Grants Manager

Carolina Federation Grants Manager

The Carolina Federation is seeking a values-aligned full-time Grants Manager to cultivate, track, and support the financial resource development of the organization to build working class, multi-racial political power across North Carolina.

About the Carolina Federation

The Carolina Federation is a statewide organization that brings people together across race to build a new political majority in North Carolina—one rooted in a culture of belonging and strong enough to win elections and wield governing power in our state. Our work blends deep base-building, transformative cultural work, power-building issue campaigns, and large-scale voter organizing.

In just six years, our chapter-based membership organization has grown to become one of the largest voter engagement operations in North Carolina. In addition to our voter engagement work, we are equally proud to be known for the depth of our leadership development, our democratic endorsement processes, and our governance by elected member leaders.

Carolina Federation Values

• Commitment to Building Power; through elections, issue campaigns, base-building and organizing, centered around the leadership of working-class people and people of color.
• Commitment to Justice; to racial, economic, gender, and environmental justice and to lifting up the leadership and dignity of the working-class people and people of color; a felt sense of inspiration and alignment with our DNA principles
• Commitment to Interdependence -- bringing your best, relying on the strengths of others, the knowledge that we are responsible for each other’s well-being
• Commitment to Integrity – drawing from deep values and beliefs with a track record of honesty and courage
• Resilient, Ambitious, Relentless – leaning on professional and personal support systems and internal resources to sustain yourself in challenging times; believing that you and others are capable of greatness and that victory is possible for our people; getting creative and experimental when things get difficult

About the Role

The Grants Manager will play a key role in sustaining the Carolina Federation’s growing development program. Our Development Department is in an exciting phase of building systems, diversifying funding streams, and deepening relationships with donors who are aligned with our mission. The team is actively implementing donor management software and developing small-dollar fundraising strategies to lay the foundation for scaling our work.

We’re looking for someone who sees grant writing as more than just securing funding—it’s a powerful tool for sustaining movements, shifting power, and fueling long-term social change.

This role is ideal for a strong writer and strategic thinker who thrives in both structured grant writing and creative resource development. The Grants Manager will be responsible for researching and writing grant proposals, managing grant reporting, and helping strengthen relationships with institutional donors and our coalition partners.

The skills and commitments that will allow someone to succeed in this role include:

• A deep commitment to building multi-racial, working class political power for communities across North Carolina.
• A strong belief in the role of sustainable funding to support long-term organizing.
• An eagerness to learn from experiments and co-create systems within a dynamic and evolving development program.
• Strong writing and storytelling skills to develop compelling grant narratives and funder materials.

Specifically, the Grants Manager will be responsible for:

Grant Prospecting & Donor Research

• Researching new grant opportunities and maintaining a pipeline of prospective funders.
• Identifying and tracking Requests for Proposals (RFPs) that align with the Carolina Federation’s mission.
• Providing research on institutional funders and key philanthropic networks, prioritizing partnerships over transactional funding relationships.

Grant Writing & Management

• Alongside the Development Director, designing systems to gather and synthesize diverse sources of information—recorded interviews, meeting summaries, program debriefs, and past materials—into clear external-facing narratives that communicate the organization’s work to funders and donors.
• Collaborating with program staff, finance, and leadership to develop funding proposals and reports that communicate the Carolina Federation’s impact.
• Ensuring timely submission of applications and maintaining all necessary supporting documents.
• Managing a grants calendar, tracking deadlines, renewal opportunities, and funder communications.

Funder Stewardship & Reporting

• Maintaining relationships with funders through regular updates, donor briefings, and site visits.
• Drafting progress reports and program updates tailored to different funder audiences, and assisting in drafting our annual Impact Report.
• Ensuring proper acknowledgment of funders, including thank-you letters, public recognition, and updates.
• Coordinating with communications staff to integrate funder messaging into newsletters, social media, and organizational materials.

Data & Systems Management

• Supporting the use of new and existing systems for funder tracking.
• Ensuring grant compliance by maintaining accurate funder records, reporting deadlines, and documentation.

Qualifications & Experience

• 2 years in grant writing, fundraising, or nonprofit development.
• Strong writing and storytelling skills—capable of crafting compelling narratives that align with funder interests.
• Experience managing grant calendars, deadlines, and compliance requirements.
• Experience with CRM systems, donor databases, and online grant portals is a plus.
• Experience with systems and process writing is a plus.
• Passion for the Carolina Federation’s mission and a commitment to racial, economic, and social justice.
• Personal or professional experience living in the South, engaging in multi-racial organizing and/or organizing in the South is a plus.

Compensation & Benefits

This is a permanent, full-time, exempt, manager-level position. The beginning salary range is $66,163 to $74,406 annualized, based on experience, with opportunity for an increase up to $79,902 after the first 90 days of employment, depending on performance.Benefits include:

• 100% Employer-paid premium for health insurance (medical, dental, and vision), life insurance, short and long-term disability
• 3% Guaranteed employer contribution to retirement after 6 months of employment
• Generous holidays as well as flexible paid time off
• $700 Technology allowance for new employees
• 3 Months full-pay parental leave after 12 months of employment

Location:

This position must be based in North Carolina, with a strong preference for the Triangle or the Triad. The position requires regular in-person meetings at office locations in the Triad and Triangle. The position will require some travel out of the state to conferences and fundraising events and meetings. We may beable to offera modest stipendto cover in-state orout-of-state relocation expenses.

To Apply:

The priority deadline for this position is March 7th. Interviews will take place on a rolling basis beginning on March 10th, with an ideal start in Summer 2025. However, the position will remain open until filled.

Send us:

• A resume and a brief cover letter explaining what sparks your interest in our organization and the Grants Manager role.
• Three references who can speak to a combination of your values and previous work experience
• Two writing samples you have authored that demonstrate grant writing proficiency, such as:
• A grant proposal or letter of inquiry (LOI).
• A grant report or funder update.
• A donor communications piece or case statement

You can email these to development@carolinafederation.org

with the subject line “Grants Manager” followed by your first and last name in

parentheses or brackets.

The Carolina Federation is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from all and strongly encourage women, people of color, immigrants, working class folks and members of the LGBTQ community to apply. We do not require formal education. We encourage you to submit your application if this job excites you!