Director of Grants Strategy

Why Join JVS?   

JVS is a nonprofit working to close opportunity gaps in employment by supporting jobseekers with the skills and confidence to secure quality careers with family-sustaining wages. Grounded in core values of repairing the world and focused on helping our program participants achieve economic mobility, we believe everyone deserves access to training and the chance for a good job. JVS develops training programs in close partnership with employers in high growth sectors, offering high quality jobs.  

Building on decades of experience and success, JVS is a data-driven organization that takes a whole systems approach to addressing employment and economic equity. Through our direct service programs, employer engagement and policy change, JVS is working toward a future where everyone has access to quality education and training programs that lead to high quality employment and economic mobility. 

The Role  
The Director of Grants Strategy is a leadership role responsible for driving corporate, foundation, and government fundraising strategies, managing a collaborative team, and securing transformational support for JVS’s priorities. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, this role directly oversees one direct report, the Grants Manager, and leads efforts to design, implement, and scale a comprehensive institutional fundraising strategy across corporate engagement, foundation relations, and government grants in order for the grants team to raise approximately $10m per year.

This position offers a unique opportunity to expand JVS’s institutional giving program, increasing impact through innovative partnerships and multi-year strategic funding initiatives. The Director of Grants Strategy will play a key role in shaping the future of institutional and governmental philanthropy at JVS, ensuring strong alignment with organizational goals while positioning the organization for long-term growth and sustainability.

Scope 
Strategic Leadership & Program Development

• Design and implement a multi-year strategy to increase funding across corporate, foundation, and government sources, with a goal of doubling institutional revenue over the next four years.
• Manage and coach the Grants Manager, setting performance goals and supporting professional growth
• Up-level current institutional giving with an emphasis on corporate philanthropy, partnering with the Director of Individual Giving and Special Events, integrating innovative fundraising approaches and leveraging community partners.
• Collaborate with the Chief Development Officer (CDO) and senior leadership to identify programmatic funding gap areas and to ensure alignment between restricted and unrestricted funding strategies, supporting the organization’s overall revenue goals.
• Partner with internal teams to elevate JVS’s visibility within the philanthropic and corporate sectors, fostering relationships that drive transformational impact.
• Implement complex, cross-functional grant management systems that enhance collaboration between programs and finance staff, ensuring streamlined tracking, compliance, and reporting.
• Collaborate with the Finance team to forecast potential revenue streams with accurate probabilities, supporting sustainable financial planning.

• Oversee a diverse grant portfolio and lead the team in managing the full lifecycle of institutional fundraising, including prospect identification, solicitation, proposal development, and stewardship.
• Lead the Grants team in working closely with Program and Finance teams to ensure successful grant management, compliance, and reporting for government and foundation grants.
• Work cross-functionally to guide strategy for developing, maintaining, and expanding relationships with key foundation funders; creating multi-year funding strategies; and positioning JVS as a leader in workforce development.
• Lead efforts to identify new funding sources, cultivating and securing six- and seven-figure institutional gifts that advance strategic initiatives.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the local philanthropic landscape, leveraging relationships and funding trends to drive institutional support and strategic partnerships.

• Build upon, refine, and manage the corporate giving strategy in partnership with the Development and Business Development teams, cultivating relationships with companies to secure sponsorships, cause-marketing partnerships, and employee engagement opportunities.
• Create customized corporate giving opportunities, ensuring alignment between corporate social responsibility (CSR) priorities and JVS’s mission.
• Drive innovative revenue-generating initiatives, exploring emerging trends in impact investing, sustainability partnerships, and cross-sector collaborations.

• In collaboration with the Program team, support JVS’s government grants strategy, ensuring alignment with funding priorities at the local, state, and federal levels.
• Along with the Grants Manager, partner with Program teams to identify new public funding opportunities and advocate for investments in workforce development.
• Work cross-functionally to guide strategy in developing compelling proposals for major public funding opportunities, ensuring compliance with government grant requirements.
• Identify and secure funding opportunities from state and local ballot measures, ensuring JVS maximizes public sector funding aligned with its mission.
• Develop a strategic approach to tracking, applying for, and managing public funding, working closely with government agencies and advocacy groups.
• Ensure contract compliance and effective reporting for publicly allocated funds, strengthening the organization's ability to secure future proposition funding.

• Review and refine current system for tracking the progress of submitted grants, analyzing outcomes, and providing insights for future improvement.
• Integrate tools and processes to facilitate real-time collaboration among team members both within the grants team and within the broader organization as a whole, allowing for seamless sharing of insights and feedback.
• Review and refine standardized templates and checklists for grant applications to ensure consistency and reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks.
• Implement AI-driven writing assistants to help draft grant proposals, ensuring clarity, coherence, and adherence to guidelines.
• Utilize AI-powered tools to gather and analyze relevant data, identify potential funding opportunities, and track trends in grant requirements.

• Establish structured professional development opportunities for the grants team, including access to industry conferences, leadership training, and continuing education.
• Foster a culture of learning and innovation within the Grants team, ensuring staff remain at the cutting edge of fundraising best practices.

• 10 years of progressive experience in institutional fundraising, government grants and public funding, corporate partnerships, or philanthropic development, with a track record of securing six- and seven-figure gifts.
• Proven ability to develop and execute strategic fundraising plans, leading efforts that drive revenue growth and increase institutional support.
• Strong management experience, including the ability to coach, mentor, and develop a high-performing team.
• Exceptional relationship-building and communication skills, with the ability to engage and inspire diverse stakeholders including funders, corporate partners, and board members, with a focus on collaboration and team leadership.
• Expertise in corporate philanthropy, foundation fundraising, and government grants, with the ability to navigate complex funding landscapes.
• Experience managing a large portfolio of funders, overseeing grant writing, donor communications, and impact reporting.
• Knowledge of Salesforce or similar donor database systems preferred.
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage complex campaigns and competing priorities.
• Knowledge of donor and funder stewardship best practices and multi-year pledge management.
• Knowledge of AI or other tools that can be leveraged to grow grants team volume preferred but not required

• Annual Salary: $125,000 - $145,000  
• 100% covered medical and dental plans for the employee  
• Accrued sixteen (16) days of Vacation accrued ten (10) days of Paid Sick Leave 
• Paid federal and Jewish holidays  
• 3% 403(b) retirement contribution match and 3% non-elective contribution 
• Healthcare and Dependent Care FSA  
• Pet Insurance Discounts 
• Employee Assistance Program  
• Professional development opportunities and $500 Work-From-Home stipend 
• The expectation for this role is to work in our San Francisco office and/or worksites on a hybrid work schedule; JVS does not provide relocation packages
• 4 Day Work Week

 
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, JVS is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. We welcome diverse applicants. Please let us know if you need accommodations or auxiliary aids for the interview process

Salary : $125,000 - $145,000