Grant Manager

Organization Background 

The Wolf River Conservancy, a nationally accredited land trust founded in 1985 as a grassroots advocacy organization, is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the Wolf River and its watershed as a sustainable natural resource. Through the cooperation of landowners and the generosity of the local community, the WRC has protected 20,000 acres of sensitive wetlands, which provide habitats for a variety of plants, trees, grasses, and flowers and a rich wildlife population. Lands have been protected through direct purchases, donations, and conservation easements. 

General Position Summary 

The Grants Manager is a highly organized, relationship-focused professional responsible for managing the Wolf River Conservancy’s grant program throughout the full grant lifecycle, including prospect research, proposal development, award administration, reporting, renewal, and closeout. The Grants Manager serves as the central coordinator for grant activity across the organization, ensuring that opportunities align with organizational priorities, submissions and reports are completed on time, grant requirements are communicated clearly, and funder relationships are stewarded with professionalism and care. The Grants Manager owns the coordination and administration of the grant process; department leaders are responsible for providing accurate program information, outcomes, budgets, expenditures, and supporting documentation within established internal deadlines. 

Position Status: Full-Time 

Reports to: Chief Development Officer 

Coordinates with: Executive Director, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Conservation Officer, Land Stewardship Coordinator and Outreach Manager 

Salary Range: $60,000 - $65,000 annually 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Grant Management 

• Serve as the central point of coordination and accountability for the organization’s grant portfolio. 

• Manage the grant calendar, submission schedule, reporting deadlines, renewal dates, and closeout requirements. 

• Coordinate the full grant lifecycle, including prospect qualification, applications, agreement review, awards, amendments, reporting, renewals, and closeout. 

• Facilitate grant kickoff meetings to communicate budgets, deliverables, restrictions, documentation requirements, and internal responsibilities. 

• Maintain accurate grant records, revenue projections, probability-weighted pipeline forecasts, and renewal timelines. 

• Produce monthly grant revenue, pipeline, and compliance reports for organizational leadership. 

• Develop, document, and continuously improve grant-management workflows and internal controls. 

Proposal Development 

• Draft, coordinate, and submit competitive grant proposals, letters of inquiry, corporate funding requests, and post-award reports. 

• Translate organizational priorities and program information into clear, persuasive, funder-focused narratives. 

• Obtain program descriptions, measurable outcomes, budgets, timelines, and supporting materials from Lands, Outreach, Finance, and other departments. 

• Coordinate internal review and approval of proposals and budgets before submission. 

• Maintain a current library of organizational information, program narratives, outcomes, statistics, attachments, and standard proposal language. 

Compliance and Reporting 

• Review grant agreements and communicate all financial, programmatic, recognition, and reporting requirements to responsible staff. 

• Monitor compliance with grant agreements in partnership with Finance and program leads. 

• Track grant expenditures against approved budgets and coordinate budget modifications when necessary. 

• Coordinate the collection of receipts, invoices, performance data, photographs, and other required documentation. 

• Identify potential reporting, spending, or compliance issues early and coordinate corrective action with leadership. 

• Maintain complete, accurate, and audit-ready grant files. 

Research and Strategy 

• Research and qualify public, private, corporate, and foundation funding opportunities aligned with organizational priorities. 

• Evaluate opportunities based on mission alignment, eligibility, competitiveness, funding potential, restrictions, and staff capacity. 

• Support development of the annual grants strategy, revenue goals, and pipeline plan. 

• Prepare grant status reports and dashboards for leadership and the Board. 

• Help cultivate and steward relationships with current and prospective funders in coordination with the Chief Development Officer and Executive Director. 

Required Background and Experience 

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience. 

• Three or more years of experience in grant administration, fundraising, nonprofit development, project management, or a related field. 

• Grant writing or grant management experience preferred. 

• Knowledge of fundraising principles, grant compliance, donor stewardship, and nonprofit best practices strongly preferred. 

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to write clearly, communicate effectively, and build strong working relationships across departments and with external funders. 

• Self-motivated and proactive, with the ability to work independently, take initiative, and consistently move projects forward with minimal supervision. 

• Strong interpersonal skills with a collaborative approach to working with colleagues, volunteers, funders, and community partners. 

• Demonstrated ability to anticipate needs, solve problems, and follow through on commitments. 

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and donor/ grant management systems like Instrumental and Bloomerang. 

• A multi-tasker who can wear many hats in a fast-paced environment 

• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and dedication to the mission of the Conservancy 

Work Environment & Physical Requirements* 

• Standing and/or sitting for long periods of time. 

• Continuous verbal communication and visual activity to effectively manage others. 

• Continuous manual dexterity to type, operate a computer, and operate a phone. 

• Primarily an in-office position, with the option to work remotely on Wednesdays. 

• Occasional reaching, lifting, pushing, and/or pulling up to 50 pounds. 

• Occasional outdoor work to visit events (educational and recreational programs and activities, service projects, etc.) and properties where good physical condition, vision, and hearing are required. 

• Driving to sites requires personal vehicle use (Note: mileage reimbursed). 

• Occasional outdoor work and site visits related to Conservancy events, programs, service projects, and protected properties; may include exposure to varying weather conditions and natural outdoor hazards. 

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the person assigned to this position. They should not be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed. 

*Note 

Wolf River Conservancy, Inc. will modify these requirements to reasonably accommodate employees with disabilities. 

How to Apply 

Please submit a cover letter and résumé to wrc@wolfriver.org. 

Qualified candidates will be contacted for a brief phone interview. Selected candidates will then be invited to an in-person interview at the Wolf River Conservancy office.