Grants Manager  

Status: Full Time 

Reports to: Vice President of Development 

Submit all inquiries and applications to: aluttrell@forestforward.org

Forest Forward is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that partners with the community to drive equitable development, economic mobility, and improve outcomes for children, residents, and families of the South Dallas community. Forest Forward launched in 2021 and has experienced a wonderful period of growth and impact. 

Forest Forward is searching for a driven, passionate Grants Manager to assist the development team in securing funding for Forest Forward Operations and Programs funding pipeline, the Forest Theater Capital Campaign, the Forest Forward Housing Capital Campaign and all additional funding needs. 

This mid-level position demands outstanding organization and written communications skills. Candidates should have several years’ experience in fundraising, with a focus on writing foundation and corporate-giving proposals, applications, and reports. Successful applicants for Grants Manager will be detail-oriented team players with senses of humor and strong ethical centers. Most importantly, they will exhibit passion for making positive changes in the community. The ideal candidate will have a record of successfully obtaining corporate and foundation funding, will be familiar with the major local, state, and national foundations and will be detail-oriented and able to meet deadlines and work with programs and finance to obtain fresh and pertinent information for applications and reporting. The position affords the applicant with mentorship and growth pathways alongside seasoned development professionals, and most important, the chance to create opportunities for people in South Dallas. 

Responsibilities: 

• Establish and maintain a calendar of deadlines for the submission of grants and for the timely reporting on impact of grants received. 
• Work with the development team to identify new funders and maintain strong positive relationships with existing funders. 
• Assess funder prospects based on past giving to determine appropriate ask amounts and their giving potential. 
• Develop individual grant proposals in accordance with each funder’s preferences and follow each funder’s grant guidelines. Maintain contact with each funder, where appropriate, during their review process to provide additional material or information requested by the funder. 
• Develop and maintain effective, long-term working relationships with funders through stewardship activities that include post award reporting and regular written updates. Track and report impact and outcomes relevant to the funder and their specific grant(s). 
• Maintain current and accurate grant records in the donor management database and organization shared drive. 
• Work with finance to gather information necessary to report to funders on current grant programs. 
• Maintain a repository of stories and quotes, refreshed consistently to reflect the growth of Forest Forward’s initiatives. 
• Assist with other fundraising projects as requested including fundraising events. 
• Other duties as assigned. 

Knowledge and Skills: 

• Proven track record raising through foundation and corporate giving entities. 
• Experience with complex proposal writing for institutional donors. 
• Strong written communication skills: ability to write clear, structured, articulate, and persuasive proposals. 
• Strong editing skills. 
• Attention to detail and proven ability to meet deadlines. 
• Knowledge of fundraising information sources. 
• Knowledge of fundraising techniques and strategies. 
• Knowledge and familiarity with research techniques for fundraising prospect research. 
• Strong contributor in team environments. 

Skills and Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree or related experience. 
• 3+ years of experience sourcing, creating applications and managing grants. 
• Experience with Network for Good or a similar donor database system. 
• Proficient with MS Office and Dropbox. Knowledge of Monday.com a plus. 
• Excellent communicator in written and verbal form. 
• Versatile and dedicated to efficient productivity. 

Additional Information 

This position will require evening and weekend work for 20% of the calendar year, in conjunction with major performances and other special events. As we aim to balance the benefits of in-office collaboration with the flexibility of remote work, the schedule for this position will entail working in the office from Monday-Thursday, Fridays designated for remote work from home. 

Forest Forward provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. 

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.