Grant Writer sought for The HistoryMakers, an African American national nonprofit organization. This position is primarily responsible for identifying prospects and securing grants from foundations, corporations and government agencies. The position is also responsible for managing corporate, government and foundation relationships for long-term growth, including appropriate stewardship activities.
This individual must demonstrate a commitment to the mission of The HistoryMakers and the ability to function well in a mission-oriented organization with a sense of urgency and ethics. This individual must also be able to work effectively with the Executive Director.
This person will:
Raise $1,000,000 in funding on an annual basis
Develop solicitation strategies that meet this fundraising goal
Develop an excellent understanding of the organization, its programs, goals, and clientele, and be able to articulate these in a compelling manner to donor prospects
Develop and maintain an Excel project tracking report for timely submission of documents and follow-up activities
Coordinate site visits and conference calls involving the Executive Director, Board members or other personnel from The HistoryMakers including writing briefing summaries with suggested highlights
Represent The HistoryMakers at all times professionally and adhere to The HistoryMakers confidentiality and ethics policies
Research, write, and submit proposals on a timely basis to appropriate funding sources as well as prepare all follow up reports
Work 50-60 hours per week out of The HistoryMakers’ office
Required Skills & Attributes
Bachelor’s degree from a U.S. college or university required
Two to four years’ experience in development or a comparable field preferred
Previous non-profit experience preferred; experience in corporate development, marketing, or research also a plus with prior experience with NEH, NSF and IMLS grants preferred
Excellent writing and organizational skills and the ability to do budgets
Ability to research new and existing potential funding sources using available public information
Ability to plan, organize and manage a range of activities that involve extensive coordination with individuals in and outside of the organization
Ability to work independently
Ability to adjust to flexibility in work routine
Excellent business communication and presentation skills, both written and oral
Ability to work under pressure, with superior “client service” instincts and skills
Computer Skills
MS Office (Word, Access, Excel)
The HistoryMakers is a growing and dynamic 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating an unprecedented national video oral history archival institution recording the stories of both well known and unsung African American HistoryMakers. The goal is to record at least 5,000 oral history interviews and to expose this material to the public through strategic media, technology, academic and community partnerships. For a look at our current projects visit www.thehistorymakers.com. Our Digital Archive with 310 interviews is housed at http://www.thehistorymakers.com/digital-archive.
How to apply
Please send resumes to:
The HistoryMakers
c/o Julieanna Richardson
1900 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60616