Grant Writer

Position Title: Grant Writer

Time Commitment: 35 hour work week at minimum

Reports To: Client Services Manager

Core Work Hours: Spark Point’s core working hours are Monday through Friday from 10AM to 6PM EST, with client-facing meetings occurring, primarily, Tuesdays through Thursdays. Staff are permitted to work remotely at their discretion as long as they consult with their supervisor in advance. Staff are permitted one hour daily for lunch.

Overview: Spark Point Fundraising is a boutique consulting firm that has a strong reputation of building powerful relationships with clients, being responsive and flexible in meeting their needs, and providing thoughtful and strategic guidance on their fundraising efforts.

Job Responsibilities

The role of Grant Writer is responsible for 1) producing well-written, story-focused, compelling grant proposals and reports for nonprofit clients (75%); 2) building and maintaining strong, supportive, and responsive relationships with clients that make them feel like Spark Point is an indispensable part of their team (15%); and 3) contributing to internal company initiatives and projects as needed(10%). They must be able to function in a mission-driven environment, poised, detail-oriented, adept at managing logistically challenging situations, and able to operate with a problem-solving mindset.

Other Responsibilities:

• Supporting your colleagues when needed.
• Attending and taking concise (yet comprehensive) notes in biweekly client meetings.
• Accurately and efficiently completing action items from client meetings via the company project management system, Asana.
• Working with and consulting with internal client teams to ensure all project deadlines are tracked and met.
• Tracking highly detailed, client-specific information into Asana (example: when grants are won, the funder documents, the amount, the terms, the subsequent reporting deadlines, etc.).
• Using excellent project management and coordination skills to meet or beat all deadlines for client deliverables (including grant proposals, reports, letters of inquiry, concept papers, etc.) including ensuring that all budgets, attachments, and other documentation are prepared along with the proposal or other narrative document as required by the potential funder.
• Protecting and maintaining Spark Point Fundraising’s brand and reputation by maintaining the highest professional standards of performance, ethics, and integrity.
• Seeking out and pursuing opportunities for professional growth and development.
• Travel: Spark Point gathers annually for a week-long, in-person staff retreat in the fall. There may be other brief trips required for company celebrations or conferences, but no more than 1-2 brief trips outside of the retreat annually.

Required Skills and Experience

• Nonprofit Sector – The person in this position will ideally have 1-2 years of experience in the nonprofit sector (staff, consultant, or volunteer) or equivalent experience in the private sector. Candidates without direct experience may still apply, but must be able to articulate their interest in the nonprofit sector.
• Grant Writing – Ideally, the person in this position has managed the development of at least 12 successful grant proposals in the past 12 months, or comparable previous experience. This position is 85% grant and report writing, so to be successful the person in this position has to both be good at and enjoy grant writing. Other applicants with strong writing backgrounds – in journalism, marketing, communications, creative writing, etc. – are encouraged to apply.
• Client Relations – The person in this position must understand and follow the basic tenets of client relationship management and professional services delivery.
• Communication – The person in this position must be able to effectively (meaning without ambiguity or animosity) communicate with colleagues, clients, and others in a direct and respectful manner and must prioritize direct communication as the most effective means of conveying meaning. In other words, say what you mean and mean what you say.
• Creative Problem Solving – Being a client-facing service provider, the person in this position must be able to provide creative and helpful solutions to problems with the ultimate goal of achieving the highest possible level of client satisfaction.
• Ingenuity – The person in this position must have experience with creating, designing, or otherwise coming up with a new idea, creating a plan for executing on the idea, and completing the execution of said plan.
• A Commitment to Ending Racism – Our commitment to equity is not superficial. Spark Point, like many organizations, is on a journey to eliminate racism and white supremacy from its operations. If this resonates with you then you are a good fit for this position.

Spark Point Fundraising is a boutique consulting firm that fights for equity. We work with clients in health care, human services, workforce development, advocacy, the arts, and other critical issue areas that help our neighbors and communities thrive. We provide outsourced foundation relations services (that’s where you come in) and fundraising strategy development to nonprofits that are changing the world. As a team, we are rooted in the values of kindness, compassion, respect, and integrity. We believe in equity. As such, a commitment to racial justice and anti-racism are central to our approach to client service.

Spark Point Fundraising is a woman-owned firm. Our team includes people of different ages, races, and sexual orientations. We are committed to building a team that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve, and we actively encourage people of diverse backgrounds to apply for this position. We recognize that nonprofit fundraising, as a field, is predominantly white, and that many structural barriers limit opportunity for people of color. As a part of our commitment to racial justice, we strongly encourage candidates with skills, talent, and drive to apply, even if your experience does not match the ideal candidate description listed here. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

Spark Point Fundraising LLC provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Spark Point Fundraising LLC also complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in Washington, DC.

Compensation and Benefits Package

In addition to financial compensation, Spark Point will offer the following additional benefits:

• Health Insurance (Aetna) - 100% employer-sponsored for the employee (depending on plan selection). Other health benefits include options for HSA, FSA, Vision, One Medical, Health Advocate, Talkspace, Teladoc, and discounts for Peloton and Kindbody.
• 401K – Standard: 100% match of the first 3% and 50% match of the next 2%.
• Paid Time Off - 15 days (days earned increases at the 3 and 5 year marks). We have separate leave policies for sick leave, jury duty, and bereavement.
• Holidays - 12 Federal holidays, 3 floating holidays, and the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
• Professional development - $750 per year to pay for conferences, seminars, or other professional development opportunities.
• Equipment - $1,000 one-time allowance for equipment purchases including computer, monitors, keyboard, mouse, etc. in the first year of employment, and $300 annually after that.
• Telecom Allowance - $1,000 per year to cover the cost of phone and internet usage.
• Flexibility – Spark Point values work-life balance and flexibility in work environments, so you will be able to work at the times, locations, and pace that work best for you, provided that all deadlines are met, all client meetings proceed appropriately, progress is being made toward KPIs, and you attend any meetings that the CEO requires everyone to attend. Our team is fully remote.