Grant Writer

Who We Are:

Are you ready to work at a dynamic institution that believes in higher education with lower obstacles? Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology (now known as Franklin Cummings Tech) is a nationally accredited non-profit, technical college serving Eastern Massachusetts and beyond. The college was seeded in 1791 with funds from the estate of Benjamin Franklin given to the City of Boston to proliferate access to education and level the playing field for aspiring talent with meager financial means.

Today, Franklin Cummings Tech continues to build on that legacy by offering post-secondary education in high-demand technical and skilled trade fields that lead to excellent careers. Our majors intentionally focus on select industries connected to sustainability and the clean energy transition including electric vehicle technology, smart manufacturing, practical electricity, power engineering, heat pumps/HVAC, biotechnology, automation, construction management, and more.

With a mission to deliver transformative technical and trade education that leads to economic advancement, we offer a unique mix of certificate and degree-granting programs that appeal to enterprising students and respond to employer’s demand for a well-prepared workforce. Intentional partnerships with the industries we serve coupled with high graduation and job placement rates, recently attracted the largest philanthropic gift in the history of the college from the Cummings Foundation.

Last year, Franklin Cummings Tech educated more than 1,000 learners across three student types: 1) certificate and degree seekers, 2) continuing education clients, and 3) high schoolers pursuing early college. As further evidence that our mission holds resonance, this year the college tracked a 25% year-over-year jump in fall new student enrollment and applications soared.

We seek team members who are optimistic, entrepreneurial, data-informed, and excited about the prospect of continuing to strategically increase student success outcomes and total enrollment from 1,000 learners today to at least 1,500 learners by 2030. Join us in this mission-driven work!

Position Summary:

The Grant Writer has the primary responsibility of raising funds for Franklin Cummings Tech priorities from corporations and foundations. They lead this effort by directly engaging with and communicating with grant writing consultants, supporting fundraising activities while working in close alignment with the Deputy Director of Development. In 2021, the college restructured the fundraising team in order fully support the President and Board in reaching the college’s $60M ($47M

has been committed to date) goal for its current comprehensive campaign – Future Forward.

Key Responsibilities:

• Researches, identifies, and cultivates foundation/corporate/federal/state prospects

for projects aligned with College’s strategic priorities and fundraising campaign;

collaborates with senior leadership, faculty, and other key staff/consultants to

identify, articulate, and devise related grant proposals and budgets.

• Works with Deputy Director of Development to schedule meetings (virtual and in-person)

between corporate and foundation leaders, senior leadership at the College; President’s Office to establish and solidify effective working relationships with foundation program officers, government agencies and corporate philanthropy contacts.

• Works closely with the CFO and Deputy Director of Development to ensure adherence to College policies in grant seeking and manages approval processes for all institutional grant proposal submissions; prepares and submits institutional grant proposals and concept papers to secure funding commitment ranging from four to seven figures; serves on program teams for major grant proposal planning, as appropriate; and ensures timely stewardship for corporate and foundation donors, including for endowed funds established by institutional donors.
• Provides recommendations, reports, and data to Deputy Director of Development to help ensure accuracy and revenue goal setting in foundation and corporate support budget planning. Track revenue progress on a quarterly basis. Maintain annual grant calendar.
• Develop and submit federal grant proposals in collaboration with other revenue generating programs and departments for institutional purposes, as appropriate.
• Facilitate communication and planning with program leaders and President’s Office to best develop proposals and assure proactive communication and systems in place upon funding to best steward the grant funding.
• Work alongside staff/faculty to oversee proposal development, editing individual

proposals; and making language and content readily available to the college for use

with other fundraising initiatives.

• Works with Director of Development Operations to ensure the accurate maintenance of grant records in DonorPerfect.

Qualifications:

• At least 4 years of corporate, government and foundation relations/grant writing

experience required, preferably in a higher education setting.

• Demonstrated success in securing grants and gifts up to seven figures.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Computer literacy/research skills, working knowledge of Donor Perfect or similar CRM.
• Proactive and flexible with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and with good judgment, highly effective project management abilities, must be comfortable with quickly shifting deadlines and priorities.