Description

Summary: Progressive Maryland was founded to empower communities to act for social and economic justice by developing leaders and cultivating allies in order to build a grassroots movement with the power to advance economic, racial, and environmental equity. We are made up of over 125,000 individual members and supporters and dozens of affiliated religious, community and labor organizations statewide. 

Grants & Development Manager: The Grants & Development Manager will be Progressive Maryland’s point person for foundation fundraising. Under the supervision of our Development Director, the Grants & Development Manager prepares grant proposals and reports for funders, tracks deadlines for RFPs and reports and ensures timely submission of all materials to funders, and conducts research to identify new potential funding partners including individual donors. The Grants & Development Manager is also our point person for fundraisers.

They collaborate with the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director to secure large gifts from individual donors. They also work in concert with our organizing and communications teams to ensure accurate tracking of grant metrics and to gather that data as well as stories of impact, digital content, photos, and other similar material to tell Progressive Maryland’s story to current and prospective funders.

Responsibilities:

Research and Identify Funding Opportunities: Conduct thorough research to identify prospective institutional funders, including foundations and government entities and high net worth individual donors. Evaluate alignment with organizational goals and prioritize funders for outreach.

Develop and Submit Grant Proposals: Write compelling, tailored grant proposals to secure funding, ensuring alignment with the funder's priorities and organizational needs. Collaborate with program staff to incorporate relevant data and programmatic outcomes into proposals.

Grant Reporting and Compliance: Prepare detailed and accurate grant reports, ensuring compliance with funder requirements, including financials and program outcomes. Maintain strong relationships with funders by submitting timely reports and updates on funded projects.

Fundraising Strategy Development: Collaborate with the Development Director to build comprehensive outreach strategies for foundation and individual donors. Contribute to the development of long-term fundraising plans, integrating grant funding with broader fundraising campaigns.

Donor and Funder Engagement: Support relationship management with funders by preparing leadership for calls or meetings. Ensure funders are engaged through regular updates and collaborative communications.

Grant and Fundraising Calendar Management: Maintain and manage a detailed calendar of grant deadlines, including submission dates for proposals, reports, and other funder-related materials. Ensure all internal and external deadlines are met.

Event Planning and Fundraising Campaigns: Plan, organize, and execute 2-4 annual fundraisers geared toward engaging members, legislators, and key stakeholders. Work with staff and volunteers to ensure successful events that align with fundraising goals.

Organization and Access of Fundraising Materials: Develop and maintain a centralized system for organizing fundraising materials (grant proposals, award letters, performance metrics, reports, etc.). Ensure relevant staff can easily access these documents for ongoing grant management.

Fundraising Reports and Board Communication: Collaborate with leadership to prepare regular fundraising reports for the Board of Directors, tracking progress against goals and highlighting key opportunities and challenges.

Annual End-of-Year Report: Work closely with the Communications Team to develop an impactful, data-driven annual report summarizing organizational accomplishments for distribution to members, donors, and funders.

Data Management: Maintain accurate and up-to-date donor and grants data within EveryAction, ensuring consistent tracking, reporting, and data integrity across fundraising activities.

Voter Engagement: During election cycles, be willing to engage in direct voter contact initiatives through canvassing and phone banking, supporting civic engagement efforts aligned with the organization's mission.

Requirements

Professional Writing Experience: Proven success in development, grant writing, academia, publishing, or journalism. Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with attention to detail and the ability to convey complex ideas clearly to diverse audiences.

Commitment to Progressive Issues: Strong understanding of progressive politics and advocacy, with the ability to align fundraising strategies with organizational goals.

Organizational skills: Ability to keep all development materials well-organized and easily accessible and to manage multiple priorities while maintaining accuracy and quality.

Experience with Donor Research: Experience identifying and researching potential grants and individual giving opportunities and aligning them with organizational priorities.

Digital Proficiency: Proficient in Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and donor databases/CRM software (EveryAction and WealthEngine - preferred). Ability to quickly learn new platforms as needed.

Strong Time Management: Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines under pressure while managing multiple projects, with excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

Team Player and Independent Worker: Capable of working independently, within a team, or leading a team. Flexible and adaptable to different work environments.

Critical Thinker: Strong analytical skills, able to think creatively and offer solutions in complex situations. Adaptable and resourceful in problem-solving.

Passion for Social Change: Deep commitment to addressing community challenges and advancing social justice, with a drive to make an impact through fundraising and advocacy.

Preferred/Desired (but not required)

Bachelor’s degree or a minimum of 1-3 years of proven experience in grant writing, fundraising, and development within the nonprofit or political sector.
Familiarity with nonprofit budgets, financial reporting, and metrics to track outcomes and demonstrate impact.
Volunteer or work experience in electoral campaign activities (canvassing, phone banking) and/or nonprofit development.
Familiarity with Maryland’s political systems at the city, county, and state levels.
Experience with Candid/Foundation Center.