83 Jobs

Grants Manager

Classification Exempt Type Full-time Department Corporate & Donor Relations Reports to Chief Corporate & Donor

Relations Officer Date July 2026

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Summary/Objective

The Grants Strategy & Operations Manager provides leadership and coordination for Valley

of the Sun United Way’s institutional funding portfolio, including corporate, foundation, and

government grants. This position manages the full grant lifecycle from prospect

identification through proposal development, award management, compliance reporting,

stewardship, renewal planning, and closeout. The role serves as the central coordinator of

grant-related activities across departments and ensures strong systems, accountability, and

visibility into funding opportunities and obligations.

Essential Functions Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to

perform the essential functions.

Grants Strategy & Portfolio Management

• Manage a strategic funding portfolio including prospects, applications, awards,

reports, renewals, and stewardship opportunities.

Conduct proactive prospect research to identify new corporate, foundation, and

government funding opportunities.

• Develop and maintain funder profiles, including funding history, giving priorities,

decision-makers, relationships, and engagement strategies.

• Monitor philanthropic, corporate, and government funding trends and recommend

new opportunities aligned with organizational priorities.

• Evaluate opportunities based on strategic fit, revenue potential, competitiveness,

and organizational capacity.

• Support annual revenue planning and forecasting.

Proposal Development & Submission

• Lead development of grant proposals, LOIs, concept papers, reports, and

applications.

• Coordinate cross-functional proposal development and quality review.

• Research and analyze data to strengthen funding requests.

Grant Administration & Compliance

• Manage post-award administration, reporting schedules, compliance requirements,

and grant closeout.

• Coordinate narrative, financial, and outcome reporting.

• Identify and mitigate compliance and reporting risks.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Serve as primary internal coordinator for grant activity.

• Develop work plans, timelines, reviews, and approval workflows.

• Maintain productive relationships with funders and stakeholders.

Operations & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain grants calendar, pipeline tracking, CRM records, and reporting systems.

• Maintain institutional donor intelligence within CRM systems, including funder

profiles, relationship mapping, and engagement history.

• Produce prospect research briefs and funding landscape analyses to support

cultivation and solicitation strategies.

• Build templates, SOPs, content libraries, and workflow tools.

• Produce portfolio reports, dashboards, and leadership updates.

Required Education & Experience A combination of education or relevant experience may be considered in lieu of degree

requirements.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent directly relevant experience.

• Minimum five years of progressively responsible experience in grant development,

institutional fundraising, grant administration, proposal development, or related

nonprofit revenue functions.

• Experience with CRM systems, project management tools, budgeting, reporting, and

Microsoft 365.

Organizational Competencies Competency Key Actions Accountability Other terms: Dependability

• Reliably delivers on commitments with quality and timeliness.

• Shows others they can be trusted to do what they say they’ll do.

• Takes responsibility for the outcomes of their actions and decisions.

Adaptability Other terms: Flexibility

• Adapts to changing business needs, environments, priorities, and organizational needs.

• Able to effectively deal with change and diverse people.

• Open to different and new ways of doing things and willing to modify one’s preferred way of doing things.

Influence Other terms: Compassion

• Influences others to be excited and committed to furthering the organization’s objectives.

• Ability to gain others’ support for ideas, proposals, and solutions.

• Promotes the creation of shared mission, vision, and values, and uses those principles to guide actions.

Quality/Attention to Detail Other terms: Continuous Improvement

• Sets and maintains high quality performance standards.

• Identifies opportunities, continually plans for change, and monitors implementation.

• Pays close attention to details and completeness of work.

Teamwork
• Promotes cooperation and commitment within a team to achieve goals and deliverables.

• Able and willing to share and receive information.

• Cooperates and supports group decisions and puts group goals ahead of own goals.

Position Competencies and Key Actions Competency Key Actions Strategic Thinking
• Connects grant strategy to

organizational priorities, revenue goals, and community impact.

• Evaluates opportunities based on alignment, competitiveness, and capacity.

• Anticipates funding trends and recommends practical next steps.

Project Management
• Plans and manages timelines, deliverables, approvals, and reporting requirements.

• Coordinates multiple proposals, reports, and funding obligations at the same time.

• Maintains accurate tools, calendars, and systems to support timely execution.

Communication
• Expresses complex program, financial, and outcome information clearly.

• Develops persuasive written materials for funders and internal stakeholders.

• Listens to others and communicates in an effective manner.

Functional Leadership
• Serves as a knowledgeable resource for grant strategy, administration, and compliance.

• Guides cross-functional teams through proposal development and reporting processes.

• Promotes consistent standards, accountability, and follow-through.

Planning and Organizing
• Plans and organizes tasks and work responsibilities to achieve objectives.

• Sets priorities and schedules activities.

• Allocates and uses resources properly.

Relationship Building
• Builds constructive working relationships characterized by cooperation and mutual respect.

• Maintains an open, approachable manner and treats others fairly and respectfully.

• Supports productive relationships with internal teams, funders, and community partners.

Risk Management
• Identifies potential compliance, reporting, or timeline risks early.

• Escalates concerns appropriately and supports timely resolution.

• Maintains documentation to reduce organizational risk.

Continuous Improvement
• Builds and improves templates, workflows, tools, and standard operating procedures.

• Looks for ways to make grant processes clearer, more consistent, and more efficient.

• Uses feedback and data to improve future proposals, reports, and systems.

Other Duties This job description is not designed to cover every activity, duty, or responsibility required

of the employee. Responsibilities may change as organizational needs evolve.