Philanthropy Specialist Grants Writing and Partnerships

Philanthropy Specialist, Grants & Partnerships

Join Our Passionate Team at The Brenda Strafford Foundation!

The Brenda Strafford Foundation (BSF) is a strategic philanthropic foundation that invests in bold ideas, trusted partnerships, and evidence-informed solutions to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities. By leveraging its resources, relationships, and leadership, BSF advances innovative, community-based approaches that address complex social challenges, strengthen systems, and create lasting, measurable impact.

BSF advances its mission through strategic investments in healthy aging, children and youth, community health (domestic violence), and global health initiatives. Working alongside community organizations, healthcare providers, researchers, and government partners, the Foundation supports innovative models of care, strengthens community capacity, and accelerates solutions that improve lives.

The Philanthropy Specialist – Grants & Partnerships supports Heart Home Network (HHN), our second-stage women’s shelter, with fundraising efforts with a primary focus on researching, writing, and managing grants from diverse funding sources while providing administrative and operational and administrative support to the Philanthropy team. As part of this team, this role helps secure community support to expand resources for the Heart Home Network and enhance its overall impact.

The Specialist also assists with donor stewardship, financial administration, community engagement initiatives, and organizational events.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Executive Director and Manager to identify funding needs and gather program information.
• Conduct prospect research to identify grant opportunities from corporations, foundations, government, and other agencies.
• Maintain and manage a grants calendar to ensure all proposal and reporting deadlines are met.
• Draft, edit, and submit grant proposals, letters of intent, and related funding documents.
• Support stewardship of current and prospective funders and donors through ongoing, intentional communication.
• Work with Finance and team to collect data and documentation for accurate and timely reporting.
• Lead development of interim and final grant reports, ensuring compliance with deadlines and recognition requirements.
• Monitor funded projects and communicate updates to granting organizations.
• Maintain detailed grant records in Donor Perfect and SharePoint, and provide regular progress updates to the Manager
• Complete monthly financial reconciliations for philanthropy activities in collaboration with the Finance team, ensuring accurate tracking of donations, grants, sponsor ships, and fundraising revenue.
• Process donations and assist with gift acknowledgement, receipting, and donor record management.
• Prepare reports, correspondence, presentations, meeting materials, and other administrative documents to support Philanthropy initiatives.
• Provide administrative support for donor, partner, and volunteer communications, including scheduling meetings, maintaining contact records, and coordinating follow-up activities.
• Support community engagement activities by assisting with outreach initiatives, stakeholder meetings, networking opportunities, and relationship-building efforts.
• Assist in the planning, coordination, and execution of fundraising and community events, including logistics, volunteer coordination, sponsorship support, and some post-event reporting.
• Maintain organized electronic and physical records related to grants, partnerships, events, and donor activities.
• Stay current on grant and fundraising trends.
• Support cross-departmental coordination to enhance awareness and idea sharing.
• Contribute to Philanthropy team initiatives and promote a culture of philanthropy
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

At The Brenda Strafford Foundation, we are more than a workplace—we are a united team. We believe in fostering a culture where you can grow, collaborate, and make a meaningful impact. You'll be part of a team that values empathy, compassion, and innovation.

Qualifications

• College diploma in Business Administration, Marketing, Fundraising, Communications, or a related field, with 3–5 years of relevant experience (or an equivalent combination of education and experience).
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, grant writing, proposal development, and administrative coordination.
• Experience supporting fundraising events, community engagement initiatives, or donor stewardship is considered an asset.
• Proficient in MS Teams and MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook); experience with Donor Perfect or other CRM systems is an asset.
• Experience with financial reconciliation, budget tracking, or donation administration is considered an asset.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects, workback plans, and accurate records.
• Self-directed with the ability to meet deadlines in a…