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Director of National Grant Development (Immediate Opening)

Employer
IDEA Public Schools
Location
Weslaco, TX, United States
Salary
Competitive

Job Details

Description
Position at IDEA Public Schools

About IDEA Public Schools :  

 

At IDEA Public Schools, we believe in college for ALL and we are committed to ensuring that   all   our students graduate from college. IDEA Public Schools has grown from a small school to the fastest-growing network of tuition-free Pre-K-12 public charter schools in the United States sending 100% of our students to college. 50% of our students graduate from college in 6 years - that's 8 times the national rate for students in our communities!  

 
IDEA was founded in 2000 as a single school with 150 students in the Rio Grande Valley. When interest exceeded building capacity, to meet the demands, IDEA's co-founders committed to serving more students in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and beyond. We now serve  over 65,000  students across Texas and Louisiana. Be on the lookout for IDEA schools opening near you-with continued growth in our current regions an d new launches in  Tampa Bay , FL  (2021) ,  and  Jacksonville, FL (2022) !  

 

When you choose to work at IDEA, you are part of our IDEA Team and Family. You will work alongside team members who set and reach ambitious goals every day, are excited to continue to grow with IDEA, and work relentlessly to make college for all a reality.  

 

To learn more about IDEA, check out this   video .  

Role Mission:  
IDEA's national development team se eks a  Director of National Grant Development  to support its ambitious fundraising goals.  Through exceptional project-management, persuasive and clear written communications, and a focus on both details and the bigger picture, you will leverage your skills to help us reach our organizational goals by driving significant revenue through public and private grant writing. You will collaborate with IDEA staff  across departments and lines of reporting  to prepare, write, and edit grant proposals, donor reports, and other  relevant  communications. You will leverage your exceptional abilities in writing, strategic thinking, and project management while also developing and leveraging extensive understanding of IDEA's work and impact. You will also demonstrate stewardship of our resources through a deep understanding of grant reporting expectations and internal financial processes.  

   
This role requires strength in two key areas: Influencing others through effective written communications, and excellence in project management and execution. You will influence  prospective donors  by creatively and compellingly articulating  IDEA's  case for support in a way that inspires and leads to meaningful investments in our work.  This means using data to tell a written story and weaving in the heart and personal stories of those directly impacted by IDEA's work.   You will also manage up and laterally to ensure grant reports are of the highest quality and meet the needs of th e donor.  Preparation of complex and varied grants through the development and implementation of systems and procedures to ensure successful grant-seeking efforts will be the way you manage and track your progress toward fundraising goals.  Y ou are a talented writer, highly organized, rigorously tracking and maintaining accurate donor information; and managing yourself and others to deadlines effectively. You are comfortable with budgets and can generate high-quality reports with 100% accuracy.  

Accountabilities;
Public Grant Proposals 
  • S erve as project lead on all state and federal grant proposals that support national team fundraising efforts. Project scope will vary as some proposals will allow the  Director  to serve as the sole author with minimal contribution from other departments  whereas larger proposals will require a larger project management focus in which the  Director  will need to manage an external contract writer. The  Director  must be able to assess each grant opportunity and propose a project plan considering team bandwidth, internal talent and capabilities, and budget in consideration of multiple deadlines.   
  • Private Grant Proposals   
  • Project lead on a  portfolio of  private grant proposals that support national team fundraising efforts. Project scope will vary in the same manner as the Public Grant Proposals outlined above  and the case for support will need to align with the donor's interest .   
  • Private Grant Rep orting  
  • Manage the creation and submission for a portfolio of grant reports to support the stewardship of IDEA's donors with accurate, engaging and complete reports.   Maintain record-keeping for all donors through the consistent use of the Client Relationship Management tool and clear organizational system.  


Contribute to the advancement team goal to raise $50M by June 30, 2021 in support of IDEA's growth, college matriculation goals, and/or programming.  
 
  • Monitor requests for proposals from state and federal entities and private institutions and create and present one-page summaries to IDEA's senior leadership to garner approval to apply.  
  • Create a calendar of grant opportunities, including deadlines, requirements, etc. and chart progress  
  • Architect, a uthor, revise, and edit federal and state grants  applications (such as C harter School Program, 21 st  Century, GEAR UP )  as well as private foundation applications (such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation or Kern Family Foundation).  
  • Create, manage and execute on grant project plans to coordinate grant committees consisting of cross-functional teams to submit grant applications by deadline.   
  • Analyze grant evaluation scores to continuously improve competitiveness and quality of applications, as well as communicating feedback to respective parties.  
  • Streamline the process from grant-seeking to grant implementation and management, ensuring clear communication and delegation of responsibilities with buy-in and engagement from necessary stakeholders.  

