Life Span is a national leader in the provision of services to victims of violence staffed by graduate degree holding professionals who provide free services to 4,000 clients annually. Our comprehensive services include legal advocacy and representation, counseling for survivors, children and teens, a 24-hour crisis line, and special projects whose innovation is nationally known. Our work encompasses such issues as police domestic violence, immigration, employment issues, sexual assault protective orders, mental health, teen dating violence, and battered women as defendants. Our agency has sites in Des Plaines, the Loop, and in several court houses. Our multilingual staff provides services in English, Spanish, Arabic and Polish . Life Span provides national leadership in policy work, legislation, and trains lawyers and other professionals in Illinois and across the country.
The Grants Manager is responsible for coordinating the entire life cycle of agency grants, including grant research, writing, submission, reporting and tracking of individual donors, corporations, foundations, and government grants; as well as donor relationship development. Life Span's annual budget is $2 million.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
- Develop and write grant proposals persuasively communicating Life Span's mission and programs to potential funders;
- Conduct prospect research to broaden our private foundation support including the cultivation and stewardship processes of institutional donors and prospects;
- Implement a plan to significantly increase Life Span's portfolio of individual donors through active prospect research and effectively cultivate and build a portfolio major donors and prospects; leverage appropriate senior staff members' time in cultivating high-potential donors and prospects;
- Prioritize projects to keep multiple projects moving in a timely manner, meet deadlines and manage supplemental material required for proposals;
- Collaborate with the Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director, and Program Directors to collect accurate and current program information and data for use in proposals and reports;
- Supervise development staff to:
- Assemble and submit grant requests, including letters, proposals, budgets, and presentations;
- Monitor progress of grants and ensure timely completion of reports and other stewardship activities;
- Manage correspondence with individual and major donors, including gift recognition and acknowledgement;
- Assist with other fundraising projects, special events and grant compliance as needed;
- Pursue professional development opportunities. Maintain required job knowledge and skills and core professional competencies. Actively participate in required educational programs and staff meetings.
Profile: Life Span seeks a talented, creative, dynamic, and committed person who will help our agency extend its foundation and individual donor support. Candidates must have a measurable record of accomplishment in grant funding, including expansion of non-governmental funding base of a private non-profit organization. The successful candidate will be a self-starter who is flexible and has the ability to thrive in a dynamic environment where the ability to work with others as a team, and a commitment to our mission is critical to success.
Additional qualifications include:
- Understanding of domestic and sexual assault services and the Chicago service community, including an ability to think critically on public policy and issues related to domestic violence and sexual assault;
- Demonstrated commitment to domestic and sexual violence issues and Life Span's mission and vision;
- Excellent writing, analytical, and research skills;
- Ability to attend to details and organize a complex grant writing and reporting schedule;
- Minimum of five years grant writing experience;
- Bachelor's degree; A certificate in Fundraising Management is an asset;
- Experience using online databases and other sources to locate biographical, financial, and philanthropic information;
- High level of computer literacy required, familiarity with Donor Perfect and other fundraising databases a plus;
- A solid understanding of budgets as they relate to proposals and grants;
- Flexibility in schedule, including evening or weekend work;
- Must have a car, current insurance, and valid driver's license
How to apply
Please send cover letter, resume and writing sample to:Denice Wolf Markham, Executive Director,dmarkham@life-span.org. No telephone calls.
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