Senior Manager, Grants & Fundraising

About the role – Senior Manager, Grants & Fundraising

The Senior Manager, Grants & Fundraising, will play a pivotal role in shaping and expanding CLASP's fundraising capacity. This new position will be instrumental in formalizing and enhancing existing development approaches by leading the planning, execution, and management of comprehensive fundraising strategies, donor relations initiatives, and development operations.

Reporting to the Chief Communications & Development Officer, the Senior Manager will collaborate closely with the CEO, Chief of Staff, and colleagues across leadership and communications teams within CLASP’s decentralized fundraising structure. The ideal candidate will bring expertise in professionalizing and streamlining fundraising processes, ensuring the organization continues its strong track record of securing vital resources. Based in CLASP’s Washington, DC office, this role offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to the growth and sustainability of an impactful organization.

Your responsibilities will include

• Fundraising and Donor Relations
  • Lead and Manage Strategic Donor Relationships: Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with funders, major donors, and prospective donors, providing strategic support to the CEO, Chief Communications & Development Officer, and other staff in their engagement efforts.
  • Drive Funding Growth and Diversification: Lead initiatives to identify, establish, and nurture new partnerships with foundations, corporations, government agencies, and high-net-worth individuals, both domestically and internationally. In partnership with senior leadership, develop and implement a robust pipeline of prospective donors and explore diversification into new investment types, such as individual giving.
  • Enhance Organizational Visibility through Strategic Partnerships: Create and manage strategic partnerships and initiatives to elevate the organization's profile.
  • Foster a Culture of Philanthropy and Support Fundraising Efforts: Promote an entrepreneurial and philanthropic mindset across all staff and the Board of Directors, and support the execution of long-term fundraising strategies encompassing all potential revenue streams.
• Prospect Research and Grant Development
  • Direct Prospect Identification and Qualification: Oversee proactive research to identify and qualify potential major gift, grant, and other funding prospects.
  • Lead and Contribute to Proposal and Content Development: Lead the development of and contribute to compelling grant proposals, reports, presentations, concept notes, and other collateral for current and potential donors, collaborating with program leads, senior leadership, and the communications team as needed.
  • Implement and Refine Standardized Proposal Processes: Collaborate with colleagues across the team to build and lead more standardized and efficient proposal development processes, particularly for grant renewals.
• Development Operations and Administration
  • Oversee Accurate Donor Records and Acknowledgement: Ensure the maintenance of precise records for current and potential donors, diligently track donations, and establish processes for prompt acknowledgment of all contributions.
  • Manage Donor and Prospect Information in CRM: Work with the IT/Operations department and administrative colleagues to build, maintain, and leverage detailed donor and prospect records, including outreach activities, interests, and contribution history within the CRM system.
  • Generate and Analyze Fundraising Performance Reports: Create and distribute regular fundraising reports, providing the CEO and Board with up-to-date information and analysis on the organization's fundraising performance against established goals.
  • Ensure Audit Tracking and Compliance: Oversee the development department's audit tracking, ensuring all proper documentation for individual gifts and grants are received, maintained, and recorded in alignment with organizational messaging and brand guidelines.
  • Contribute to Fundraising Goal Setting and Progress Monitoring: Set individual performance goals and contribute to the development of organization-wide fundraising goals, consistently tracking progress and identifying areas for improvement.

Who you are

• A Compelling and Persuasive Storyteller: You possess a talent for crafting narratives that effectively convey ideas and inspire action, especially around subjects you are passionate about.
• A Natural Relationship Builder and Cultivator: You are adept at establishing and nurturing lasting connections with individuals, driven by a genuine understanding of their motivations and values.
• Highly Meticulous and Organized: You demonstrate exceptional organizational skills, possess a keen eye for detail, and exhibit excellent proofreading abilities.
• An Exceptional and Articulate Communicator: You have excellent oral and written communication skills, enabling you to craft high-quality proposals and presentations and explain complex concepts with clarity and intuition.
• An Innovative and Resourceful Thinker: You embrace a mindset of abundance and possibility, bringing relentless curiosity and creativity to every task, project, and engagement.
• An Empathetic and Collaborative Partner: You possess strong emotional intelligence, allowing you to connect with and understand diverse stakeholders, including staff, and foster effective and personable communication across all levels.

What You'll Need

• A minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible experience in a related field, including at least 4 years dedicated to fundraising and development.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage multiple deadlines and assignments with minimal oversight in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional organizational skills and a detailed approach to work, with a proven track record of producing polished deliverables and implementing efficient processes.
• Proven capacity to translate complex and technical information into compelling materials for diverse audiences, with significant experience in writing successful funding proposals.
• A strong visual sensibility and the ability to consistently apply and uphold brand guidelines across all communication materials.
• Superior organizational and cross-functional project management skills, including the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects with varying deadlines, lead project meetings, ensure accountability among team members, and adapt to evolving departmental needs.