to support continuous improvement and improved processes within the food bank.
• Help with fundraising projects outside of the Grants Specialist’s area of responsibility and perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities: N/A

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from four-year college or university is required.
• Two or more years of successful grant writing experience and demonstrated project management skills required. 
• Self-starting work habits, problem-solving, time management required. 
• Excellent writing and analytical skills, deadline orientation, and attention to detail are required. A writing sample may be requested during the interview process.  
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, mission-focused environment is required. 
• Ability to study and understand programs and funding requirements of the organization is required.
• Commitment to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s mission is required.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain positive interpersonal relationships, take initiative, set priorities, and handle multiple relationships efficiently and effectively is preferred. 
• Proficiency with MS Office – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams is required.
• Experience with database management. Raiser’s Edge experience is preferred. 
• Required commitment to making interactions across different cultures and backgrounds a strength of our organization as demonstrated through work, life or community experience.

Physical Requirements and Environment: 

The physical requirements for this position include: Ability to frequently remain in a stationary position. Ability to move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc. frequently. Ability to operate a computer or other office productivity machinery constantly. Occasional ability to ascend/descend stairs to access work spaces. Occasional ability to position or move body to access filing cabinets or other work equipment. Ability to constantly exchange accurate information and communicate in person or via telephone with clients, partners, donors, coworkers and other members of the community. Must be able to constantly view a computer screen. Ability to move office equipment/supplies on seldom occasions. Ability to lift 10-25 lbs on a regular basis. Travel is occasionally required for this position. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Salary Range: $48,000 - $58,000 per year

Proud to be a North Coast 99 Employer for 2017-2024

Please note that the Food Bank does not sponsor work visas for our positions. Candidates must have the legal right to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship. Offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion of an initial background check, drug screening, physical examination, and employment verification, and will be completed during the onboarding process.