Grants & Fund Development Specialist

To apply: Please send a cover letter and resume to tbehnke@wiscap.org by December 1, 2025.

Summary Responsibilities:

Reporting to the Director of Programs & Operations and with guidance from the Executive Director, this position has the primary responsibility of managing WISCAP’s Workforce Innovation Grant, Diaper Distribution Research Pilot, and developing effective multi-sectoral partnerships that further the mission of Community Action Agencies to alleviate poverty in Wisconsin and move families toward increased economic security. The position assists WISCAP and member organizations by advocating on federal and state legislation and policy issues affecting low-income people and programs.

In addition to the grants listed above this position will help secure new resources to increase the capacity of the network to operate programs, provide technical assistance and training to members and partner agencies to improve program quality, conduct relevant research and data collection, serves as liaison to other agencies and organizations, participates in marketing and program promotion, and provide staff support to the Board of Directors and its relevant Committees & Roundtables.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Resource Development:

• Identify potential new resources of institutional funding.
• Responsibility for drafting grant applications and reports.
• Gather necessary information for the application and reporting process, including production of budgets through collaboration with other employees and consultants.
• Coordinate the monitoring and evaluation of programs and projects that are funded by grants.
• Facilitate communication touch points with funders and donors.
• Develop and maintain files on grants and paperwork connected to programs funded by grants.
• Work collaboratively with our accountants on tracking usage of grant funds.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Serve as Liaison:

• Serve as liaison to relevant federal & state agencies, community organizations, businesses and foundations on program & policy matters relating to the Job and Business Development Program (DWD), Skills Enhancement Program (DCF), W2 (DCF), CSBG programming (DCF), childcare initiatives (DCF), transportation (DOT) apprenticeship partnerships (DWD, organized labor), schools of business administration, and other issue areas and sectors as assigned.

Manage WISCAP Grants:

• Workforce Innovation Grant (WIG) – Manage the “Increasing Wisconsin’s Nursing Workforce” by working with agency partners and subrecipients to ensure program participation at the agency level; support partners as they identify, recruit, screen, interview and enroll participants; conduct site visits and monitoring of subrecipients; process funding reimbursement requests from subrecipients and submit to WISCAP fiscal staff for payment; gather and compile data and create comprehensive reports for funders and the WISCAP Board of Directors; ensure contract compliance with funding source and prepare subcontracts for subrecipients and ensure subrecipient contract compliance.
• Diaper Distribution Research Pilot (DDRP) – Manage the DDRP by working with agency partners and subrecipients to ensure program participation at the agency level, process funding reimbursement requests from subrecipients and submit to WISCAP fiscal staff for payment; gather and compile data and create comprehensive reports for funders and the WISCAP Board of Directors; ensure contract compliance with funding source and prepare subcontracts for subrecipients and ensure subrecipient contract compliance.
• Community Reinvestment Act- In the past two years, WISCAP has received support from Associated Bank to support low and moderate-income communities through CAP agency programming, including in the areas of small business and workforce development. This position will manage the reporting requirements and outreach to member agency sub-grantees and seek to expand CRA opportunities and agreements with other financial institutions.
• Provide Technical Assistance: Provide technical assistance to member agencies to improve their capacity, services, resources and outcomes to low-income clients in WISCAP program areas. This includes providing staff support to Roundtables to ensure quality peer-exchange training & technical assistance, developing manuals, materials, publications, and resource information for WISCAP's website and other relevant activities. Identify member agency needs for training. Attend relevant local, regional, and national conferences to maintain knowledge of rules & regulations, best practices, research, and policy developments that impact network activities.

Knowledge. Skills and Abilities Required:

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university and minimum of 3 years of progressively responsible experience in organizational development, grant writing, or grants management.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; presentation and public speaking skills, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively with people at all levels of the association and its partners (co-workers, member agency executives, board members and staff, state and federal officials, partner organizations, etc.) and persons of all racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to use office technology and demonstrate proficiency in office, communications, and business software applications.
• Availability to represent agency at events which may include brief in-state/out-of-state travel. Weekend and evening functions when necessary although rare.
• Flexibility and willingness to take on additional duties/responsibilities and handle multiple tasks/projects with shifting priorities in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment.
• Self-starter who can work independently with minimal direct supervision and who can at the same time work well with a team.
• Ability to manage data with accuracy and confidentiality.
• Organized, responsive, analytical, and attentive to detail.
• An understanding of poverty, the needs of low-income people and an understanding and appreciation for the opportunities provided by Community Action to help people leave poverty.

As a member of the WISCAP Team you’ll enjoy the following benefits:

• Competitive Health, Dental, Workers Compensation, Short Term Disability and 401k benefits
• Hybrid work flexibility
• Up to 4 weeks Paid Vacation per year (On accrual basis) and Sick Time (On accrual basis)
• 10 Paid Holidays