Grants Specialist

Our Mission: We are driven by our mission to foster hope in God by closing the achievement gap and preparing our students for college and beyond. We are fueled by our love for God and his care for every one of our students which motivates us to get better every day. Hope Academy serves over 650 students with the objective of reaching 1200 students. Join our team of mission-driven brothers and sisters to work hard, do good, and make a difference.

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Very Important: Before applying please read and carefully review our Mission & Values as well as our Faith & Life Covenant, and our Guiding Principles about Cultural Harmony. All board members, faculty and staff are joining a covenant community in serving here at Hope Academy.

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The Grants Specialist is responsible for leading and managing all aspects of Hope Academy’s pursuit of grant funding. This position oversees the full grant lifecycle, including identifying opportunities, preparing proposals, coordinating internal data collection, ensuring compliance, submitting required reports, and cultivating strong relationships with funders. The Grants Specialist plays a key role in securing philanthropic support that advances the mission and strategic priorities of Hope Academy.

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Grant Strategy and Development

• Research, identify, and evaluate new grant opportunities that align with Hope Academy’s mission, programs, and strategic priorities.
• Develop an annual grants strategy designed to maximize funding opportunities and strengthen long-term partnerships with foundations and institutional funders.
• Maintain awareness of trends in philanthropy, education funding, and grantmaking priorities.

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Proposal Writing and Submission

• Write, edit, and submit approximately 20 to 25 high-quality grant proposals annually.
• Prepare compelling narratives, budgets, attachments, and supporting documentation for all grant submissions.
• Ensure proposals are accurate, persuasive, timely, and tailored to each funder’s priorities and requirements.

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Grant Management and Compliance

• Manage the complete grant lifecycle, including prospecting, application tracking, reporting, renewals, and stewardship.
• Ensure all grant requirements, deadlines, reporting standards, and compliance expectations are met.
• Maintain accurate grant records, agreements, and documentation.

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Collaboration and Data Management

• Partner with school leaders, program staff, finance, and advancement team members to gather data, outcomes, stories, and program updates needed for proposals and reports.
• Translate internal data and program impact into compelling narratives for external audiences.
• Maintain a centralized grants calendar, tracking system, and shared document repository.

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Funder Stewardship and Communication

• Support ongoing communication and relationship management with foundation partners and institutional funders in partnership with Advancement Team members
• Assist in stewarding current funders through timely updates, acknowledgments, and impact reporting.

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Required Qualifications

• Three to five years of experience in grant writing, grants management, or nonprofit development 
• Proven success in writing competitive grant proposals and managing reporting processes.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
• Strong internet research skills, including familiarity with online charity and foundation databases.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• High attention to detail, strong organizational ability, and capacity to manage multiple deadlines.
• Ability to work independently while also collaborating effectively across departments.

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Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree 
• Experience with Virtuous or other CRM/database systems 

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• $55,000-$60,000 depending on experience.
• Full benefits eligible.