Director of Grants and Strategic Partnerships

Overview

Position Summary

The Grant Writer plays a critical role in sustaining and expanding Newark Community Street Team’s (NCST) mission to reduce violence, support survivors, and promote community healing. This position is responsible for managing the entire grant lifecycle, from identifying funding opportunities and developing competitive proposals to ensuring post-award compliance and reporting.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, deadline-driven, and skilled in translating complex community-based programming into compelling, fundable narratives that attract support from federal, state, and private funders.

Core Responsibilities

Grant Lifecycle Management

• Research and identify local, state, federal, and private funding opportunities aligned with NCST’s mission and strategic priorities. Proactively research and qualify opportunities for programmatic initiatives and operational/general operating support (GOS/unrestricted), including capacity-building, infrastructure, capital/equipment, and planning grants.
• Develop and manage a comprehensive calendar tracking deadlines for LOIs, RFIs, proposals, renewals, and narrative reports due. Write, edit, and submit LOIs, RFIs, concept notes, full proposals, and ancillary narratives (organizational capacity, leadership, governance, equity, indirect/overhead rationale for operational grants, sustainability).
• Write, edit, and submit high-quality letters of intent (LOIs), requests for information (RFIs), concept papers, and full proposals that effectively convey NCST’s mission, outcomes, and impact.
• Gather and organize all required attachments (budgets, MOUs, financials, certifications, job descriptions, resumes, etc.), ensuring accuracy, formatting compliance, and completeness as per grant application requirements. This includes, not limited to- budgets, budget narratives, audited financials, 990, UEI/SAM, board list, policies, resumes, org-wide operating budgets and up to date program operating budgets), ensuring accuracy and formatting to funder specs.

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• Coordinate the entire submission process from start to finish, including obtaining internal approvals, signatures, and uploading to electronic grant portals.
• Maintain organized digital and physical records of all grant submissions, correspondence, awards, reports, and compliance documentation.
• Draft and submit interim and final performance and financial reports in collaboration with program and finance teams.
• Respond promptly to funder requests, schedule and prepare for site visits, and maintain professional communication to strengthen relationships and renewals.

• Strategic and Collaborative Development
• Partner with the COO and Executive Director to develop long-term funding strategies, identify diversification opportunities, and expand NCST’s grant portfolio.
• Collaborate with program directors (e.g., Trauma Recovery Center, Survivor Assistance Network, High-Risk Intervention, Safe Passage, CCRT, HVIP, ORT and Education/Workforce Development) to develop compelling, data-informed proposals).
• Align program narratives with measurable outcomes, data, and budgets to ensure consistency between narrative and fiscal sections.
• Create standardized templates, maintain a repository of organizational materials, and contribute to the development of narrative banks for future use.
• Collect impact stories, data points, and community outcomes to strengthen NCST’s storytelling and funder reports.
• Expanded scope for a higher salary:In addition to all standard grant-writing duties, candidates compensated within the higher salary range will assume additional leadership and strategic responsibilities, including:Special Projects and Oversight Oversee and maintain NCST’s donor and grant management database (DonorPerfect), ensuring accurate data entry, review, and monitoring, support staff may be available depending on need.
• Co-lead the annual grant portfolio review, collaborating with the Executive Team to prioritize high-yield opportunities and renewal strategies.
• Support the Executive Team in developing long-term sustainability frameworks, donor pipelines, and organizational growth strategies.
• Partner with members of NCST’s communications and data teams to develop compelling success stories, funder briefs, and impact reports that highlight program outcomes and community transformation.

• Maintain a centralized funder tracking document, including all communications, to ensure accurate tracking, transparency, and easy access for review.

Pay: $68,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person

Salary : $68,000 - $90,000