Grants Manager; SG

Sunlight Giving is a private foundation that supports local and national organizations that provide basic services to low-income families with children ages 0-5. Sunlight Giving is part of a family of philanthropic entities collectively referred to as Wildcard Giving. In addition to Sunlight Giving, Wildcard Giving includes two “sister” donor advised funds, Acton Family Giving and Solidarity Giving . Together, they are committed to community through a common set of values, grantmaking practices, and staff.

Wildcard Giving believes in an individual’s right to dignity, agency, justice, and self-determination and its giving works to further civic values, collective responsibility, and our common humanity.

This position will focus primarily on Acton Family Giving and Solidarity Giving. The two donor advised funds have a yearly grantmaking budget of $25M, which is distributed through approximately 300 grants. The Grants Manager is responsible for grant-related administration and management. They design, implement, and monitor workflow processes and procedures for grantmaking, including the application, review, grants meeting, and award activities for the entities.

The Grants Manager is also involved in the initial screening of potential grantees and monitoring ongoing grants. The Grants Manager works closely with grantees, staff, board members, and outside vendors to ensure the smooth operation of the donor advised funds. As a critical member of the Wildcard Giving team, attendance in our office is an essential function of this job.

Grants Management

• Coordinate grantmaking tasks between program staff, administrative staff, and vendors so that grantmaking activities are smoothly implemented;
• With program staff, track grants budget including future scheduled payments;
• Maintain calendars and timeline for grantmaking cycles, including meeting schedules, application submission deadlines, and internal deadlines;
• Prepare and copy edit meeting materials in collaboration with program staff including grant-level summaries, budgets, memos, and/or other materials. Compile all grant materials in accordance with grantmaking policies and procedures and within deadlines set forth by the Senior Grants Manager;
• Provide technical support to applicants, collect grantee feedback, make recommendations and implement changes as needed to ensure a smooth and accessible application process;
• Maintain grant records in the database, including tracking applications and grantee payments;
• Ensure operations, grantmaking policies and procedures are followed by staff, grantees, and applicants;
• Support strategic planning activities which may include collating historical grants data, and responding to other data and/or information needs;
• Participate in Grants Management team meetings and professional development opportunities to stay up-to-date on developments in the field and compliance requirements;
• Participate in Wildcard Giving activities to build cohesive, collegial culture and encourage cross-organizational learning; and
• Undertake special projects as assigned or initiated.

Program Support

• Maintain a thorough knowledge of the priorities and grantee selection criteria for all assigned programs;
• Serve as primary point of contact for assigned grantees via phone or email request, escalating as needed to program staff;
• Serve as first point of contact in compiling, reviewing and responding to letters of inquiry and unsolicited grant requests. In partnership with program staff, request additional information from organizations, if necessary, to complete a review; and communicate decisions and decision rationale to grant seekers orally and/or in writing;
• Conduct due diligence (gathering background information, history, organizational data) on potential and prospective grantees to inform the review process and ensure the eligibility of prospective grantees in the early phase of consideration; and
• Remain abreast of current research, activities, and trends in philanthropy by reviewing professional publications, and attending related conferences, meetings, and other events and report findings back to team.

Administration

• Coordinate communication among…