Description

Position Description

El Puente seeks an experienced Grants and Fundraising professional who will be responsible for the stewardship and oversight of the organization’s growing institutional funding portfolio. This position reports directly to the Executive Director, works closely with the Board of Directors and senior management team. The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-paced, flexible, team-oriented environment, and is motivated by challenges. They will be able to manage multiple priorities and create systems to improve the organization's development process. They will be able to build relationships and create collaborations, and they have passion for social justice and will understand how movement and community building work is served by diverse funding sources.

Who we are:

Founded in 1982, El Puente is a youth centered organization that uses the arts and education to advance social and environmental justice. Its mission is to inspire and nurture leadership for peace and justice, working as a human rights institution in NYC and Puerto Rico with national and international impact. El Puente creates community-led movements of self determination through a holistic leadership and membership program model, as a high impact youth and community development organization. As a staff member of El Puente, the Grants and Fundraising Manager is expected to uphold and work within the mission, philosophy and principles of the organization.

Responsibilities:

The Grants and Fundraising Manager’s responsibilities will include:

Planning and Strategy:

• Directing El Puente’s short- and long-term fundraising planning, including the development of new strategies and approaches.

Foundations:

• Maintaining and expanding the current grants portfolio, including identifying new funders, strengthening current relationships, grant writing developing new ways of promoting El Puente’s programs for continued support.

Individual Donors:

• Identifying, cultivating, and directing the solicitation of major donors (in cooperation with El Puente’s Executive Director and Board members);

• Developing and implementing donor recognition and cultivation mechanisms at all levels;

• Institutionalizing annual appeals and newsletters in collaboration with the Communications Coordinator;

Government:

• Supporting the Director of Administration in maintaining and expanding a diverse array of government grants, including identifying new opportunities and strengthening and enhancing relationships especially for discretionary grants.

Corporations:

• Developing and maintaining relationships with socially responsible corporate funders and friends, including events-based corporate funding as well as grants-based support;

• Researching and developing a roster of potential corporate sources.

Systems Development:

• Managing donor tracking database and other fundraising systems;

Other:

• Participate in professional development and organizational trainings

• Support programs and campaigns aligned with the organization's mission as requested

• Other tasks as assigned

Qualifications

Qualities of the Successful Candidate:

• Strategic thinker: ability to set priorities, balance short term and long term objectives and organize contacts to lay the basis for long term relationships

• Ability to choose the right fundraising strategy and targets from among many options

• Leadership and patience marked by the ability to balance competing interests and ideas among essential constituencies including other staff, board members and funders

• Impeccable follow-through

• The ability to work independently as well as collectively

• Creative development vision, including the capacity to work with others to generate new ideas and have a sense of humor and perspective

• Comfortable working within and for Latino communities

Experience:

• Excellent communication and writing skills

• Experience in fundraising for issues involving the arts, public health and/or education focused on community/youth development preferred

• Understanding of fundraising within the social justice community

• Demonstrated experience in donor cultivation

• Demonstrated experience in foundation and corporate grantsmanship

• Demonstrated experience in motivating board member involvement in fundraising

• Experience in project management and the skill of working with others to attain development goals

• Preferred experience in working as part of senior management team

• Spanish-speaking preferred but not required.

COVID-19 considerations:

All new hires must submit proof of vaccination.

Location:

This is a full-time position based in Brooklyn, NY.

Salary and Benefits:

$80k annual salary and benefits package, including health and retirement.

El Puente is an equal opportunity employer and committed to a staff that reflects the communities we serve. We strongly encourage and seek applications from women, people of color, DREAMers, as well as members of the LGBTQIA communities.