Grants & Development Manager

The Road Home Dane County seeks a Grants & Development Manager to lead and grow key resource development activities that support life-changing programs serving families and kids experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity in the greater Madison, WI community.

The Road Home is fortunate to count numerous businesses, foundations, congregations, and groups of other kinds as supporters of our work. As a key part of a four-person Development & Communications team, the Grants & Development Manager will be responsible for cultivating and stewarding involvement from this wide portfolio of supporter entities — fostering diverse, reliable streams of resources and empowering supporters of all types and levels to have a real impact toward ending family homelessness in our community. The role will be attractive to the nonprofit professional who seeks variety in their work and, ideally, a blend between grants program management and fundraising from corporate and other institutional entities.

A passion for helping others and the issues surrounding homelessness, affordable housing, and racial and economic justice are essential for this position. With The Road Home, you’ll find a team that will match and foster growth in those passions.

Evening and weekend work a few times per month may be necessary to host or attend events, presentations, or meetings with stakeholders.

This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position with a full benefits package available.

Benefits

• Full-time, salaried, exempt
• Health and dental benefits
• 401k retirement plan match
• Paid holidays and generous PTO policy
• Two days per week remote work allowed
• Free office parking
• Laptop for office use

Responsibilities and Essential Functions

Grants program management (50%)

The Grants & Development Manager will lead The Road Home’s grants program (annually totaling $250,000–400,000) in collaboration with the Development Director, Executive Director, and Programs leadership. This role will focus primarily on private grant funders while also supporting The Road Home’s work with government and United Way funding sources.

• Devise and execute an annual strategy to pursue and secure private grant funding from various sources, including private foundations, corporate foundations, community foundations, family foundations, and others.
• Act as the agency’s primary grant writer, including drafting, reviewing, and editing all aspects of grant applications.
• Grow and sustain the grants portfolio by securing new funders and renewing current funders.
• Establish and grow professional relationships with key contacts at current and prospective grant funder entities.
• Partner with the Executive Director and Program leadership to identify fundable opportunities and collaborate with the Development Director and Program staff throughout the grant-writing process.
• Lead all reporting and compliance for private grants, and support government/United Way reporting as needed.
• Maintain a reliable and effective grants management system that promotes effective project management and visibility by the Development Director.

Corporate and community engagement (25%)

In partnership with the Development Director, this role will execute a broad engagement program for various donor/supporter entities, including as financial donors, in-kind donors, and volunteers. The list of these entities overlaps with the grants portfolio (above).

• Maintain and grow a portfolio of business donor relationships.
• • Promote and secure sponsorships for the agency’s annual Breakfast fundraiser.
  • Coordinate with the Communications Manager on sponsorship benefits.
  • Cultivate corporate giving other than grants and Breakfast sponsorships.
• Create and execute an annual engagement plan for local faith communities, including presentations, relationship stewardship with key leaders, and facilitation of giving and volunteering.
• Organize all aspects of volunteering, including needs assessment, recruitment, stewardship, and execution of both ad hoc and ongoing volunteer opportunities.
• Act as a go-to contact for civic and volunteerism-based groups – and the community at large – including through presentations and other information sharing.
• Serve as a face of the organization in public, including at events and in support of communications activities such as press coverage.

Development & Communications events and campaigns (25%)

This position will closely collaborate with the rest of the four-person Development & Communications team (Development Director, Communications Manager, Business Manager) – either in a support role or as project leader – for a few major projects in the year that do not fit cleanly in the grants management or organization donor areas.

• Support the overall planning and execution of the Agency’s annual Breakfast fundraising event, including venue and guest logistics, messaging, and promotion.
• Co-lead the annual holiday fundraising campaign with the Development Director, including delivery of holiday gifts to program participants.
• Lead a team of staff from across the agency to plan and execute the agency’s annual participant-facing summer celebration event, including delivery of back-to-school supplies to program participants.

Team participation, support, and leadership

While this position does not manage another staff member, a successful employee in this role should grow to serve as a leader in the department and wider agency, including in supporting the development of principles including philanthropy, ethical fundraising, anti-racism, and a culture of belonging among all stakeholders.

• Participate in team meetings on the department, all-staff, and other levels.
• Participate in greater staff activities, including staff committee work and reasonable involvement in organization-facilitated social opportunities.

Qualifications

• Three or more years of grant writing/management experience required
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills required
• Interest and ability in working both independently and as a part of team required
• Five or more years of nonprofit fundraising or similar experience strongly preferred
• Experience in multi-year relationship-based work with corporate entities strongly preferred
• Proficiency in grants prospecting and management tools preferred
• Experience in engagement with faith-based organizations preferred
• Intermediate proficiency in Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, and various online interfaces preferred
• Strong track record of project management success preferred
• Experience and interest in issues related to homelessness and housing preferred
• People with lived experience of homelessness are encouraged to apply

Working Conditions

Physical Demand

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands, reach with hands and arms, talk, and hear. The employee should be able to work with frequent interruption and sit for long periods of time. The employee should be able to walk, sit, stoop, kneel, crouch, and lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.

Work Environment

This job operates in a professional office environment primarily in Madison, WI. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers/laptops, phones, printers/copiers, and more. This employee may be exposed to a variety of conditions at client sites. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Hours

This is a full-time position. Core hours and workdays are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  

Please note, this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. This job description does not alter the organization’s employment-at-will.

AA/EEO Statement: It is the policy of The Road Home to provide equal employment opportunity to all persons regardless of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, religion, national origin, pregnancy or childbirth, ancestry, physical appearance, income level, source of income, political beliefs, marital, genetic, student, or veteran status.

How to apply

Submit your application, including resume and cover letter, by starting at trhome.org/job-opportunities. For best consideration, apply by December 6, 2026. This position will remain open until filled.