Grants Officer

Description

Join Us in the Fight Against Hunger!

At the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, we believe in a future where no one goes hungry. Our mission is simple but powerful: Nourish people. Build solutions. Connect communities.

We’re looking for passionate, dedicated people to bring their talents to an organization where every role makes a real difference. Guided by our values - Integrity, Compassion, Dedication, Teamwork, and Fun - we work hard, support one another, and celebrate the impact we create together.

If you’re ready to put purpose at the center of your career, we’d love to have you on our team!

Position Summary 

The Grants Officer is responsible for securing grants from public and private grantmaking organizations to support the mission of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. Serving as both grant writer and grant manager, the Grants Officer manages all pre- and post-award activities for grant makers within a defined portfolio. The position coordinates with members of various Food Bank departments to cultivate and steward positive relationships with grant funders, develop compelling grant proposals, monitor grant activities and spending, and create thorough programmatic and financial follow-up reports for grant-funded activities.  

Primary Responsibilities  

(80%) Fundraising 

• Build and manage a portfolio of 60 – 75 grantmaking donors, moving existing and prospective funders through the grantmaking lifecycle from identification, research/qualification, cultivation, proposal development and solicitation, and stewardship and reporting. 
• Develop and write funding proposals ranging from $10,000 - $100,000 or more based on Food Bank priorities, potential funder giving range, grants history, and giving interest(s), with key focus areas to include branch-specific funding opportunities and/or branch-based funders in two or more of our six branch regions. 
• Collaborate with corporate and grants team, communications team, branch and program staff, and executive management team to execute appropriate cultivation or stewardship activities for new and existing grant funders, including site visits, building tours, presentations, newsletter/article sharing, etc. 
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date moves management information in donor database for a portfolio of grant funders, including funding cycles, relevant deadlines, funding priorities, and communications.  
• Provide support as needed to branch events as opportunities to steward local grant maker partnerships. 
• Assist with budget projections and revenue tracking throughout the year based on portfolio. 

(20%) Grants Management 

• Oversee post-award management of grants in defined portfolio by coordinating with program staff leads, Grants Accountant, and Communications team to ensure proper documentation of grant deliverables, required acknowledgments, and accurate and thorough expenditure and narrative reporting for grant-funded activities. 
• Attend regular meetings with program staff lead(s) and finance team to review all grant spend-down reports, assess program grant compliance, and monitor grant deliverables and proactively share any changes with grant funders as needed. 
• Oversee the organization, preparation, and signing of all necessary contracts, MOUs, and/or agreements required of grant awards. 

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature of the work being performed by people assigned to this job.  They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. 

Requirements

Minimum Requirements  

• Bachelor’s degree required, fundraising or grant writing training/certifications preferred; 
• At least two years of proposal writing or grant management experience; 
• Excellent writing and editing skills (a writing sample may be required); 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products with working knowledge of online grant platforms, prospect research tools, and donor database systems;
• Must believe in and be able to communicate the mission and neighbor-centered approach of the Food Bank. 

Contacts 

• Regular contact with corporate and grants team and other fundraising team colleagues, operations and program staff, finance team, communications staff, and organizational leadership; 
• Relationship management and direct contact with portfolio of grantmaking donors and prospects; and 
• Occasional contact with partner agencies for capacity-building assistance and training or mentoring. 

Physical Demands 

While performing the essential functions of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, and interact without deliberate impediment (e.g., wearing or listening to headphones, etc.).  The employee is often required to sit and use their hands and fingers to handle or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with arms and hands, climb, balance, lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, and to stoop, crouch, or crawl. The vision abilities required by this job include close vision. 

These physical demands are representative of the physical requirements necessary for an employee to perform the essential functions of the job successfully. Reasonable accommodation can be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the described essential functions. 

Work Environment 

• While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is required to work in an office setting. 
• Frequently, the employee will be required to drive an automobile. 
• The employee will be required to interact with Food Bank personnel in the warehouse(s). In doing so, the employee will occasionally be exposed to moving mechanical parts and vehicles. 
• The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate. 

While performing the responsibilities of the job, these work environment characteristics are representative of the environment the job holder will encounter. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the described essential functions. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature of the work being performed by people assigned to this job.  They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all essential functions and skills required of personnel so classified. 

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an equal opportunity employer.  We do not regard race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy, marital status, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or any protected class characteristic when seeking to hire.  This practice, in addition to hiring, applies to our recruiting, training, transfers, promotions, job benefits, pay, dismissal practices, social and recreational activities, and any other term or condition of employment.

We care about our employees, our candidates, and our community. As such, please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Benefits For You

We help YOU thrive. As a mission-based organization, we believe our team needs great support to help deliver on our work to Nourish People, Build Solutions, and Connect Communities. Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• Medical, Dental and Vision Plans  
• Health Spending Accounts + Employer Contributions  
• Flexible Spending Accounts  
• Paid Time off: including Holidays, Personal, Vacation, and Sick Time  
• 403(b) with 5% Match after 90 days  
• Paid Parental Leave  
• Employee Assistance Program  
• 100% Employer paid STD and LTD Insurance  
• 100% Employer paid Group Life Insurance  
• Voluntary benefits including Accident and Critical Illness