Job Description

INTERESTED CANDIDATES :

Please submit resume and letter of interest to Abby Cohen at acohen@bigshouldersfund.org.

Letter of interest should address:

• What interests you in working with Big Shoulders Fund as an organization?
• What interests you specifically in this role?
• What do you believe makes you a strong candidate for this role?
• Please describe your experience of writing in a professional setting. If that writing was grant-related, please provide any detail on successful outcomes of your work.

Job Title: Grant Writer

Reports to: Director, Development Communications

Date: Spring 2025

Big Shoulders Fund

Big Shoulders Fund is an independent tax-exempt charitable organization that provides support to schools with demonstrated need which provide a quality, values-based education for children. We serve 25,000 students and 92 schools in the Chicago and Northwest Indiana regions. Each school is a vital community-based organization and an anchor to its surrounding neighborhoods.

For thirty-eight years, Big Shoulders Fund has helped Chicago’s children achieve their dreams through access to high quality education. Of the 25,000 students we serve, 83% identify as people of color and 69% reside in low-income households. We expand access and outcomes by investing more than $40 million annually in scholarship support and enrichment programming for students; operational improvements for schools; cultivation of talent pipelines for school personnel from new teachers through veteran principals; and professional development and support for educators and leaders – all with the goal of not just strengthening schools, but whole communities, while preparing students for life-long success. To that end, 80% of scholars matriculate to college and students earn a degree at two times the national average. Latino and Black scholars graduate at three-times and four-times their counterparts, respectively, and graduates go on to vote, contribute, and participate at greater rates than local and national outcomes.

In 2019, Big Shoulders Fund began an exciting new chapter in Northwest Indiana by making a long-term commitment to The Region. Since then, we have worked to bring our unique approach to building the capacity of local school communities to best serve students and families of Northwest Indiana, with special focus on areas of greatest need: Gary, Hammond and East Chicago. The long-term goals of our efforts include elevating the quality of values-based schools in Northwest Indiana through: academic investments, instructional and data coaching; marketing and outreach efforts; and enrichment and summer programs to expand opportunities for students. While some roles on our staff focus exclusively on Northwest Indiana or Chicago, all Big Shoulders Fund team members contribute to the success of our work across both sites.

Big Shoulders Fund has earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest evaluator of nonprofits, for 18 consecutive years, a distinction held by less than one percent of nonprofit organizations nationally.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Grant Writer works closely with the Director, Development Communications to cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of institutional donors through the development of proposals and memos, narrative and financial reports, and programmatic and organizational updates. The Grant Writer has the ability to write strategically, persuasively, and quickly for long and short copy formats using the highest writing standards. In addition to generating stellar written output, the Grant Writer ensures on-time fulfillment of requests and report deliverables and facilitates collaboration and workflow across functional internal teams. Essential competencies include a high degree of personal accountability, the ability to work independently on multiple projects simultaneously, exceptional time management skills, and collaboration with others and effectively leverage the expertise of other staff.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Develop and write letters of inquiry, memos, grant proposals, presentations, and reports for foundations and similar grant-making organizations, persuasively communicating the mission and programs of Big Shoulders Fund.
• Prepare collateral material for proposal submissions and grant reports including financial statements, budgets, project workplans, logic models, theories of change, etc.
• Maintain calendar of key deadlines and ensure timely submission of letters of inquiry, applications, and reports.
• Ensure quality, accuracy, and timeliness of grant reports, including adherence to all foundation-specific reporting requirements.
• In coordination with the Director, Development Communications and program staff, develop realistic timelines for the execution of proposal and report packages and prioritize workflows for all relevant materials, often keeping multiple projects moving simultaneously toward deadlines.
• Gain understanding of Big Shoulders Fund’s strategic and programmatic initiatives; communicate with program staff to gather details related to program/project activities, outputs, key performance metrics, and evaluations for post-award reporting.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of foundation program officers, board contacts, and other key personnel, and record cultivation/stewardship activities and other relevant data within organizational CRM (Salesforce).
• Conduct prospect research to identify foundations and grant-making organizations whose philanthropic priorities and grant parameters align with the mission and needs of Big Shoulders Fund.

ADDITIONAL EXPECTATIONS

• Demonstrate strength and skill in interacting with others, especially teachers, principals, students, and families from diverse cultural, economic, and ability backgrounds
• Hold a commitment to excellent customer service, promptly returning phone calls and answering emails
• Work cooperatively with Big Shoulders Fund staff in Chicago and Northwest Indiana, and perform other duties as assigned in support of the overall mission of the Big Shoulders Fund
• NOTE: This role requires availability to work some evenings and weekends for Big Shoulders Fund events

QUALITIES OF THE CANDIDATE WE SEEK

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree · 3+ years of writing in a professional setting; successful experience in grant writing and institutional donor stewardship a plus
• Concise and compelling writing skills a with the ability to calibrate tone for a variety of audiences, purposes, and formats
• Exceptional editing and proofreading skills
• Ability to strike an effective balance between a proactive and a consultative approach
• Experience in education-related nonprofit preferred
• Proficient with CRM systems and fundraising applications; experience with Salesforce preferred
• Commitment to excellence with strong organizational ability and exceptional attention to detail
• Highly motivated and adaptable with a strong work ethic; operate with honesty, integrity, and a positive attitude
• Ability to work on several projects concurrently while effectively managing priorities and meeting deadlines
• Strength in establishing and maintaining cooperative and effective working relationships with others; ability and desire to work effectively within a team
• Cultural sensitivity and ability to work collaboratively with diverse groups of people
• Commitment to and passion for improving access to high-quality, values-based education options for all children
• Appreciation for the benefits of a Catholic education for students, families and communities; familiarity with Catholic schools in Chicago and/or Northwest Indiana a plus; experience with education in urban environments a plus
• Ability to work some weekends and evenings for Big Shoulders Fund events

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee may perform other related duties to meet the ongoing needs of the organization and the students/schools it serves.

INTERESTED CANDIDATES :

Please submit resume and letter of interest to Abby Cohen at acohen@bigshouldersfund.org.

Letter of interest should address:

• What interests you in working with Big Shoulders Fund as an organization?
• What interests you specifically in this role?
• What do you believe makes you a strong candidate for this role?
• Please describe your experience of writing in a professional setting. If that writing was grant-related, please provide any detail on successful outcomes of your work.

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