Grants Manager, KIPP Philadelphia

Posted by KIPP Philadelphia Schools on May 14, 2018

Location: Regional Office, 5070 Parkside Ave, Suite 3500D, Philadelphia, PA

About KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools:
KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools (KPPS) is a network of five high-performing, college-preparatory public charter schools (with a sixth school, an elementary school, opening in the fall of 2018). We serve almost 2,000 students in grades K through 12 in North and West Philadelphia. The mission of KPS is to develop the character, knowledge, and skills of our students so they will succeed in college and life, giving them the freedom to shape their futures and positively affect their communities. Our vision is to achieve our mission at critical mass – a cluster of schools in Philadelphia – thereby reinvigorating public education in this city through the performance of our students and the leadership of our educators. Within the next five years, KIPP programming in Philadelphia will include ten schools, over 4,400 students, more than 370 employees, and an operating budget in excess of $60MM. KPPS is part of the national KIPP network of free college-preparatory public charter schools that are open to all and dedicated to preparing students from educationally underserved communities for success in college and life.

Job Overview:
KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools (KPPS) seeks a strong writer and relationship builder to join a growing team during an exciting new phase in KPPS history. The Grants Manager will play a critical role in helping a newly-designed fundraising team strengthen existing foundation and corporation relationships, develop dynamic funding proposals for a variety of donor types, and seek out new opportunities for fundraising growth. Specifically, this role will serve as a liaison between foundation representatives, KPPS executive leadership, and school-based program staff, with the central goal of creating a cohesive and inspiring funding narrative. The Grants Manager reports to the Managing Director of Development (MDOD).

Duties and Responsibilities
This role will require an above average writing and storytelling ability, as well as a knack for building strong relationships. The role is a combination of a frontline fundraiser and an internal leadership liaison.

Grant Writing & Management
• Acquire and maintain KPPS context; use that context to ensure full understanding of projects and programs for which grants/proposals will be sought and to identify and recommend grant opportunities
• Develop grants and individual proposals in accordance with each grantor’s preferences and implement any grant making organization’s guidelines with fidelity
• Compile, write, and edit all grant applications, exhibiting strong expository writing skills and an extraordinary command of grammar and spelling
• Compile and prepare budget overviews for grant proposals
• Ensure grant applications and reports are sophisticated and nuanced
• Manage grants and proposals through an editing and review cycle that includes early drafts for leadership review
• Work closely and cross-functionally with other teams and school-based staff to determine funding opportunities and collect grant report data
• Create and manage a detailed calendar of grant opportunities, submissions, and reports (in coordination with the Development Associate)
• Track corporate and foundation relationships and grant submissions in SalesForce (in coordination with the Development Associate)
• Work with the Regional Leadership Team to ensure accurate grant awards and appropriate spend down; lead monthly grant reconciliation meetings

Foundation Relations
• Develop relationships and maintain contact with grant-making organizations, promptly supplying additional supportive material as requested
• Manage the portfolio through various cultivation and stewardship activities to advance them toward solicitation
• Conduct research on the giving priorities of foundations and corporations who invest in education in Philadelphia; manage a strategy to pursue and engage high-potential prospects
• Assist the MDOD and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on management with their high-level portfolio; attend meetings as appropriate

Qualifications, Skills, Qualities:
The ideal candidate must be a strong writer and storyteller, highly organized, and dependable. They must be curious, always looking to connect the dots. Highly developed interpersonal skills are essential.

The following key competencies are a must for this position:
 Persuasive Oral and Written Communication: demonstrates strength in persuasive communication with excitement to further develop those skills; is able to translate story and brand for various audiences, designing messages that resonate and motivate
 Project Management and Prioritization: is able to work across multiple departments and/or with multiple stakeholders to manage a grant to completion; prioritizes grants, partnerships, and sponsorships to pursue based on Development Department calendar as well as likelihood of support
 Strategic Thinking: guides thoughtful research and analysis; is able to elevate insights to inform strategy and translate strategy into priorities and activities
 Growth Mindset: is willing and eager to learn from others and apply feedback; takes an active role in own professional development, ensuring critical skills and competencies are continuously sharpened

In addition, the candidate must have the following qualifications:
• Bachelor’s Degree (required)
• Exemplary writing, editing, and verbal communication skills
• Minimum of 2 years of fundraising, grant writing, and/or communications experience preferred
• Extremely detail-oriented and able to manage time to meet numerous deadlines
• Exhibit professionalism, discretion, and diplomacy
• Ability to work as part of a team and manage multiple tasks at one time
• Ability to self-direct and prioritize among competing goals and to initiate process improvements
• Strong work ethic coupled with an enthusiastic and passionate approach to one’s work
• Comfort and ability to work independently for large stretches of time to write a compelling grant application
• Mastery of Microsoft Office (particularly Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint) required; fluency with relationship databases required.
• A passion for education and the KPPS mission
• Model KIPP Philadelphia’s values at all times

Preferred Start Date: June 4, 2018

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