Job Responsibilities:
Development and Communications Senior Associate (Grant Writer)
WISCONSIN COMMUNITY SERVICES INC.
Combine your leadership and research skills with your exceptional ability to write, edit, proofread, fundraise, and communicate. These skills will aid your contribution to a 110-year-old nonprofit, human service organization. As a senior member of an established development and communications team, join us in our collaboration with human service administrators to:
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- Conceptualize and develop high level, complex proposals
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- Develop and write agreed upon funding proposals and applications to government entities (federal, state, county and city), foundations, United Way and other funding sources.
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- Perform needed research for funding proposals and applications
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- Assist in donor identification, cultivation, and recognition
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- Develop and strengthen foundation and corporate relationships
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- Solicit donations, advertising, and in-kind goods/services to promote WCS programs and special events.
As a Development and Communications Senior Associate, you will work closely with the Director of Development and Communication to implement our organization’s development plan and fund-raising activities. You will work on special writing projects with senior level leaders, providing your creative input, product development, and clerical support. Your belief in our mission to “provide innovative opportunities for individuals to overcome adversity” will assist you in cultivating local media relationships to publicly “tell the WCS story”.
Your Bachelor’s – Master’s level studies in communication, public policy, social welfare or related field, your five to ten years of expertise with proposal/grant writing and institutional donors, and your knowledge of fundraising and research techniques, fundraising strategies and informational sources will contribute to your success in this role. We also need your experience using computer programs such as Microsoft 365 (Word, Outlook, Excel etc.); databases; design/ presentation software; and event software.
Salary is commensurate with education and experience: $68,000 - $80,000
Position Summary: Provides leadership and support in the areas of grant writing, program planning, and program development; writing and timely submission of funding proposals and writing of other significant documents; provides assistance in all areas of development and communication including data collection, publications, marketing, and reporting to funders. Added value for experience in public relations and capital campaigns.
Essential Functions:
- Conceptualize and develop high level and complex proposals.
- Develop and write agreed upon funding proposals and applications to government entities (federal, state, county and city), foundations, United Way and other funding sources. Provides leadership to large grant proposals, as assigned.
- Using strong writing, proofreading, and editing skills to complete all assigned writing projects and assist in editing the work of others in the department and agency.
- Collects, writes, and archives success stories to be available for the development department and broader agency use
- Share in or provide oversite to monthly external and internal WCS newsletter.
- Works in conjunction with the Director of Development and Communication in implementing the agency’s development plan and fundraising activities including creative input, product development, and clerical support.
- Has knowledge of and supports ongoing expansion and updating of all electronic media presences.
- Works on special writing projects with members of the WCS Executive Team.
- In partnership with the Director and other department staff, responsible for developing relationships with the media and securing ongoing coverage of WCS work.
- Prepare Media and Press releases for review by the Director of Development and Communication and the WCS Executive Team and distribute them to the appropriate media channels.
- Assist in donor identification, cultivation, and recognition: develop and strengthen foundation and corporate relationships, maintain interagency contacts, provide a presence on relevant committees in coordination with director.Solicits donations, advertising, and in-kind goods/services to promote WCS programs and special events.
- Assist with agency Public Relations and Capital campaigns.
- Assist with special event planning and execution.
- Assist Program Directors and Leadership Staff in searching for grants and other appropriate funding mechanisms and opportunities and developing new programs and services.
Other Duties and Responsibilities:
- Assists in gathering agency statistics and external data related to the areas in which we work such as justice system, reentry, behavioral health and others
- Contributes to the maintenance of a central agency filing system for currently funded programming and other projects.
- Assists with public relations strategizing.
- Creation of writing templates for specific uses.
- Regularly updates records of submitted proposals and applications; continually updates results as they become known.
- Assist in preparing presentations for service organizations, church groups, potential donors, etc. May speak and deliver presentations on behalf of the agency as requested.Attends conferences, community meetings and community building events to represent the agency as requested.
- Assist in supervising interns placed in the Development and Communication Department
- Contributes relevant statistics, evidence-based practices articles and other pertinent reports to resource files.
Job Qualifications:
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Able to write clear, structured, articulate, and persuasive grant proposals
- Strong editing and proofreading skills
- Able to perform several tasks concurrently, strong time management and organizational skills
- Skilled in group communication and adept at leading group projects successfully
- Able to complete necessary paperwork/make electronic submissions and meet deadlines
- Able to use programs such as Microsoft 365, databases, design/ presentation software and other communication and event software programs.
- Commitment to relationship building and strengthening throughout the agency and externally
- Develop first-hand familiarity with programs through visits to sites on a regular basis
- Principles and practices of social service delivery, specific knowledge related to the intersection of the justice systems with social issues
- Knowledge of fund seeking and fund raising
- Knowledge of statistics
- Some knowledge of non-profit accounting and budgeting
- Ability to use data to promote a position
- Ability to conduct and organize research
- Ability to work collaboratively with others
- Ability to interpret documents and governmental regulations
Minimal Qualifications and Salary Schedule:
- Requires a Bachelor’s degree in communication, public policy, social welfare or related field. Master’s degree preferred.
- Five to ten years related experience in proposal writing and/or fund development for human services organization.
- Prior development experience that includes knowledge of fundraising and research techniques, fundraising strategies and informational sources required.
- Experience with proposal/grant writing and institutional donors preferred.
- Must have experience using computer databases, software programs (Word, Outlook, Excel) and electronic funding submissions.
Other Job Information (if applicable):
Work Relationship and Scope: Reports to the Director of Development and Communication; position may be a representative of the agency at various functions of the community, government and private sector; has contact with a wide variety of individuals including WCS participants, staff, Executive Leadership team and Board of Directors along with collaborative partners, funders, the press and the general public; works closely with actual and potential funding sources. Provides backup assistance for a variety of development administrative duties
Personal Attributes: demonstrates a passion to work on behalf of the individuals that we serve which includes those with mental health and substance use needs and those involved in the justice system; follows agency Code of Conduct; adheres to established policies and procedures of the agency and of all funding sources; conducts self in an ethical manner; maintains professional and respectful relationships with program staff, other WCS staff, persons served and all external persons and agencies involved with service provision; sensitivity toward cultural, ethnic and disability issues; and demonstrates commitment to agency values and mission.
Working Conditions: Some travel required; office and computer work at a desk in an office setting; occasional public presentations; may require more than 40 hours per week.
Physical Demands: Position is mostly sedentary with some travel; involves sitting for long periods of time; ability to use computer and calculator.
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