Grants & Development Operations Manager (Part-Time)

Founder Forward is seeking a Grants & Development Operations Manager to strengthen and scale the organization’s funding infrastructure in support of overlooked founders. This person will report to the Executive Director and will have ownership of grant strategy, proposal development, and submissions. They will have the discipline to maintain systems, generate sustainable revenue, ensure compliance, and support long-term institutional growth. By building a strong funding pipeline and maintaining rigorous development operations, this role will help position Founder Forward as a credible, data-driven leader in place-based entrepreneurial ecosystem support.

About Founder Forward

Overlooked and underrepresented founders have long struggled against an economy designed to block their progress. As a result, generational wealth-building efforts have been slow and subject to frequent reversal. Founder Forward is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that provides funding and strategic support to diverse founders in emerging regions. Founder Forward believes that challenging the economic injustice of systemic geographic inequalities, funding disparities, and lack of access to information begins with empowering founders in emerging regions. As an organization we hope to play an impactful role by challenging the systemic wealth inequities that persist through the concentration of wealth in major cities across the United States.

Since our founding, we have distributed $860,000 to 125 founders across 25 states, creating pathways to economic mobility and investment readiness.

Position Overview

Founder Forward is seeking a highly detail-oriented, systems-driven professional to serve as a contract Grants & Development Operations Manager to lead and execute the organization’s grant strategy and infrastructure. The ideal candidate should have demonstrated experience writing successful grant proposals, managing full grant lifecycles, and building disciplined internal systems that support sustainable revenue growth.

As Founder Forward continues to strengthen its institutional foundation and diversify revenue streams, this role will take the lead on producing high-quality grant submissions while building the operational backbone required for long-term funding success. This position is suited for someone who operates strategically, but is also highly hands-on in execution. A successful Grants & Development Operations Manager is an exceptional writer, meticulous project manager, disciplined systems builder, and proactive communicator who thrives in a fast-paced, nonprofit environment.

Reporting to the Executive Director, this is a fully remote part-time position averaging 15-20 hours per week, depending on volume and availability of grant opportunities.

Primary Responsibilities

The Grants & Development Operations Manager leads Founder Forward’s grant writing and development infrastructure by building a strong funding pipeline, producing high-quality submissions, and ensuring disciplined compliance and reporting.

This role takes a comprehensive view of “development” by managing research, proposal writing, internal review processes, tracking systems, reporting deadlines, and post-award compliance. The purpose of this role is to ensure that Founder Forward’s funding efforts are structured, timely, accurate, and aligned with the organization’s strategic priorities.

This role works collaboratively across the organization while maintaining ownership of grant timelines, documentation, and submission quality.

Proposal Development & Submission Management (40%)

Proposal Writing & Narrative Development

• Draft compelling, evidence-based grant proposals, letters of inquiry, and renewal applications
• Prepare template language that can easily be applied and modified to new grants
• Collaborate with program teams to develop accurate, itemized budgets
• Integrate internal impact data and relevant external research into proposals
• Ensure clarity, alignment, and measurable outcomes in all submissions

Submission Process Management

• Manage grant calendar including first draft, second draft, review, approval, and submission deadlines
• Ensure all submissions follow Founder Forward’s internal review and approval process
• Maintain compliance with funder guidelines, formatting requirements, and portal protocols
• Track submission confirmations and funding status

Grant Strategy & Prospecting (25%)

Research & Pipeline Development

• Research and identify aligned foundation, corporate, and government funding opportunities
• Analyze RFP guidelines and create concise funding profiles to assess strategic fit
• Maintain and manage a robust grant pipeline with clear next steps and deadlines
• Contribute to fundraising strategy discussions with research insights and recommendations

Strategic Opportunity Assessment

• Evaluate funding alignment with organizational priorities and capacity
• Identify opportunities for multi-year or renewable funding
• Track diversification across funding sources

Development Operations & Compliance (25%)

Grant Tracking & Documentation

• Maintain accurate grant records in CRM and shared systems
• Track award status, reporting requirements, and renewal timelines
• Create internal dashboards to support monthly board and financial reporting cadence
• Document correspondence and maintain organized grant files

Post-Award Reporting

• Track reporting deadlines and proactively manage deliverables
• Draft narrative reports in collaboration with program staff
• Coordinate with finance to support financial reporting requirements
• Ensure timely submission of all required reporting documentation

Strategic Support & Cross-Functional Collaboration (10%)

Organizational Collaboration

• Partner with program staff to align program design with funding narratives
• Support Executive Director in preparing development updates for board meetings
• Contribute to strengthening internal systems that support long-term sustainability

Adaptive Support

• Maintain flexibility to support evolving development priorities in a lean organization
• Participate in strategic discussions related to revenue growth and funding diversification
• Take on additional responsibilities that advance Founder Forward’s strategic goals as needed

Desired Skills and Experience

Experience

• 4-7+ years of professional experience in grant writing, development operations, or nonprofit fundraising (or demonstrated equivalent experience)
• Demonstrated success writing and securing foundation and/or corporate grants
• Strong experience developing itemized budgets and financial justifications
• Knowledge of grant lifecycle management including prospecting, submission, reporting, and renewals

Skills & Competencies

• Exceptional writing, editing, and formatting skills
• Highly organized with meticulous attention to detail
• Experience maintaining CRM systems and grant tracking databases
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent deadlines
• Self-driven with ability to work independently in a remote environment
• Collaborative mindset with ability to work across teams
• Entrepreneurial spirit with comfort navigating ambiguity

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required or equivalent related experience

Compensation & Structure

• Compensation: $60 per hour
• Hours: 15-20 hours per week
• Structure: Part-time position
• Location: Fully remote

We are an equal-opportunity employer that values diversity at all levels. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply. We recognize that some candidates may not apply if they do not check off every requirement. Still apply if you have demonstrated experience and interest.

Founder Forward is an equal opportunity employer and it is our policy to recruit, hire, train, promote and administer any and all personnel actions without regard to sex, race, age, color, creed, national origin, religion, economic status, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity or expression, ethnic identity or physical disability, or any other legally protected basis. Founder Forward is committed to diversity among its staff, and recognizes that its continued success requires the highest commitment to obtaining and retaining a diverse staff that provides the best quality services to supporters and constituents. Founder Forward will not tolerate any unlawful discrimination and any such conduct is strictly prohibited.