Grants Manager

Description

The Grants Manager leads the day-to-day development, writing, coordination, and timely submission of YWCA Delaware's grant proposals, including complex federal and government applications as well as foundation and corporate requests. The role manages the full grant lifecycle from opportunity review through closeout, including the shared development inbox, grant calendar and tracker, application files, post-award requests, reporting, compliance follow-up, and internal coordination. The Grants Manager uses historical materials as a foundation while developing accurate, persuasive, funder-specific proposals that reflect current program design, outcomes, budgets, and requirements. Working with the Chief Development Officer, Finance, and program leadership, the Grants Manager keeps deadlines, approvals, compliance requirements, and funder deliverables on track. The Chief Development Officer leads agency-wide funding strategy, executive funder relationships, and high-level stewardship.

PRIMARY ACCOUNTABILITES (may include, but not limited to):

Accountability/Priority Objectives

Proposal Development Grant Writing and Submission 

• Lead proposal development and submission across the full grant portfolio, including complex federal, state, and local government applications as well as foundation and corporate requests.
• Analyze notices of funding opportunity, requests for proposals, and funder guidelines; summarize eligibility, priorities, evaluation criteria, required attachments, and internal responsibilities.
• Draft clear, persuasive, and funder-specific proposal narratives, letters of inquiry, concept papers, and related application materials using current program information, outcomes, data, and organizational priorities.
• Use historical applications and reusable content as a foundation while substantially tailoring each submission to current requirements, funding priorities, program design, and organizational need.
• Coordinate with program and Finance staff to obtain and reconcile narratives, budgets, outcomes, certifications, data, and supporting documentation.
• Manage portal entry, formatting, attachment assembly, internal approval routing, proofreading, and final quality-control review to ensure complete and compliant submissions.
• Submit approved applications by the required deadline, retain complete submission records and confirmations, and update the grant tracker promptly. 

Grant Administration and Pipeline Management

• Manage the shared development and grants inbox by reviewing incoming messages, identifying required action, routing requests, and tracking items through completion.
• Maintain the master grant tracker, submission calendar, grant management system, and electronic grant files so deadlines, award status, reporting requirements, contacts, and supporting documents remain current.
• Use funding databases, government systems, funder websites, and prospecting tools to research opportunities and monitor notices, amendments, award communications, and reporting requests.
• Monitor public and private funding trends, government and philanthropic priorities, policy changes, and historical award information; prepare concise funding alerts and recommendations for the Chief Development Officer and program leadership.
• Develop submission and reporting workplans, checklists, and internal timelines; send reminders and escalate overdue items or risks to the Chief Development Officer.
• Maintain reusable organizational materials, standard attachments, historical applications, boilerplate language, and funder records for efficient proposal development.

Post Award Administration and Compliance

• Coordinate award acceptance materials, contracts, signatures, payment documentation, and internal post-award notifications.
• Create and maintain award files and reporting schedules that clearly identify deliverables, due dates, approved budgets, performance periods, restrictions, match requirements, and responsible staff.
• Track programmatic and financial reporting requirements and follow up with program and Finance teams to collect complete and timely information.
• Draft and submit funder reports, reimbursement or payment requests, modifications, extensions, and other post-award correspondence after required review and approval.
• Support monitoring visits, audits, desk reviews, and corrective-action requests by organizing records and coordinating responses.
• Flag potential compliance concerns, spending delays, scope changes, missed deliverables, or documentation gaps to the Chief Development Officer and appropriate leadership.

Internal Coordination and Process Improvement

• Serve as the operational point person for grant deadlines, submissions, reporting requests, and document collection across Development, programs, and Finance.
• Provide staff with clear instructions, templates, and technical assistance related to grant requirements, portals, and documentation.
• Prepare grant pipeline, award, deadline, and compliance updates for the Chief Development Officer and leadership.
• Identify recurring bottlenecks and recommend practical improvements to grant workflows, templates, file organization, and internal controls.
• Support funder stewardship by preparing reports, updates, background materials, and follow-up items for the Chief Development Officer.

 Other Duties:

• Attend agency and departmental meetings as needed.
• Represent YWCA Delaware professionally with funders, partners, and community stakeholders.
• Support the efficient use of organizational resources and perform other related duties as assigned.

 Benefits:  We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• 17 PTO days
• 10 sick days
• Wellness Day off
• 35-hour work week
• Hybrid (3 days in office)
• Free garage parking

Requirements

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in public administration, nonprofit management, business, human services, communications, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience developing, writing, coordinating, and submitting grant proposals and managing reporting schedules and post-award requirements.
• Strong administrative and project-management skills, including the ability to manage a high volume of concurrent deadlines and follow-up items.
• Excellent grant writing, editing, proofreading, and document-production skills, with the ability to develop persuasive narratives and follow complex funder instructions and submission requirements.
• Ability to interpret funding guidelines, contracts, budgets, reporting requirements, and compliance documentation.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365, shared mailboxes, spreadsheets, databases, and online grants portals.
• Ability to work collaboratively with program, Finance, Development, and executive staff while maintaining clear accountability for deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with federal, state, or local government grants and familiarity with government submission and reporting systems.
• Knowledge of nonprofit grant compliance, grant accounting, cost allocation, match requirements, and Uniform Guidance principles.
• Experience with a grants management or prospect research platform.
• Experience in a nonprofit, human services, housing, victim services, workforce development, or community-based organization.

Technical and Research Skills

• Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft 365, including SharePoint document libraries, folder architecture, permissions, naming conventions, version history, and collaborative document workflows; Outlook shared mailboxes and calendars; Teams; Word; Excel; and PowerPoint.
• Ability to build and maintain accurate grant trackers and reporting tools in Excel using filters, formulas, data validation, conditional formatting, pivot tables, and other functions appropriate to deadline and portfolio management.
• Proficiency with Adobe Acrobat for creating, editing, combining, compressing, converting, organizing, and reviewing PDF application packages, as well as Adobe Acrobat Sign or comparable electronic-signature platforms for routing, tracking, and retaining approvals and executed documents.
• Experience navigating and troubleshooting online grants and government systems, such as Grants.gov, SAM.gov, federal and state e-grants systems, foundation portals, and other funder-specific platforms.
• Strong digital research skills, including the ability to locate authoritative sources, assess opportunity fit and eligibility, compare current guidance with historical requirements, verify information, and translate findings into clear recommendations
• Ability to use technology to monitor government, foundation, corporate, and philanthropic funding trends and communicate relevant changes, risks, and opportunities to leadership in a timely manner.
• Knowledge of secure document handling, access controls, file naming, version control, records retention, and audit-ready electronic file organization.
• Ability to learn new grant management, CRM, project management, reporting, and collaboration systems quickly and use digital tools responsibly while protecting confidential organizational, participant, and funder information.

Core Competencies

Grant writing and proposal development | Deadline ownership | Administrative follow-through | Compliance awareness | Document and data management | Cross-functional coordination | Sound judgment | Clear communication | Continuous improvement.