Strategic Grants Manager

Job Title: Strategic Grants Manager

Compensation: $100,000 (This salary is non-negotiable and in line with our pay standards.)

Location: US-based (Remote)

Union/Non-Union: This is not a bargaining unit position.

Exempt/Non-Exempt: Exempt

Reports To: Associate Director of Institutional Giving

Collaborates with: Strategic Grants Writer, Program & Development Coordinator, Sr. Director of Grantmaking, Compliance, & Partnerships

Team: External Affairs

Position Summary:

The Strategic Grants Manager is critical in advancing MADRE's institutional fundraising efforts by managing relationships with institutional funders including foundations, governments, and multilateral institutions. This role focuses on grant strategy, funder engagement, and proposal and reporting processes, ensuring alignment with MADRE’s programmatic goals and mission. The Strategic Grants Manager works closely with cross-departmental teams to communicate MADRE’s impact to funders and oversees a portfolio of institutional funders. Reporting to the Associate Director of Institutional Giving, this position supervises a Strategic Grant and Proposal Writer and interns.

Position Overview:

The Strategic Grants Manager is responsible for leading the development and submission of grant proposals, reports, and other updates to funders, ensuring compliance with grant agreements, and identifying and pursuing new funding opportunities. The role manages a portfolio of institutional funders with a strong focus on government and multilateral institutions, working closely with MADRE’s Grantmaking & Partnerships and Advocacy & Policy teams. The Strategic Grants Manager also plays a key role in funder cultivation and stewardship, contributing to MADRE’s broader fundraising strategy and long-term sustainability goals.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy and Funder Engagement:

The Strategic Grants Manager will manage a portfolio of institutional funders, including foundations, governments, multilateral institutions, and corporate funders, focusing on expanding MADRE’s government and multilateral funding base. In collaboration with the Associate Director of Institutional Giving, the Strategic Grants Manager will develop and execute a comprehensive strategy to achieve revenue targets, cultivate relationships, and steward existing and prospective institutional funder relationships. This includes engaging funders through targeted outreach, meetings, webinars, and events.

Proposal Development and Reporting:

The Strategic Grants Manager will lead the development and submission of grant proposals, concept papers, reports, and other funder communications that align with MADRE’s programmatic goals and mission. Working closely with the Grantmaking & Partnerships and Advocacy & Policy teams, the Strategic Grants Manager will ensure that the impact of grant funds and of MADRE’s programmatic work is effectively communicated to funders. The role involves synthesizing programmatic updates into compelling narratives and ensuring that all materials for funders are timely, accurate, responsive to funder requirements, and strategically positioned to enhance relationships.

Grant Compliance and Financial Management:

The Strategic Grants Manager will ensure compliance with all grant agreements, monitor contractual obligations, and ensure adherence to funder requirements. This includes managing the financial aspects of grants in close collaboration with the Finance, Grantmaking & Partnerships, and Advocacy & Policy teams to ensure proper allocation and utilization of funds. The Strategic Grants Manager will ensure that all aspects of grant reporting are met, including ensuring that reports meet funder expectations and deadlines while maintaining up-to-date knowledge of grant compliance requirements.

Institutional Funder Prospecting and Research:

The Strategic Grants Manager will actively research and identify new institutional funding opportunities, particularly from governments and multilateral institutions. The role will support the Institutional Development team in building and maintaining a strong pipeline of potential funders by identifying and qualifying prospects. This includes regularly updating the team on new opportunities and contributing to and leading strategy discussions on funder engagement and prospecting.

Team Leadership and Collaboration:

The Strategic Grants Manager will serve as the direct supervisor of the Strategic Grant & Proposal Writer and interns while also supporting the day-to-day activities of the Program and Development Coordinator. This includes guiding funder engagement strategies and ensuring the team’s activities align with MADRE’s overall fundraising goals. The role will also work with the Associate Director of Institutional Giving in setting team objectives, managing the prospecting process, and tracking progress toward securing funding.

External Representation and Relationship Building:

The Strategic Grants Manager will represent MADRE and support MADRE staff to represent MADRE at external funder meetings, events, and conferences to enhance visibility and strengthen relationships with institutional funders. The role will be key in cultivating and maintaining relationships with peer organizations, affinity groups, and other external stakeholders to increase MADRE’s presence in the funder community and drive support for programmatic initiatives.

Qualifications

• Experience: Minimum of 5 years in development and fundraising, with a proven track record of securing grants from institutional funders, particularly U.S. and international governments and multilateral institutions.
• Supervision: 1-3 years supervisory experience required.
• Grant Writing and Compliance: Strong experience in writing and managing grant proposals and reports, with a thorough understanding of grant compliance and funder requirements.
• Project Management: Excellent project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and collaborate across teams.
• Financial Acumen: Experience with developing and monitoring programmatic budgets, ensuring compliance with funder guidelines and financial reporting requirements.
• Research Skills: Demonstrated ability to identify and research potential funders, cultivating new prospects and growing funding opportunities.
• Communication Skills: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively convey MADRE's mission and impact to institutional funders.
• Languages: Fluency in English and Spanish is strongly preferred. Knowledge of French or Arabic is a plus but not required.
• Commitment: Strong alignment with MADRE's mission, vision, and values, with a deep commitment to advancing social justice, human rights, and gender equity globally.