Grants Officer-13-040- SC/ El Centro

Mission Statement

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

Position Summary

The Grants Officer is responsible for raising approximately $1 Million from local foundations to support the work of The Salvation Army. The Department is responsible for cultivating, soliciting, processing, and reporting foundation donations and government contracts.

Essential Functions

The Grants Officer (GO) is a clear and persuasive communicator in speech and writing with a firm commitment to the mission and principles of The Salvation Army, capable of translating The Salvation Army's programs and community needs into compelling narratives for foundations solicitation. The GO performs a vital role for El Centro Corps handling all the grant writing workload entailed in the pursuit of pre-existing grant opportunities a year, and assisting the Corps Officer in developing strong concepts for the solicitation of new opportunities. The GO also applies a thorough understanding of budgeting and evaluation methodologies to the grant writing and reporting process. The GO works under the direct supervision of the Corps Officers in collective endeavors to reach the El Centro Corps funding targets.

In the absence of the Corps Officers, the GO functions as The Salvation Army's lead representative to foundations via phone, e-mail and in person, as applicable. Additional responsibilities include: assisting the

Corps Officers in maintaining open channels of communication with the field; collecting and analyzing narratives and data from programs for grant reporting; participating in the group editing and proofreading of outgoing foundations correspondence; relevant conferences, trainings and grant maker meeting as applicable; and other duties involved in the solicitation process.

Essential Functions

• Solicit and cultivate current funding sources- foundations that have funded the Army within the last 3 years
• Research and develop new funding sources in the $10,000 and above range for annual and long-term support
• Assist Corps and programs in identifying funding needs & developing proposal and evaluation tools
• Write Narrative and budget reports, prepare and submit such reports funding sources in a timely manner
• Provide prompt responses to internal and external information inquiries of the Foundations Department, via phone, e-mail or in person
• Facilitate, conduct and /or attend site visits and meeting with funding sources
• Attend advisory council meetings, conferences, trainings and grantmaker meetings where requested
• Contribute collaboratively to grant projects, proposals and reports developed by other Foundations staff and the field, as well as to broader Development Department projects, as appropriate
• Other duties as assigned

Working Conditions

Ability to walk, stand, bend, squat, climb, kneel and twist on an intermittent or sometimes continuous basis. Ability to grasp, push, pull objects such as files, file cabinet drawers, and reach overhead. Ability to operate computer, fax and telephone. Ability to lift up to 25 lbs.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, Economics, communications, marketing or related field
• Familiarity with working with the public in a stewardship capacity
• Minimum of two years of professional writing experience, with a preference for foundation grant related work.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

• Excellent English writing & language skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Foundation Search, and Portfolio
• Sound knowledge of the foundations gift solicitation process
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills, including attention to detail
• High level of professionalism, good judgment, and confidentiality required
• Comfort with talking to donors & asking for funds
• Understanding of budgeting and evaluation methodologies
• Knowledge of The Salvation Army and its mission

Bachelors of Business Economics (required)

Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Foundation Search, and Portfolio (preferred)
Excellent English writing & language skills (preferred)
Minimum of two years of professional writing experience, with a preference for foundation grant related work (required)