Grants Officer

The Grants Officer owns WSG's entire institutional giving program, managing a portfolio of private foundation, corporate, and government grants that currently generates between $700,000 and $1,000,000 annually. This is a senior, independent role for an experienced grants professional who can step into a transition year with confidence — inheriting existing funder relationships, assessing the current portfolio, and building a long-term institutional giving strategy that grows with WSG's mission and ambitions. There is no grants consultant backstop; the Grants Manager is the program. Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, this person will write compelling proposals, cultivate and steward a portfolio of funders, and serve as WSG's primary voice in the institutional giving space. Portfolio Management & Grants Writing Independently manage WSG's full foundation and government grants portfolio — currently $700K to $1M annually — across the complete funding cycle: prospect research, letters of inquiry, proposals, reports, renewals, and acknowledgments Write compelling, mission-forward proposals and reports that communicate WSG's impact to foundation and government funders with clarity and precision Maintain a comprehensive grants calendar and pipeline tracker, ensuring every deadline, reporting requirement, and renewal date is met without exception Conduct ongoing prospect research to identify new foundation and government funding opportunities aligned with WSG's priorities and programming Track and analyze portfolio performance, providing regular pipeline updates and annual revenue forecasting to the CAO Maintain complete and up-to-date records of all funder interactions, proposals, and awards in Raiser's Edge Funder Relationship Management Serve as WSG's primary relationship manager for all foundation and government funders, building trust and long-term partnerships that position WSG for multi-year and increased support Lead the transition of existing funder relationships from the outgoing grants consultant, ensuring continuity and no loss of momentum with active funders Represent WSG at funder convenings, site visits, and relationship-building events as appropriate Coordinate with program staff and school leadership to gather impact data, student stories, and outcome metrics that strengthen funder relationships and proposal narratives Manage communication with program officers and grants administrators in a timely, professional, and relationship-forward manner Institutional Giving Strategy In partnership with the CAO, develop and execute a multi-year institutional giving strategy that diversifies WSG's funder base and grows revenue over time Assess the current portfolio for concentration risk, renewal vulnerability, and growth opportunity; bring a strategic lens to prioritization decisions Identify opportunities to align grant funding with WSG's programmatic priorities, capital needs, and strategic plan Serve as the internal expert on foundation and government funding trends relevant to girls' education, Catholic schools, and Southeast DC community development Collaborate with the Communications Director on grant-related storytelling, impact reporting, and funder-facing content Coordinate closely with the Individual Giving Manager and Senior Philanthropy Officer to maintain a unified and strategic approach to donor engagement across the Advancement team Collaboration & Compliance Serve as liaison to the Finance Department to ensure all institutional gifts are properly coded, reported, and reconciled; support audit readiness for grant-funded programs Work closely with program staff to understand programmatic outcomes and translate them into compelling funder narratives Coordinate with the CAO on major funder asks and stewardship of top institutional donors Ensure all grant activity complies with funder requirements, reporting timelines, and grant agreement terms Qualifications 5 to 7 years of nonprofit grants writing and management experience, with a demonstrated track record of independently securing and stewarding six-figure grants Proven experience managing a foundation and government grants portfolio of $500,000 or more annually without consultant support Exceptional writing skills — the ability to craft clear, compelling, and deadline-driven proposals and reports is the core requirement of this role Experience managing funder relationships through transitions, including inheriting existing portfolios Strong prospect research skills and familiarity with foundation databases (e.g. Candid/GuideStar) Proficiency in Raiser's Edge or comparable donor management system Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple proposals and deadlines simultaneously without sacrificing quality Collaborative, communicative, and comfortable working across departments to gather program data and impact stories Familiarity with education, girls' equity, or urban community development funding landscapes preferred Valid driver's license preferred for occasional funder meetings and site visits in the DC metro area #J-18808-Ljbffr Inside Philanthropy