Development Associate (Grants)

Make the Road New York (MRNY) builds the power of immigrant and working-class communities to achieve dignity and justice through organizing, policy innovation, transformative education, and survival services. Make the Road New York operates community centers in Bushwick, Brooklyn; Jackson Heights, Queens; Port Richmond, Staten Island; Brentwood, Long Island and White Plains, Westchester County. With a membership of 27,000, MRNY tackles the critical issues facing our communities, including workplace justice, tenants’ rights, immigrant rights and civil rights, TGNCIQ justice, public education, health care access, and immigration reform. (TGNCIQ = transgender, gender non-conforming, intersex and queer).  MRNY is a newly unionized workplace, currently negotiating its first Collective Bargaining Agreement.

MRNY is a multi-service organization.  Our member-led organizing committees -- which work on the issues named above -- implement strategies to combat shared problems, and develop leadership and the capacity for civic participation. We also provide an array of high-quality bilingual services: We offer English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Spanish-language literacy, computer literacy, citizenship preparation, and in-school and after-school youth programs. We have a robust legal program that offers direct representation across a spectrum of practice areas, including employment law, immigration law, housing and benefits, and TGNCIQ civil rights; we also take on impact litigation as a strategy for achieving broad change. Our health program offers facilitated enrollment into health insurance programs and SNAP benefits, a community health worker home visit program, nutrition education and emergency food pantries, health care navigation, and more.

The Development Department is a 10-person team that supports all of the organization’s work with fundraising from individuals, private foundations, and government sources.

Current Opening:

The Development Associate will support MRNY’s institutional giving team, which manages grants from foundations and government sources. The associate will provide administrative support and database maintenance; conduct grant research; and assist with stewardship responsibilities for funders and elected officials. With training as necessary, the associate will also manage a portfolio of low to medium-dollar foundation grants, including drafting proposals and reports and other stewardship tasks as needed. This role is an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of grant work and gain exposure to survival services and community organizing programs, by supporting a major area of MRNY’s fundraising. The associate will report to the Institutional Giving Manager and work closely with the Associate Director of Development, Institutional Giving Coordinator, Senior Management Team, and other key staff.

Responsibilities but not limited to:

• DEPARTMENT SUPPORT - Provide administrative support for institutional giving team as necessary, including scheduling; tracking and checking deadlines; processing grant agreements and subcontracts; and maintaining registration in various government grant systems.
• DATABASE MAINTENANCE - Keep grant records in our Salesforce database up to date, including entering records; filing documents, meeting notes, and deliverables; and tracking deadlines.
• STEWARDSHIP/FUNDER RELATIONS - Conduct regular stewardship activities for funders including drafting acknowledgement letters; managing mailings; coordinating elected official outreach, participation, and attendance for MRNY’s annual gala; and assisting with other major fundraising events and funder site visits as needed.
• PROSPECT RESEARCH - Conduct proactive research on prospects to support high priority funding areas for the organization; vet new opportunities as needed, including attending information sessions.
• FOUNDATION GRANTS - Maintain MRNY’s portfolio of foundation grants of up to $25,000 and work on other grants as needed, including reporting, application submission, and relationship stewarding for these grants in collaboration with grants team and program directors.

Requirements:

• Eligible to work in the U.S
• Required to be fully vaccinated with an FDA approved COVID-19 vaccine prior first day of employment.
• Possess a commitment to collective action and community organizing.
• Bilingual English/Spanish is a plus/not required/mandatory.
• Have experience working in a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic work environment

Job Competencies:

• Excellent organizational skills and a high level of attention to detail
• Ability to support multiple team members and manage multiple deadlines, including the flexibility to adjust work plans to meet quickly changing needs
• High level of accountability and initiative; needs to be eager to do team work to support the organization as a whole
• Strong writing skills in short (email) and long (reports and proposals) formats to communicate in a clear, compelling, and well-organized way with MRNY program directors and external contacts
• Working knowledge of the Google Suite (especially Sheets), Microsoft Office Suite (especially Excel), and Adobe Reader; database experience (especially Salesforce) a plus
• Strong interest in learning new systems and tools, and in helping strengthen the processes of a growing department.

Salary and Benefits:

Starting salary is based on a scale set by a democratically-elected personnel committee and will depend on factors such as experience and education. MRNY offers an excellent benefit package including health insurance, 401K, and generous paid vacation, sick, personal days. The salary range for this position is from $50,591 to $68,174.

How to Apply:

Please submit a resume AND cover letter. Only applications with both resume and cover letter will be reviewed.

Make the Road believes that social change is best achieved through grassroots community-based organizing that flows directly from and engages the community demanding the change. As a membership-based organization, we are committed to providing equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, criminal history, or Veteran status. We strongly encourage those from historically excluded groups to apply.