Position: Grants and Corporate Associate
Reports To: Program Manager of Philanthropy
Department: Development
Location: Seattle
Position Type: Full-time, Salaried, Exempt
Pay Grade: $42,000
Benefits: Eligible, Class III: Forterra’s benefits include ten paid holidays per year and up to 160 hours of paid time off (PTO) leave. You will also be eligible to enroll in the employer-sponsored medical, dental, and flexible spending account (FSA) plans. You will also be able to enroll in Forterra’s 401(k) program. Forterra also provides a subsidized Orca Card program for public transit commuters
About
Forterra is a Green Pathways Partner. Green Pathways is a program that creates a pathway to the green sector for low-income young adults in living wage entry-level positions in the environmental justice movement.
Forterra aims to make sure the Pacific Northwest is livable and beautiful for generations to come. To accomplish this, Forterra focuses on land — how we all live, work and play sustainably on it today, knowing we will see significant growth over the next century.
Over the past 29 years they’ve become the common ground where people, often with very different points of view, come together around a shared love for this place. Forterra emphasize the connection between people and place — vibrant cities and healthy lands. Forterra work in all landscapes, from our most urban cities to our most majestic wild places. And they apply their broad range of skills including land conservation, stewardship, policy innovation and community engagement — all with one mission, to sustain our region.
Summary of Position
The Grants Associate reports to the Program Manager of Philanthropy and serves as the primary staff member responsible for grant prospecting, writing, submitting and reporting, while also stewarding key relationships with corporate and foundation granting entities. Specific responsibilities include:
- Research foundation and corporate grant opportunities
- Maintain internal grants database
- Assist with writing of proposals, letters of interest, grants, and reports
- Coordinate and submit grant applications and reports
- Support the identification of, outreach, and stewardship of relationships with corporate and foundation counterparts
This position generates support for Forterra projects, programs, and general operations from corporate and foundation grants.
In addition to a passion for Forterra’s work, success in the role will require strong entrepreneurial drive, ease with people, superb organizational talent, exceptional oral and written communication skills, and capacity to work both independently and as part of a high-performing team that generates upward of $2.5 million in annual support.
Essential Duties
Grants – 85%
- Working with the Program Manager of Philanthropy and others on the development team, identify grant opportunities to support Forterra programs and events.
- THrough research and with the support of departmental leadership, identify, and pursue a number of grants, making a compelling case for Forterra’s work and carefully reporting outcomes.
- Arrange in scheduling meetings between prospective granting organizations and the Program Manager of Philanthropy and/or VP of Philanthropy.
- Conscientiously document relationship-building/maintenance steps in the organization’s Raiser’s Edge (RE) database, with due attention to confidentiality.
- Working with staff members, project manage from application to reports when a grant is complete; tracking cultivation for the next cycle.
- Together with development, communication and program-side teammates, help coordinate and lead cultivation and stewardship activities with corporate and foundation representatives and Forterra leadership. These activities may include progress reports/mission updates, field trips to project sites, and special events and celebrations.
- Maintain up-to-date database of grant prospects that is searchable with relevant information such as websites, due dates, giving priorities, and notes from RE.
- Maintain the organization’s calendar of grant and report deadlines.
- Support the writing of select proposals and reports (particularly those of a general-support nature, but situationally for programmatic purposes as well).
- Support Corporate Partnership recruitment: help with administrative support and outreach with Corporate/Grant partnerships and event sponsorship as it relates to prospecting, research, email merges, mailings, thank yous, online applications, etc…
- If encountered, direct any non-grant opportunities for funding or collaboration with corporations and foundations to the appropriate personnel and departments within Forterra.
🡆 Other duties as assigned- approx. 15% of the time
Required Qualifications
- Resourcefulness and tenacity as a researcher.
- Interpersonal ease and strong networking skills.
- Excellent synthesis and writing skills, including proposal generation and editing. Must be able to quickly digest complex technical projects and policy tools and present them in an easily understood manner.
Computer skills: excellent use of Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
Preferred Qualifications
- Commitment to Forterra’s mission essential. Experience with local sustainability issues highly desirable.
- A desire to learn about regional philanthropic community, local companies and their funding priorities.
- Interests for donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.
Travel, Working Conditions, and Physical Environment
This position is subject to indoor environmental conditions typical to a professional office setting. Forterra will provide reasonable accommodations for people who are differently abled. The essential physical requirements of this position include:
- Ability to exert up to 30 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.
- Ability to sit or otherwise remain in a stationary position at a computer workstation for the majority of the work day.
- Ability to frequently move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office equipment, etc.
- Ability to constantly operate a computer and other office equipment such as calculators, copy machines, and printers.
- Ability to communicate accurately with co-workers, volunteer leadership, and donors about matters related to the organization’s development program.
- Ability to communicate accurately to guests, visitors, and clients to the office.
- Ability to lead and participate in outdoor project/site tours. This may require navigating uneven terrain in inclement weather.
- Some regional daytime travel, approximately 15% of work hours.
Criminal Conviction Background Check
Because this position involves access to confidential/sensitive information and physical assets, Forterra will not hire into this position anyone who has been convicted of a criminal offense related to theft or fraud. A criminal history background check will be conducted on the final candidate prior to beginning employment.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Forterra believes that historic and current methods of real estate acquisition and development disproportionately affect the most marginalized people in society – including people of color, low-income people, women, and LGBTQ people. We believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members or other marginalized communities.
Forterra is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or any other class protected by law. Assistance and/or reasonable accommodations during the application process are available to individuals upon request. To request assistance or accommodation, please contact Human Resources at [email protected], 206-292-5907 and also cc Florence Sum at [email protected].