Grants Manager – Little Kids Rock – Verona, NJ

About Little Kids Rock

Little Kids Rock is a national non-profit organization that transforms children’s lives by restoring and revitalizing music education in under-served public schools across the country, currently serving more than 185,000 children in 29 cities. The organization partners with school districts to train public school teachers in their innovative curriculum and also donates all of the instruments and resources necessary to run rockin’ music programs. The curriculum is rooted in teaching kids to perform, improvise and compose the popular musical styles that kids already know and love, like pop, rock, hip hop, blues, country, reggae, and funk. Little Kids Rock inspires children to express themselves through music – building the creativity, confidence, and self-esteem that are critical to success in school and beyond.

Founded in 2002 by a former elementary school teacher and based near New York City, Little Kids Rock has become the largest music education organization of its kind – a dynamic, fast-paced organization, staffed by passionate individuals who care deeply about children. With steady growth for the past twelve years, an operating budget of $5M+, and a staff of 20+, Little Kids Rock is poised and ready for substantial growth over the next 3-5 years, including currently undergoing a rebranding effort that will help the organization evolve. With each new school district, teacher and child that becomes part of the Little Kids Rock program, the organization is one step closer to realizing its goal of transforming music education in this country and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to become a music maker regardless of socioeconomic circumstances.

Position Overview

The Grants Manager is one member of a three-person institutional funding team that currently generates in excess of $1,900,000 annually. Under the guidance of the Director of Institutional Giving, the Grants Manager is responsible for the overall management of a portfolio of institutional funders, including stewarding relationships with current grantors and institutional donors, and researching and cultivating prospective grantors and institutional donors to generate $2.6M in requests annually, with a target yield of $500,000 in grant commitments.

Supervision Structure

Reports to Director of Institutional Giving.

Responsibilities

Writing proposals, letters of inquiry, briefing materials for meetings and site visits, internal memos, budgets, and other documents;
Assuring compliance with current grants in the portfolio by monitoring grant reporting requirements and preparing narrative and financial reports as appropriate;
Drafting of funding partnership agreements for special projects, where required;
Managing a portfolio of funders and prospects and the calendar of activities and correspondence for each grantor/donor contact;
Implementing a schedule of cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities for each contact in the portfolio.
Coordinating the review and distribution of funder proposals and reports to Program and Development staff and volunteer leadership, as required;
Maintaining active and current records for donors and prospects in the portfolio, and identifying and vetting potential funders, in order to develop the portfolio to keep pace with programmatic and budget growth;
Conducting and compiling external research on youth development, mentoring, and arts education organizations to strengthen and update case statements, and maintaining an updated set of supporting materials;
Processing approved grants in database, preparing grantor acknowledgments, and liaising with finance and program staff to coordinate bookkeeping allocations;
Maintaining electronic and hardcopy documentation for all grant correspondence;
Supporting organization-wide and development initiatives.

Qualifications

Proven track record of at least three (3) years of successful grantsmanship, which includes writing and interaction with funders.
Proven superior writing skills with a concise, clear, and compelling style overall. Able to adapt personal writing style to capture the voice of Little Kids Rock and tell Little Kids Rock’s story;
Ability to manage all aspects of proposal development, from conceptualization to submission. Similarly, ability to manage all aspects of grant reporting, from data compilation to submission;
Working knowledge of budgets and the budgeting process;
Demonstrated knowledge of foundation and corporate grant processes, funding sources, and nonprofit fundraising principles;
Proven relationship management skills in interacting with funders, volunteers, and colleagues;
Commitment to team collaboration and effective communication;
Goal-oriented, with ability to work independently and with organizational and time management skills required to thrive amid multiple objectives and deadlines;
Flexible and adaptive to changing priorities and new opportunities;
Exceptional attention to detail, and strong proofreading skills;
Excellent research skills;
Workplace experience using donor databases such as Raiser’s Edge or Salesforce;
Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and the Internet;
Passion for the field of music education and for providing opportunities for young people growing up in underserved communities.

Flexibility to attend evening and weekend development events on an as needed basis.

Ideal Attributes

A shared passion for Little Kids Rock’s mission, pedagogy and the unique value of arts education to serve underserved youth;
Matchless integrity and ethics;
Ability to think big, while providing tangible, constructive suggestions to improve the organization and support its growth objectives;
Inspirational, with a talent for leading by example, as well as motivating and empowering others to reach goals;
High “emotional IQ”, with self-awareness, ability to manage own emotions, and skill in handling relationships;
A skilled collaborator, who considers diverse opinions and integrates them into creative and effective solutions;
A desire to grow with the organization;
A sense of fun, wonder and humor and an undeniable passion for the work of Little Kids Rock;
Passionate about popular music and actively connected to popular culture;

A true love for working within a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, and results-oriented culture;

High energy, enthusiasm, and a can-do attitude.

Compensation

Salary and benefits are competitive and depend on experience.

Location and Travel

Little Kids Rock is located in Verona, NJ (19 mi. west of Manhattan/New York City). No regular travel required for this postion, but flexibility to travel is desired for offsite development events, as needed.

How to apply

Application Process

Please email cover letter and résumé to gina@littlekidsrock.org with “Grants Manager” in the subject line. In the email please briefly state: relevant experience (including number of years of experience) and distinguishing characteristic that makes you an ideal candidate for this position. Please submit your application early, and be prepared to provide references. Early submission recommended. For more information about our work, please visit our website: www.littlekidsrock.org. No phone calls, please.

Little Kids Rock is committed to recruiting and maintaining a diverse staff; individuals from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Little Kids Rock does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parenthood, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

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