Grants Manager

About Kids In Crisis

Kids In Crisis is one of Connecticut's leading child and family service organizations, providing free, around the clock crisis intervention, emergency shelter, counseling, and community education for children, teens, and families. Our work depends on strong partnerships with foundations, corporations, civic organizations, and government funders who share our commitment to keeping kids safe and families supported.

Position Summary

The Grant Writer secures and renews funding that sustains agency programs. Working with the Managing Director of Development and Marketing, this full-time role researches funding opportunities, writes proposals and applications, prepares reports, and manages the grants calendar so that submissions and reports go out complete and on time. The Grant Writer works across the agency to gather the program information, outcome data, and budget detail that funders ask for, and builds relationships with funders that lead to renewed and expanded support. This role also serves as a writing resource for the wider Development team, partnering with the Director of Corporate Giving and the Director of Individual Giving to prepare proposals for their donors and prospects.

Primary Responsibilities

• Grant Writing. Write clear, persuasive proposals and applications for foundations, corporations, civic organizations, and local, state, and federal funders, tailored to each funder's interests and priorities and grounded in the agency's mission and programs.
• Prepare and submit accurate grant reports on time.
• Prospect Research. Research and identify new funding prospects to keep a steady pipeline of opportunities. Track eligibility requirements, giving history, deadlines, and funder priorities.
• Relationship Building. Build and maintain relationships with program officers, foundation staff, corporate giving contacts, and municipal decision makers. Stay in regular contact through calls, meetings, site visits, and updates.
• Work closely with Program staff, Finance and agency leadership to gather the program descriptions, outcome data, and budget detail needed for proposals, and ensure that every request lines up with agency priorities.
• Development Team Support. Work with the Director of Corporate Giving and the Director of Individual Giving to write and prepare proposals for their donors and prospects. Provide the writing, program detail, and budget support they need so requests go out polished, accurate, and consistent with the agency's case for support.
• Grant Management. Manage the full grant cycle from application through close out. Track compliance requirements and deadlines and keep detailed records of submissions, awards, declines, and reports in Salsa and the Grant Action Sheet.
• Partner with Finance to build program and project budgets that support each request and meet each funder's format and reporting requirements.
• Grants Calendar. Maintain the annual grants calendar so renewals, new submissions, and reports are planned in advance rather than handled at the deadline.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in English, Communications, Journalism, Nonprofit Management, or a related field.
• Three or more years of grant writing experience, ideally in nonprofit human services.
• A record of securing foundation, corporate, or government grants.
• Strong writing and editing skills, with the ability to explain programs and results clearly and accurately to funders.
• Comfort working with budgets, program data, and outcome measures.
• Experience with a donor CRM such as Salsa Engage, EveryAction, Bloomerang, Blackbaud, Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud, or similar, and with grant research tools such as Candid or Foundation Directory Online.
• Highly organized, able to manage several deadlines at once and work independently.
• Discretion and good judgment with confidential client and agency information.
• Comfort using AI tools to speed up research and first drafts, with human review of all submitted content.

A Typical Week Might Include...

• Drafting a proposal for a foundation renewal and pulling the supporting program data.
• Meeting with program staff to collect current outcome numbers and client stories.
• Researching new foundation, corporate, and municipal funding opportunities.
• Preparing a year end report for a current funder.
• Working with Finance on a project budget for an upcoming application.
• Drafting a sponsorship or major gift proposal with the Director of Corporate Giving or the Director of Individual Giving.
• Joining a call or site visit with a program officer.
• Updating the grants calendar and logging submissions and outcomes in Salsa.

The Ideal Candidate

• A strong writer who can turn program detail into a clear case for support.
• Organized and deadline driven, with the follow through to close out every requirement.
• Comfortable asking questions and tracking down information across departments.
• Curious about funders and genuinely interested in what they care about.
• Passionate about improving the lives of children and families.

Why Join Kids In Crisis?

The Grant Writer brings in funding that keeps programs running for children and families across Connecticut. You will work closely with a Development team that values clear writing and strong funder relationships, and you will see the direct connection between the proposals you write and the services kids receive.