Director, Grants Program

Daniels Fund
The Daniels Fund, established by cable television pioneer Bill Daniels, is a private charitable foundation dedicated to making life better for the people of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming through its grants program, scholarship program, and ethics initiative.

The Daniels Fund strives to ensure its work reflects Bill Daniels’ written directives, values, and unmistakable style. Bill was a patriotic American who served our country in two wars. He was a capitalist who loved our free enterprise system and was well known for his generosity to people from all walks of life. Guided by his compassion, Bill transferred his $1 billion estate to form the assets of the Daniels Fund to carry forward his legacy of giving.

Since its founding, the Daniels Fund has become a permanent fixture in the communities it serves and continues to make significant and lasting impact. The Daniels Fund has been named one of the “Best Places to Work” by the Denver Business Journal and Inc. Magazine reflecting its dedication to creating an atmosphere where associates thrive, grow, and contribute in a meaningful way.

To learn more about the Daniels Fund and its impact to date, please visit (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..org

The Director, Grants Program will serve as a pivotal leader in shaping and elevating the Daniels Fund’s grantmaking. This leader will oversee the full grantmaking lifecycle, from application and evaluation through reporting, compliance, and continuous improvement. The role carries significant responsibility for stewarding financial resources, strengthening grantee partnerships, and ensuring every aspect of the program reflects Bill Daniels’ values and donor intent.

The Director will drive measurable impact and return on investment, bringing rigor, innovation, and strategic clarity to the grants function.

As the leader of a talented team of Grants Program Officers, the Director will foster collaboration, develop talent, and cultivate a culture of urgency, agility, and operational excellence. This is an opportunity for a strategic operator and natural leader to build systems that work, refine processes that elevate performance, and guide a team committed to helping people in need of a helping hand.

The Daniels Fund is one of the largest private foundations in the region and makes grants in eight funding areas:
Aging, Amateur Sports, Disabilities, Drug & Alcohol Addiction, Early Childhood Education, K-12 Education Reform, Homeless & Disadvantaged, and Youth Development. Grants are made throughout Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

This unique opportunity provides high levels of autonomy, a dynamic work environment, and the chance to make life better for the people in our four-state region while honoring Bill Daniels’ incredible legacy.

This is a full-time, in-person role based in Denver, CO, reporting to the Senior Vice President, Grants Program.

To execute Bill Daniels’ donor intent, the Director, Grants Program will:

• Oversee all operational components of the grants program, including application intake, evaluation processes, reporting, approval, compliance, and special initiatives.
• Uphold and advance the Fund’s mission by ensuring that all grantmaking approaches reflect Bill Daniels’ values, integrity, principles, and his commitment to individuals in need of a helping hand.
• Develop strategy and set goals for a best-in-class grants management function in collaboration with senior leadership.
• Champion a culture of urgency, agility, and innovation to elevate grants management performance across the institution.
• Support Grants Program Officers in assessing proposals and identifying opportunities that represent the strongest potential for impact.
• Directly manage one or more grant funding areas and/or geographies.
• Prepare and deliver high-quality materials and presentations for the board of directors as needed.
• Strengthen operational rigor and efficiency through the adoption of data‑informed practices, with emphasis on outcomes, measurement, and return on investment.
• Partner closely with legal and finance teams to ensure regulatory compliance, adherence to institutional policies, and strong…