WORK FOR AN AWARD-WINNING NON-PROFIT SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

Job Title: Senior Grant Writer/Fund Development Officer
Industry: Non-profit/International Development
Job Location: U.S. – preferably Denver, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. or New York City
Start Date: To begin immediately
Term: At-will, full-time employment
Salary: Competitive, based on experience

WHO WE ARE
Founded in 2004, Build Change is an innovative international non‐profit social enterprise whose mission is to save lives in earthquakes and hurricanes. We do that by designing disaster-resistant houses and schools; training homeowners, builders, engineers and government officials to build them; working with governments to develop and implement building standards; partnering with the private sector to improve building materials quality and create jobs; and facilitating access to incentive-based capital for reconstruction and retrofitting by partnering with financing institutions and government subsidy programs.

Build Change is the recipient of multiple awards, including a 2017 Skoll Foundation Award for Social Entrepreneurship, OpenIDEO Urban Resilience Challenge Winner, and was a top three finalist in IBM’s inaugural Call for Code Developer Challenge in 2018.

To learn more about us and our programs in Indonesia, Colombia, Guatemala, the Philippines, Nepal and the Caribbean, visit www.buildchange.org.

YOUR NEW OPPORTUNITY
As Senior Grant Writer of Build Change, you will lead Build Change’s grant fundraising efforts. You will develop, diversify and execute Build Change’s grant strategy and annual tactical plan, with a primary focus on prevention or pre-disaster mitigation programs. As a member of the development team, you will contribute to strategic planning and budgeting as well as support the CEO and your peers within our country programs by providing them with creative partnership strategies. You will also have the opportunity to work with the CEO, senior management team and board members in preparation for donor meetings and other fund development events and to collaborate with related staff of supporting foundations and partners.

You are prepared to manage research, position, write, cultivate and win grant proposals for a diverse set of donors and funders including development agencies (USAID, UNDP, UNOPS), development banks (The World Bank, Asian Development Bank), relief agencies (American Red Cross, Mercy Corps) and a myriad of foundations and corporate partners. You are also excited by the challenge to secure over US$1M in grants or contracts in the first year, growing that to over US$2.5M per year over the first three years.

The Senior Grant Writer also holds the responsibility for preparation of fund development pipeline reports and partnership tracking reports as well as management of Salesforce and other CRM tools. You will report directly to the CEO and COO until a Director of Fund Development is added to our team. You will also collaborate with the Director of Marketing & Communications and other Build Change staff.

Responsibilities

• Perform grant and award research, cultivation, positioning and proposal writing for unrestricted and restricted funding from foundations, HNWIs, corporations and other agencies. Identify and successfully obtain grants and/or contracts to expand Build Change's programs.
• Reach out to private companies, NGOs and institutional donors, and hold meetings to introduce Build Change and/or follow up on current partnerships. Take the lead to promote and advocate for Build Change's engineering services and training programs to other agencies and potential partners.
• Represent Build Change when developing relationships and collaborating with governments, local Government bodies, donor representatives, private sector stakeholders, as well as development operators, including NGOs and UN agencies.
• Oversee research for CEO, senior staff, and board members for fund development meetings. Manage current and potential list of prospective grant donors, including overseeing the updating of contact information and notes in Salesforce and management of a proposal calendar on Gmail.
• Write and maintain correspondence including concept notes, proposals, reports, and introductions.
• Maintain consistent communications with all program sites regarding program updates and fund development activities. Produce regular progress reports on impact monitoring framework and results.

OUR IDEAL CANDIDATE:

You have:

• A proven record of raising at least $1M per year in funds from institutional partners.
• Superior, professional and versatile writing, presentation, and communication skills with the ability to adapt based on audience. (You will be required to submit two writing samples, at least one of which will need to be a grant proposal.)
• The ability to work independently and focus on details in addition to big-picture strategies, and also to actively lead and contribute to team goals.

Your experience includes:

• 5-7 years’ experience in grant writing, grant compliance or a related field.
• An advanced University degree in journalism, marketing, public relations, communications or a related field.
• Professional experience in proposal writing for an international non-profit social enterprise or similar private sector business, with a proven record of winning grants and exceeding fundraising or business development goals.

You are able to:

• Speak passionately, both verbally and in writing, about Build Change’s mission.
• Work independently with little direction, including some evenings and weekends.
• Competently manage donor data management systems, primarily Salesforce.
• Demonstrate excellent written, interpersonal communication and networking skills.
• Provide writing samples that showcase clear, precise, and compelling grant writing skills.

You would describe yourself as:

• Committed to the mission of providing financing for resilient housing construction and retrofitting to vulnerable communities.
• Pro-active, self-motivated, and able to work independently while also contributing fully as a team member.
• Detail-oriented, organized, and deadline-driven with the ability to effectively and compellingly communicate to various audiences.
• Drama-free, optimistic, flexible, humble, patient, and having a good sense of humor.
• Fluent in English.

And maybe you also:

• Have worked in the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia or emerging nations.
• Have experience in international development or engineering consulting.
• Understand basic engineering and construction principles.
• Speak Spanish, French or any of the languages spoken in our program countries.

ARE YOU INTERESTED?

Then please visit www.buildchange.org/about/careers and select the link for this position. Applications will be accepted until filled and will be reviewed as received. Qualified women and citizens of Build Change’s program countries are strongly encouraged to apply. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. No calls please.