Job Description

Job Responsibilities:

Development and Communications Senior Associate (Grant Writer)

WISCONSIN COMMUNITY SERVICES INC.

Combine your leadership and research skills with your exceptional ability to writ e , edit , proofrea d , fundraise , and communicat e . These skills will aid your contribut ion to a 110-year-old nonprofit, human service organization. As a senior member of an established development and communications team, join us in our collaboration with human service administrators to:

• • Conceptualize and develop high level, complex proposals
• • Develop and write agreed upon funding proposals and applications to government entities (federal, state, county and city), foundations, United Way and other funding sources.
• • Perform needed research for funding proposals and applications
• • Assist in donor identification, cultivation, and recognition
• • D evelop and strengthen foundation and corporate relationships

• • Solicit donations, advertising, and in-kind goods/services to promote WCS programs and special events.

As a Development and Communication s Senior Associate , you will w ork closely with the Director of Development and Communication to implement our organization ’ s development plan and fund-raising activities . You will w ork on special writing projects with senior level leaders, providing your creative input, product development, and clerical support. Your belief in our mission to “provide innovative opportunities for individuals to overcome adversity” will assist you in cultivating local media relationships to publicly “tell the WCS story”.

Your Bachelor’s – Master’s level studies in communication, public policy, social welfare or related field, your five to ten years of expertise with proposal/grant writing and institutional donors, and your knowledge of fundraising and research techniques, fundraising strategies and informational sources will contribute to your success in this role. We also need your experience using computer programs such as Microsoft 365 (Word, Outlook, Excel etc.); databases; design/ presentation software; and event software.

Salary is commensurate with education and experience: $68,000 - $80,000

Position Summary: Provides leadership and support in the areas of grant writing, program planning, and program development; writing and timely submission of funding proposals and writing of other significant documents; provides key support of social media presence for agency; provides project leadership in all areas of development and communication including data collection, publications, marketing, and reporting to funders, as needed.

Essential Functions:
• Conceptualize and develop high level, complex proposals and submits them in a timely manner.
• Develop and write agreed upon funding proposals and applications to government entities (federal, state, county and city), foundations, United Way and other funding sources. Provides leadership to large grant proposals, as assigned.
• Use strong writing, proofreading, and editing skills to complete all assigned writing projects and to edit the work of others in the department and agency.
• Works in conjunction with the Director of Development and Communication in implementing the agency’s development plan and fundraising activities including creative input, product development, and clerical support.
• Has knowledge of and supports ongoing expansion and updating of electronic and social media presences.
• Takes leadership in coordinating with VPs, Administrators, and Program Directors in searching for grants and other appropriate funding mechanisms and opportunities for developing new programs and services or supporting existing ones.
• Provides leadership and support in donor identification, cultivation, and recognition, develops and strengthens foundation and corporate relationships, maintains interagency contacts, provides a presence on relevant committees in coordination with director. Solicits donations, advertising, and in-kind goods/services to promote WCS programs and special events.
• Takes ownership of assigned projects related to agency Public Relations and Capital Campaigns.
• Collects, writes, and archives success stories to be available for the development department and broader agency use
• Contributes articles and stories to bimonthly external/internal WCS newsletter, annual report and other publications
• Takes leadership of special writing projects with members of the WCS Executive Team and other Senior Leadership staff.
• Takes ownership of creating writing templates for specific uses including standard agency resource pieces and items for proposals.
• In partnership with the Director and other department staff, takes ownership in developing relationships with the media and securing ongoing coverage of WCS work.
• Prepares Media and Press releases for review by the Director of Development and Communication and the WCS Executive Team and distributes them to the appropriate media channels.

Other Duties and Responsibilities:
• Gathers agency statistics and external data related to the areas in which we work such as the justice system, community reintegration, behavioral health, peer support and others
• Contributes to the maintenance of a central agency filing system for currently funded programming and projects.
• Participates in public relations strategizing.
• Regularly updates records of submitted proposals and applications; continually updates results as they become known.
• Provides leadership in the preparation of presentations and is available to speak and deliver presentations on behalf of the agency.
• Attend conferences, community meetings and community building events to represent the agency as requested.
• Take ownership in supervising interns placed in the Development and Communication Department

Job Qualifications:

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Excellent written and oral communication skills; able to write clear, structured, articulate, and persuasive grant proposals; strong editing and proofreading skills; able to perform several tasks concurrently, strong time management and organizational skills; skilled in group communication and adept at leading group projects successfully; able to complete necessary paperwork/make electronic submissions and meet deadlines; able to use programs such as Microsoft 365, databases, design/ presentation software and other communication and event software programs.

Commitment to relationship building and strengthening throughout the agency and externally; develop first-hand familiarity with programs through visits to sites on a regular basis; Principles and practices of social service delivery, specific knowledge related to the intersection of the justice systems with social issues; knowledge of fund seeking and fundraising; knowledge of statistics; some knowledge of non-profit accounting and budgeting; ability to use data to promote a position; ability to conduct and organize research; ability to work collaboratively with others; ability to interpret documents and governmental regulations.

Minimal Qualifications:
• Requires a Bachelor’s degree in communication, public policy, social welfare or related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• Five to ten years related experience in proposal writing and/or fund development for human services organization.
• Prior development experience that includes knowledge of fundraising and research techniques, fundraising strategies and informational sources required.
• Experience with proposal/grant writing and institutional donors preferred.
• Must have experience using computer databases, software programs (Word, Outlook, Excel) and making electronic funding submissions.

Other Job Information (if applicable):

Work Relationship and Scope: Reports to the Director of Development and Communication; position serves as a representative of the agency at various functions in the community, government and private sector; has contact with a wide variety of individuals including those receiving services from the agency, staff, Executive and Senior Leadership teams along with collaborative partners, funders, the press and the general public; works closely with actual and potential funding sources. Provides backup for a variety of development administrative duties.

Personal Attributes: Demonstrates a passion to work on behalf of the individuals that we serve which includes those with mental health and substance use needs and those involved in the justice system; follows agency Code of Conduct; adheres to established policies and procedures of the agency and of all funding sources; conducts self in an ethical manner; maintains professional and respectful relationships with program staff, other WCS staff, persons served and all external persons and agencies involved with service provision; sensitivity toward cultural, ethnic and disability issues; and demonstrates commitment to agency values and mission.

Working Conditions: Some travel required; office and computer work at a desk in an office setting; majority of the work week to be spent in the office with eventual ability to work from home one day per week; occasional public presentations; may require more than 40 hours per week.

Physical Demands: Position is mostly sedentary with some travel; involves sitting for long periods of time; ability to use computer and calculator.

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Job Tags

Local area, 1 day per week,

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