Senior Associate Public Grants – Minnesota

Who We Are:

Trust for Public Land (TPL) is the leader of a movement to connect everyone in America to the outdoors. A national nonprofit, TPL partners with communities to create high-quality parks and protect public lands—especially in communities that need them most—to improve public health, create social cohesion, strengthen historic and cultural connection to place, and increase climate resilience. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,500 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, generated over $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors.

To learn more, visit tpl.org.

The Senior Associate Public Grants – MN position provides critical program, technical and administrative support in the management of publicly funded grants for Trust for Public Land’s Minnesota/Northwoods office (TPL‑MN/NW). TPL‑MN/NW manages 20‑25 multi‑year public grants (for a total of about $10 – $12 million annually) from State and Federal sources; primary funding sources include Minnesota’s Outdoor Heritage Fund and Minnesota’s Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund.

This position supports the land protection staff, as well as finance staff, by organizing and tracking grant deliverables, budgets, contracts, and reports to ensure proper compliance with the rules associated with these public grants. Additionally, the position is a critical link in delivering TPL’s mission of conserving land for people by utilizing well‑established nonprofit land acquisition techniques and sound business practices, to advance landscape‑scale conservation in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

Public Grant Management: 60%

• Provide support and ensure quality control for grant proposal submission process. Ensure required documents are included with grant submission and appropriately filed in TPL’s electronic filing systems.
• Ensure compliance with grant standards and requirements, lead record‑keeping processes, and routinely monitor grant folders for compliance documentation. Confirm that staff follow the compliance guidelines.
• Ensure new grants and grant amendments are set up in accounting, time‑keeping, and other filing systems. Create and/or maintain internal standardized processes and document for tracking and potential audit review purposes.
• Manage grant reporting requirements, including tracking and compilation of outcomes/deliverables for use in project reports, status updates and final reports. Facilitate, manage and co‑lead engagement with program partners in these tasks.
• Assist as needed with the submission of the acquisition packet to the funder.
• Create and maintain grant calendar. Work with land protection staff and partners, as well as TPL finance staff to create a shared grant calendar; enter key dates for all new and existing grants; and monitor existing grant reporting and other key dates.
• Review reimbursement requests prepared by finance department before submission to the funder to confirm backup documentation and sufficient funding. Work with land protection and finance staff to maintain and update grant budgets and tracking systems.
• Other duties as assigned

Program and Project Support: 20%

• Assist project staff in project research, administration and coordination of non‑negotiating real‑estate functions of project development. Assist with such administrative tasks as drafting letters, memos, and overall help with presentations including preparation of graphic materials and other project‑related graphics work.
• Assist project staff in acquisition closing functions with TPL finance staff as it relates to real‑estate transactions, including coordination with title agents, state & federal grant staff, and private foundations.
• Lead coordination with TPL’s Marketing team in the creation and on‑going maintenance of program and project specific materials.
• Assist land protection staff in land acquisition projects and programmatic initiatives, including project research; landowner outreach; collaboration with local governments, agencies, partners, and community groups.
• Att…