The Organization
Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation set a course five years ago to create a more equitable New Jersey. Given the devastating events of the last two years, we have accelerated this commitment and refined our vision and strategic direction towards a just and equitable New Jersey where people of all races and communities have equal access to opportunities and are able to thrive and achieve their full potential.
We direct our time, energy and resources towards efforts that address root causes and repair of structural racism and inequity in New Jersey by partnering with and supporting the nonprofit sector to be valued and effective influencers for community level change. In our grantmaking, we prioritize networks, movements, organizations, and leaders who have been historically excluded from investment and opportunity.
Today, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation is working to transform its grantmaking, partnerships, and internal operations to center racial equity and justice and to ensure that it is central to who we are and what we do. As part of this commitment, Dodge team members are inspired by our mission and purpose, are committed to working in deeply collaborative ways, are active learners and knowledge sharers, and are accountable for results and for working in ways that leverage and amplify community expertise.
Position Overview
The Grants Manager plays a critical role in the design and management of the full life cycle of The Foundation’s grantmaking processes. Reporting to the Director of Operations, the Grants Manaager will administer grantmaking operations across the Foundation, ensure appropriate structure and integrity of the grants management database (Salesforce) and fulfill the information needs of the organization’s leadership, staff, and grantee partners. The Grants Manager will also work in a highly integrated way with Program and Finance teams to ensure a smooth grantmaking process and experience, both for Dodge team members and for our grantee partners.
As the Foundation is in a period of significant transformation, all team members are working to build out new aspects of the work and to embrace new ways of working. The Grants Manager is instrumental in refining our grantmaking systems and processes and will demonstrate high degrees of judgement, flexibility, and responsiveness to the evolving needs of our teams and partners. Additionally, as Foundation staff will continue to work mostly remotely, the Grants Manager will need to be highly self-directed, independent, and effective working with limited in-person direction or interaction.
Essential Responsibilities
Key responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to:
- Serve as a key point of contact for grantee partners, providing technical assistance for application and report submission, responding to inquiries on financial due diligence requirements and verifying grantee partner information.
- Serve as the primary user for Dodge’s grantmaking system, (Salesforce), coordinating activities with the entire team and external partners as necessary to address new issues or needs and to work with the Director of Operations to maintain the system’s efficiency and functionality.
· Collaborate with the VP of Programs and Director of Operations to create, revise and improve grantmaking processes, dashboards and application forms to ensure that collected data is properly coded and reported on within Salesforce.
- Contribute to regular Program “production” meetings and support communication and collaboration between Program, Finance, IT, and other cross-functional teams so that all grant management activities are smoothly implemented.
- Monitor grant data entry workflow processes to ensure adequate internal controls, due diligence, and overall data quality and timeliness.
· Manage compliance with government regulations and Foundation guidelines.
· Prepare and quality-check grantee correspondence, such as award and decline letters, grant amendments, letter templates, and audit compliance documents.
· Monitor grant proposals, reports and payments to ensure all grants are moving through the process in a timely fashion. Identify and address areas for improvement with Program and Finance team members.
- Develop/provide grants management systems training and guidance to Program staff and conduct onboarding for all new hires. Maintains electronic grant management manuals and procedures documentation.
- Work with Program and Communications staff to prepare analysis, reporting and presentation of qualitative and quantitative data regarding grantee awards, learnings and outcomes to support Board presentations and other external communications.
· Collaborate with the Finance team to make sure all grants and grant-related activities are properly recorded in the accounting system.
· Manage staff and trustee discretionary grant communication and processing.
· Generate mailing lists for external communications.
· Stay abreast of new requirements, trends and functionality rolled out by Salesforce, related to the use and improvements of the platform.
· Become conversant in the Foundation’s funding areas and the NJ non-profit landscape.
· Conduct research, assist with special projects, and perform other duties, as requested.
Key Qualifications
· Three to five years of relevant professional experience in philanthropy, grants administration/management in a non-profit, and or relevant technical experience.
· Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
· Strong proficiency with grants management systems and databases required. Experience with Salesforce is a plus.
· Demonstrated commitment to advancing racial equity and justice.
· A track record demonstrating sound judgement, discernment, and critical thinking skills especially when faced with new opportunities or challenges.
· An independent problem solver who takes initiative to identify/design right-sized solutions to data management and workflow challenges.
· Excellent analytical skills with the ability to synthesize and “find the story” in large and complex sets of data.
· Professional maturity and discretion with regard to the handling of confidential or sensitive information
· Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail with strong sense of personal responsibility work quality and accuracy.
· Highly collaborative with ability to work well across diverse teams and work styles.
· Solid written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
· Positive attitude, flexibility, cooperation, and service orientation when working with diverse colleagues and grantee partners.
· Proactive and self-motivated with the ability to effectively manage individual timelines and deliverables with limited remote supervision.
· High level of flexibility, responsiveness and tolerance for change and ambiguity; Able to maintain calm and professionalism and embrace learning, amidst uncertainty
· Must live within commuting distance of the Foundation’s office in Morristown NJ and be able to travel to the office or to other locations within the state as needed.
· Eligible to work in the United States.
Compensation & Benefits
The salary range for the Grants Manager position $80,000-$90,000 commensurate with experience. The Foundation also offers a full and competitive benefits package that includes, but is not limited to, full medical and dental insurance, generous retirement contributions, paid medical and parental leave programs, professional development, cell phone reimbursement, and 20 days of vacation for full-time employees.
To Apply:
Please submit a resume and cover letter which outlines your interested in the role and how you feel your experience is a match to jobs@grdodge.org
We will accept applications on a rolling basis until filled. Given the volume of applicants, we are only able to respond to those who are selected for an interview.
The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation values a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We employ qualified people without regard to: race; color; ethnicity; religion; creed; sex; national origin; age; ancestry; disability; sexual orientation; pregnancy or breastfeeding; veteran or military status; marital status; civil union or domestic partnership status; citizenship; genetic information; gender identity or expression; status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking; or any other characteristic protected under federal or state law.