Director of Grants & Fundraising

OUR STORY

The mission of the West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing (WSFSSH) is to provide safe, affordable, supportive senior housing that integrates compassionate property management with wraparound services to enhance the independence and dignity of each resident. WSFSSH creates and preserves affordable housing while supporting the development of healthy neighborhoods. WSFSSH currently owns and operates 30 buildings in Manhattan and the Bronx, providing transitional shelter and supportive housing with holistic, wrap-around services for more than 2,400 residents.

JOB SUMMARY

The Director of Grants & Fundraising is a new position responsible for managing a portfolio of current grants and researching and soliciting new grant funding from private and public institutions. The Director will oversee grants through their full lifecycle: cultivating relationships with funders, submitting proposals, ensuring proper data collection, and reporting on program results. This position collaborates across departments to understand funding needs and ensure that grant requirements are being met, interfacing with and providing guidance to staff responsible for managing programs. Additionally, working in partnership with other key WSFSSH staff, the Director of Grants & Fundraising will help design and implement a new system to capture and communicate organization-wide grant information to allow for more effective resource development as well as fiscal and programmatic management. The Director of Grants & Fundraising reports to the Managing Director of Strategy and Impact.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee the development and implementation of grant-seeking strategies to secure funding in support of WSFSSH’s mission.
• Develop, draft, edit and submit grant proposals to government agencies, foundations and corporations.
• Ensure compliance with funder guidelines and deadlines.
• Develop and manage a grants calendar to track proposal submissions, report due dates and renewal opportunities.
• Work with finance and program departments to develop budgets and narrative reports that accurately reflect the organization’s needs and objectives.
• Establish and maintain relationships with funders and potential donors through regular communication and updates on project progress and outcomes.
• Conduct post-award grant administration and compliance monitoring, including working with the finance team to ensure grant financial reporting requirements and timelines are met, and with the programs team to ensure project requirements are met.
• Engage with staff to obtain feedback on program initiatives.
• Work with program staff and data team to select and report on metrics to evaluate effectiveness of programs.
• Work with the Managing Director to develop an organization-wide, cross-department process for managing grants, including researching and implementing a grants management IT system to allow for the management, tracking and communication of information across the grant lifecycle.
• Support other WSFSSH’s fundraising and related initiatives, such as events and campaign planning.

COMPETENCIES/SKILLS

• Outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to build strong relationships both externally and internally. Pre-existing relationships with institutional funders are a plus.
• Excellent research skills.
• Experience with and a strong understanding of non-profit budgets
• Strong analytical skills and ability to operate at both strategic and tactical levels
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage and track projects through multiple phases across lifecycle.
• Knowledge of the principles of grant writing, grants management, and fundraising and partnership development.
• Experience with Microsoft Office is a plus

EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION

• Bachelor’s degree; Master’s degree in a relevant field is a plus.
• A minimum of five years relevant experience in the nonprofit and/or related sectors and a demonstrated understanding of the grant funding lifecycle.
• An understanding of non-profit grants management systems.
• Experience in building or implementing grants management systems is a plus.