 

Write grant proposals that will contribute to the national team goal of $20M in support of IDEA's growth, college matriculation goals, and/or programming by June 30, 2021.  
  • Research and qualify public and private grant opportunities aligned to IDEA's growth, programmatic, and college success goals.  
  • Author, prepare and submit high-quality grant applications, proposals, and letters of inquiry to government (federal, state, city) and private (foundation/corporation) sources.  
  • Build a deep understanding of the work and impact of IDEA Public Schools in order to  persuasively communicate IDEA's mission and programs to potential funders.  
  • Systematically manage public and private grant applications, proactively engaging other team members and, where applicable, external stakeholders to ensure high quality applications are submitted.  
  • Partner with the business office to build detailed grant budgets and budget narratives.  
  • Partner with internal Grant management coach to transition grants secured appropriately for continued stewardship.  

 

Raise $ 18M  in cash/pledges from public and private funding sources to support growth, programmatic, diversity and/or college success initiatives  with  8 new public grants (excluding renewals) of at least $100K awarded by   June 30, 2021.  
  • Identify and prioritize proposals, consulting with national team members, organization leaders and regional executive directors to architect and manage IDEA's solicitation strategies to ensure ambitious programmatic, school launch, and financial goals are met.   
  • Author, revise, and edit sections of public and private grants which includes, but is not limited to: Charter School Program, TEA 21 st  Century, GEAR UP.  
  • Create, manage and execute on grant project plans to coordinate grant committees consisting of cross-functional teams to submit grant applications by deadline.   
  • Identify, cultivate and solicit prospects and foster relationships through stewardship strategies, including applications to state grant opportunities in all states with IDEA regions.  
  • Assemble and lead cross-functional teams to set grant proposal visions, securing senior leadership buy-in of the proposal, program and evaluation teams' investment and input, and coordinating with the business department on budget alignment.  

 

100% of grant reports within your assigned portfolio are submitted on-time, with accuracy, and 75% of FY20 donors are retained by June 30, 2021.  
  • Systematically manage all private grant reporting deadlines and milestones, proactively engaging other team members as needed to provide excellent and timely donor stewardship  
  • Prepare and submit high-quality grant reports to foundation/corporate donors, soliciting feedback from portfolio manager prior to submission.   
  • Ensure compliance with all financial and programmatic reporting requirements expressed by foundation/corporate donors through creating strong internal systems and supportive structures (i.e. business office check-ins, budget forecasting, etc.).  
  • Ensure compliance with organizational financial requirements through strong systems and practices.  
     

National Team Responsibilities (10%)  
  • Conduct and enter prospect research, donor communication and stewardship, grant applications and reports, etc. into Salesforce weekly.   
  • Support, attend, and participate in national development team activities, including weekly team meetings and quarterly stepbacks.  
  • Participate in team-wide initiatives and campaigns.  
       

Qualifications  

Education  
  • Bachelor's degree required, preference for a degree in Education, English, Journalism, Communications, or related discipline   
  • Master's degree in liberal arts, preferred  

Experience  
  • Minimum 5 years of full-time work experience required  
  • At least 2 years' in grant writing, technical writing, or fundraising communications  
  • Experience with grant reporting, financial management and tracking  
  • K-12 teaching experience/Familiarity with charter schools, strongly preferred   

 

Knowledge and Skills 
  • Exemplary written communication skills; ability to write clear, structured, articulate, and persuasive proposals  
  • Highly organized with exceptional detail orientation and demonstrated ability to manage a high volume of work with consistent excellence  
  • Demonstrated ability to manage towards and consistently meet deadlines  
  • Uncommon level of personal responsibility with exceptional goal orientation and a proven track record of success.  
  • Ability to understand qualitative and quantitative data and leverage it effectively in written communications   
  • Critical thinker who displays strong judgment in prioritizing problems to solve and opportunities to pursue  
  • Motivated by achieving results through others and able to manage towards outcomes  
  • Facility with MS Excel   
  • Experience with Salesforce or fundraising/CRM database systems preferred  

 
  Compensation: Salaries for people entering this role typically start between $77,000 and $95,000, commensurate with relevant qualifications and experience. This role is also eligible for a performance bonus based on individual and organizational goal attainment. 

IDEA Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability, in admission or access to, or treatment of employment in its programs and activities. Any person having inquiries concerning the organization's compliance with the regulations implementing Title VI of Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), or Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), may contact IDEA Human Resources at (956) 377-8000.

Company

IDEA Public Schools believes that each and every child can go to college. Since 2000, IDEA Public Schools has grown from a small school with 150 students to the fastest-growing network of tuition-free, Pre-K-12 public charter schools in the United States. IDEA currently serves nearly 66,000 college-bound students in 120 schools across Texas and Louisiana and is gearing up to open schools in Florida for the 2021-2022 school year.

Interested in learning more about working at IDEA Public Schools? 

Visit us at www.ideapublicschools.org/careers.

Company info
Website
Telephone
956-377-8000
Location
2115 W. Pike Blvd
Weslaco
TX
78596
US

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