Background

Since 1976, St. Joseph Center has been meeting the needs of low-income and homeless individuals and families in Venice, Santa Monica, Mar Vista, and surrounding communities.  The Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization that assists people without regard for religious affiliation or lack thereof through comprehensive case management and integrated social service programs.  The Center enjoys broad-based community support as well as a sponsored relationship with its founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.  St. Joseph Center serves approximately 6,000 individuals annually.

Brief Description of Principal Activities

Multifaceted intervention, prevention, and education services are carried out at four sites on the Westside of Los Angeles.  St. Joseph Center’s integrated programs provide clients with concentrated and coordinated access to services according to the nature of their needs.

Job Summary

Under the supervision of the Director, Institutional & Annual Giving, the Grant Writer is the role responsible for writing inquiries, letters, and proposals requesting funds to support St. Joseph Center’s varied programs for low-income and homeless men, women, and children. The Grant Writer is also responsible for the tracking and monitoring of assigned proposals and for researching new funding opportunities, including their deadlines, program and financial requirements, and required written reports. In conjunction with these duties the Grant Writer assists with monitoring of program outcomes, particularly as they relate to objectives described in awarded funding. In addition, the Grant Writer provides support as needed for composition and editing of the agency’s internal and external written materials. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The Grant Writer’s key areas of responsibility include: 

Key Areas of Responsibility:

• Private and public funding research
• Proposal and fundraising document preparation
• Private and public proposal administration
• Grant report preparation

Essential Duties:

Private and public funding research

• Researches and identify potential private and public donor organization by reviewing Center files, following-up on leads, reading periodicals and analyzing funding reference tools such as annual reports, foundation directories and IRS 990’s
• Researches trends in homelessness, housing, mental health and social services, government grant making, and private philanthropy
• Develops and maintain a private and public funding opportunities calendar for each year based on research and past funding history; ensures deadlines for renewals and reports are reflected
• Proposal and fundraising document preparation
• Coordinates the grant proposal development process with program, executive, and finance staff
• Works with program managers and senior management to develop programmatic objectives for funding proposals
• Prepares and maintains accurate boilerplate content to leverage for proposals
• Writes and edits grant proposals and reports for private foundation by specified deadlines; assist in writing portions of select public funding proposals and reports
• Assists in generating required financial information, including budgets and financial reports for proposals and reports, in collaboration with program and finance staff

Private and public proposal administration

• Monitors results of written requests, such as funding award rate
• Coordinates the efforts of the President & CEO, Director, Institutional and Annual Giving and other members of the Development & Communications Division to ensure that documents are completed by the specified deadlines
• Maintains accurate electronic and hard copy records of prospective and current private and public institutional donors, including but not limited to: correspondence, proposals, reports and notes on significant phone conversations or site visits
• Works with Donor Relations & Database Specialist to ensure that corporate and foundation gifts are recorded in the organization’s donor relationship management software, Raiser’s Edge
• Enters and maintains notes relating to corporate and private foundation relationships and deadlines into Raiser’s Edge

Grant report preparation

• Gathers and analyzes program results and progress toward specific identified objectives in awarded grants
• Collects quantitative, qualitative, and anecdotal information on outcomes, program activities, client success stories and other relevant information for use in grant reports

Special Projects

• Attends and serves as staff support for volunteer and fundraising events
• Represents St. Joseph Center at relevant community meetings
• Interfaces with board members, contributors and prospects in person and on the phone
• Supports the organization’s commitment to diversity and inclusion
• Adheres to policies and procedures of the organization
• Supervises contractors and consultants, as needed

Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned. The duties and responsibilities listed are designed to provide typical examples of the work performed; not all duties and responsibilities assigned are included here, nor is it expected that all similar positions will be assigned every duty and responsibility.

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Commitment to organizational mission and values: Mission-driven, with a demonstrated passion for low-income, homeless, and disenfranchised individuals and families making progress toward self-sufficiency and the values of the Sisters of Carondelet
• Private and public funder knowledge: is familiar with private foundation proposal cycle; has ability to write compelling, strategic grant proposals and reports; familiarity with how to structure programmatic objectives; understands how to present organization and program budgets to funders
• Stakeholder service-mindset: Provides timeline and professional service to both internal and external stakeholders; is responsive to customer needs and requests; is always courteous to the stakeholder and considers the needs of the stakeholder when making decisions
• Effective communication: Excellent communication skills, both written and oral; demonstrates ability to tailor messages appropriately to various internal and external stakeholders; shares information; actively listens and involves others; conducts self in professional manner
• Interpersonal skills: Changes interpersonal style and approach based in circumstance or audiences; works with all kinds of groups and people; does not judge others
• Delivering high quality work: Makes sure responsibilities central to the role meet all requirements and expectations. Finishes tasks promptly and critically reviews work to ensure quality and accuracy
• Initiative & accountability: Takes action on his/her own without being prompted; handles problems independently and is able to resolve issues without relying on extensive help from others; Holds self accountable for delivering on commitments; owns mistakes and uses them as opportunities for learning and development

Experience:

• A minimum of three (3) years of experience in one or more of the following areas is required: donor relations, fundraising, grant writing, and/or public relations for a non-profit organization
• Previous grant writing experience is required; known track record for writing accurate, compelling narratives

Education:

• A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in English, communications, business, public administration or a related field; a combination of education and experience may be substituted

Direct Reports:

• This position does not have any direct reports.

Computer Skills:

• Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Ability to use widely supported internet browsers

Certificates, Licenses and Registrations:

• Valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions
• Valid automobile liability insurance

Travel Requirements:

• This position requires travel to SJC locations and will also have weekend and evening responsibilities as needed.

Status: Full time/ Non-Exempt

Salary: DOE

Employment with St. Joseph Center is contingent on completion of satisfactory background check.

For consideration, please submit cover letter and resume. St. Joseph Center is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. All applicants for employment are invited to voluntarily self-identify their gender, race, ethnicity, and veteran status, by completing the EEO Information. Providing your EEO Information is voluntary and refusal to self-identify will not subject applicants to any adverse treatment. Similarly, applicants who do self-identify will not be subject to any adverse treatment based on the information they provide.

St. Joseph center invites you to review the current "EEO is The Law" poster as part of the application process. A link to the current poster is located here.

 https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf