What are the responsibilities and job description for the Grants Manager position at YFC Northern Indiana?
Company Description
Youth for Christ Northern Indiana has been serving young people for over 75 years, sharing the hope of Jesus Christ with those who feel lost and alone. Across schools, community centers, and juvenile facilities, staff and volunteers meet students in their world—urban and rural—so they know they are seen, known, and valued. Through consistent care and trust, young people begin to realize that someone believes in them—and ultimately, that Jesus does too. As students come to know Christ, their lives are transformed, and their futures are changed.
Role Description
The Grants Manager is responsible for managing the full lifecycle of foundation, corporate, and government grants for Youth for Christ of Northern Indiana (YFC). This includes prospect research, proposal development, submission tracking, reporting, and relationship support. The role ensures that grants are accurate, compelling, and timely, aligned with YFC’s ministry strategy and funding priorities.
Roles and Responsibilities
1. Grant Strategy & Portfolio Management
- Develop and maintain a strategic grants calendar aligned with organizational funding priorities.
- Identify funding gaps and proactively pursue institutional funding opportunities to support Campus Life, Juvenile Justice Ministry, and City Life programming.
- Maintain a balanced portfolio of local, regional, and national foundation prospects.
- Track renewal cycles and recommend cultivation strategies for current funders.
2. Grant Prospect Research
- Conduct ongoing research to identify new foundation, corporate, and government grant opportunities aligned with YFCNIN’s mission.
- Evaluate prospects based on fit, capacity, giving history, and likelihood of funding.
- Monitor foundation trends, RFP announcements, and community foundation cycles.
3. Proposal Development & Writing
- Write compelling, accurate, and mission-aligned grant proposals.
- Translate ministry outcomes, 3Story engagement, and spiritual formation impact into measurable objectives and results.
- Collaborate with ministry staff to gather program narratives, testimonials, outcomes data, budgets, and implementation details.
- Work with Finance to develop and validate program budgets.
- Ensure proposals align with funder guidelines and submission requirements.
4. Grant Reporting & Compliance
- Track all reporting deadlines and ensure timely submission of interim and final reports.
- Gather qualitative stories and quantitative metrics from ministry teams.
- Ensure grant compliance, including restricted funding usage tracking in collaboration with Finance.
- Maintain organized digital grant files for audit and board review purposes.