Director of Grants

Director Of Grants

More Than Words (MTW) is a social enterprise that empowers youth, ages 16-24, who are in the foster care system, court involved, homeless, or out of school to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business. By working as a team to manage their own retail and online used book business and community space, youth develop the employment skills, leadership, and self-confidence they need to successfully transition to adulthood.

The Opportunity

The Director of Grants will lead More Than Words in engaging foundation/corporate partners and acquiring and managing government grants and contracts. This position is responsible for approximately $5.5M in revenue across these two funding streams in FY 2027 and meeting annual goals for growth of revenue. A position with a mix of hands-on and leadership responsibilities, the Director will be the organization's lead grant writer, taking direct ownership of organizing and drafting new or complex proposals, and will lead engagement, cultivation, and prospecting for corporate and foundation stakeholders.

The Director will supervise the Grants & Giving Manager who maintains the grants calendar and supports drafting and submitting routine proposals and reports. The Director will also supervise the Senior Government Contracts Manager who manages fee-for-service government contracts and routine government contracting and reporting. This role reports to the Chief Advancement Officer and works closely with CEO as well as the evaluation and finance teams.

Key responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to:

• Manages grant proposals and reporting process for approximately 60 philanthropic funders (contributing $2.4M) and 15 government contracts (totaling $3M+) annually, including reviewing and approving all submissions, collaborating with Finance Department to create relevant budgets and reports, and submitting applications.
• Personally drafts complex, new, or nuanced proposals and reports, and collaborates with internal leaders to gather necessary information and buy-in.
• Supervises Grants & Giving Manager who manages the grants calendar of foundation, corporation, and government grants and reports, drafts proposals and reports, and also supports the donation processing functions for the department. Supports the Grants & Giving Manager to ensure an accurate calendar of grants, complete of grant agreements and other documents, and maintain library of grant support documents including resumes, bios, IRS forms, Board/staff diversity lists, etc.
• Develops and maintains nuanced knowledge of organization's programs, goals, partnerships, and new initiatives/needs by attending meetings, talking to staff, and observing programming, to inform proposals and creatively identify fit for varied grant opportunities.
• Proactively communicates with finance team to manage use of funds, including time or purpose restrictions, spend downs, etc.

• Supervises Senior Government Contracts Manager who manages government contract invoicing, paperwork, youth enrollments, database management, fee-for-service reporting, etc.
• Develops and maintains detailed knowledge of all MTW contracts (currently ~15 annually) to support the Senior Manager and ensure redundancy/coverage. Regularly reviews invoicing and audits files to ensure compliance on government contracts and attends annual audit meetings with state agencies.
• Manages relationships with government funders and identifies opportunities for new grants.
• Collaborates with Chief Financial Officer and Director of Administration to ensure financial reporting is completed and submitted and with evaluation team to ensure data reporting is accurate and complete.

• Manages foundation and corporation relationships and cultivation, including outreach and connections, maintenance of a cultivation calendar and plan for proactive touchpoints, meetings and phone calls with funders, and follow-up. Organizes and supports visits, tours, and presentations, and occasionally attends funder events.
• Makes connections to internal departments and tracks follow-through to involve corporate and foundation partners in book drives, event rentals,…