Grant Writer
VCP PROVIDES EXCELLENT BENEFITS!!
- Employees pay $0 out-of-pocket towards health, vision and dental premiums
- VCP offers a 401k plan at a 4% match
- Employees receive 6 weeks of paid time off in addition to major holidays
Veterans Community Project (VCP) Overview
Founded in 2016 in Kansas City, MO, VCP is dedicated to supporting every man and woman who took the oath to defend our nation. The greatest barrier to ending Veteran homelessness is the revolving door of unstable housing and the frustrating maze Veterans must navigate in order to get basic support. We believe that to be an effective program, the first step is to connect Veterans and the community. VCP created an innovative homeless housing program and outreach assistance that provides inclusive services to aid Veterans in re-claiming control over their lives.
The Team
We, the team members and co-founders of VCP, are connectors, feelers, and doers on a mission to help our kin, our kind. We move with swift, bold action, driven by our mission. We believe in collaboration, community, compassion, and above all, serving Veterans with dignity and respect.
The Role
The Grant Writer plays a vital role in VCP’s development team by identifying and securing funding opportunities through grant proposals. This position requires excellent research, writing and communication skills to effectively articulate the organization's mission and programs to potential funders. The Grant Writer collaborates closely with the development team, program staff and executive leadership to develop compelling grant proposals and ensure compliance with grant requirements.
Core skills: Strong writing ability, organization, research-focused, great communication skills
VCP’s Grant Writer will be willing and able to:
1. Grant Research and Identification:
- Conduct research to identify potential grant funding opportunities for VCP sites from foundations, corporations, government agencies, and other sources.
- Stay informed about grant opportunities that align with VCP’s mission and programs.
- Evaluate and prioritize grant prospects based on eligibility, fit, and potential funding impact.
2. Grant Proposal Development:
- Collaborate with local directors of development, program staff, and executive leadership to develop comprehensive grant proposals to support VCP’s sites, which effectively communicate the organization's goals, objectives, and impact.
- Write clear, concise, and compelling narratives, ensuring alignment with grant guidelines and requirements.
- Compile and organize supporting documents, budgets, and other necessary materials for grant submissions.
- Coordinate and facilitate review processes to gather feedback and ensure proposal quality and accuracy.
3. Grant Compliance and Reporting:
- Assist with monitoring and tracking grant deliverables, deadlines, and reporting requirements.
- Collaborate with program staff and local site team members to collect data and information necessary for grant reporting.
- In coordination with the Grant Manager, prepare and submit timely and accurate grant reports, ensuring compliance with funder guidelines and reporting requirements.
- Maintain organized records of all grant activities, including submissions, awards, and correspondence.
- Utilize grant management software and tools to streamline grant tracking, reporting, and documentation processes.
Competencies and Areas of Expertise may Include:
- Passion for the mission of VCP.
- Bachelor's degree in communications, English, or equivalent educational experience.
- Minimum 4+ years or more grant writing experience with demonstrated ability to raise money through grants. Specific experience writing United Way, national foundation, government or other complex grants preferred.
- Ability to express ideas and facts clearly and appropriately to the teams; listens to and comprehends what others are saying; demonstrate ability to work with a wide range of sensitive and confidential issues; and communicate effectively with a diverse group of stakeholders.
- Possess an in-depth understanding of programs’ goals, activities, outputs, and outcomes as they relate to grant funding opportunities.
- Ability to understand and extract relevant data and information about programs and reports as necessary.
- Knowledge of basic principles and practices of budgeting and accounting as they relate to grants and reporting.
- Must have the ability to simultaneously manage projects, and workload, and engage constructively with VCP team members across the organization, setting deadlines, holding others accountable, and providing appropriate feedback.
- Solid problem-solving, critical thinking, and analytical skills, strong attention to detail and time management skills. Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and prioritize work assignments and business needs to meet complex timelines.
- Self-motivated to set, attain and surpass goals, with minimal supervision.
- Knowledge of a non-profit donor CRM is preferred (ie: Virtuous, Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce, etc.)
- Commitment to maintaining confidentiality of information, records, and materials.
- Flexibility is a key attribute for this position. VCP is a fast-paced environment. A willingness to take on additional duties, or change course, to ensure the success of the organization is essential.
- Must possess intellectual curiosity and a desire to continuously learn and grow as well as curiosity to understand how your job impacts the work of others.
- Strong performance management and evaluation capabilities are required including the willingness and ability to ensure accountability. Spends time and the time of others on what's important; quickly zeroes in on the critical few and puts the trivial many aside; quickly sense what will help or hinder accomplishing a goal; eliminates roadblocks; creates focus.
This job description should not be interpreted as all-inclusive. It is intended to identify the essential functions and requirements of this job. Incumbents may be requested to perform job-related responsibilities and tasks other than those stated in this description. Any essential function or requirement of this job will be evaluated as necessary should an incumbent or applicant be unable to perform the function or requirement due to a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Reasonable accommodation(s) for the specific disability will be made for the incumbent or applicant when possible.
Veterans Community Project is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. We strictly prohibit and do not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants, or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. All VCP employees, other workers and representatives are prohibited from engaging in unlawful discrimination. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, training, promotion, discipline, compensation of employment.