Grants Manager

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is the third largest school district in the United States, serving over 360,000 students in 600+ schools and employing nearly 36,000 people, most of them teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career and civic life. In order to fulfill this mission we make three commitments to our students, their families and all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability and integrity. Seven core principles are embedded within these commitments - high quality, rigorous instruction; talented and empowered educators; safety and support; financial equity; operational excellence; collective impact; and transparency.

The mission of the Children First Fund: The Chicago Public Schools Foundation (CFF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is to support the Chicago Public Schools' (CPS) mission to provide a high quality public education for every child, in every neighborhood, that prepares each for success in college, career and civic life. In this capacity, the CFF pursues external resources from donors and partners and matches them with students, schools and departments that need them most. The CFF manages foundation and corporate grants and individual contributions on behalf of CPS schools and administrative units. A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, CFF exclusively supports educational programming for the Chicago Public Schools and students.

Reporting to the Director of Operations and Finance, the CFF Grants Manager participates in all aspects of the grant process, including managing grant developers and providing a range of grant development and support as described below.

Responsibilities:

CFF Grants Management

• Develop and execute a grants management process that ensures CPS CEO and CEdO approval on grant pursuits and department and/or school recipients; develop internal strategy to ensure opportunities align to CPS' 5 Year Vision: Success Starts Here .
  
  
• Develop and execute a sophisticated grants management process within CPS to ensure the fidelity of CFF operations, including creating and monitoring grant deadlines, supporting CPS departments and schools in developing reports, and submitting reports and other grant related documents with highest quality and timeliness.
  
  
• Coordinate with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) leadership and staff to translate program ideas into competitive grant proposals, concept papers, and/or letters of inquiry.
  
  
• Provide a range of grant development support, including analyzing RFPs to guide proposal development; creating templates; and writing, reviewing, revising, finalizing, and submitting grant applications.
  
  
• Codify the existing to to-be-developed grants management process to build sustainability for CPS grants practices.
  
  
• Collaborate with internal departments and external partners (e.g., foundations, universities, community-based organizations, social service providers, government agencies, program evaluators) on grant related activities.
  
  
• Oversee and execute the cultivation and stewardship of various funder relationships. Oversee a portfolio of grant contributors, ensuring excellent customer service and donor stewardship resulting in continued and increased gifts over time.
  
  
• Support the migration of CFF data from current Oracle CRM database to new Salesforce database, including design of grants management interface. Maintain a database of all grants/contributions, donors, and deadlines and files of grant-related documentation.
  
  
• Draft grants and provide feedback on grant developers and CPS staff's contributions to grants.
  
  
• Draft and execute grant agreements and service contracts.
  
  
• Coordinate with the Financial Manager on budgetary aspects of reports.
  
  
• Assist with the foundation's annual financial audit.
  
  

Content Development

• Prepare internal reports and presentations to build the capacity of CFF and CPS staff and schools as it pertains to grants and development practices.
  
  
• Support the Director of Operations to prepare documentation for quarterly Board of Directors meetings.
  
  
• Develop content and lead the project management of CFF content creation for the website and social, including annual reports and case studies and other collateral as required.
  
  

Talent Management and Development

• Manage the growth and upskilling of grant developers and other new members of the CFF team, including developing trainings and technical assistance plans to prepare the grant developers to effectively lead the grant development process with minimal supervision.
  
  

Special Projects

• Support the Director of Operations and Finance with the operational needs for the office move of the CFF including research, strategic planning and execution of elements related to the office space, budget and personnel implications.
  
  
• Other projects as required.
  
  

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in grant development and fundraising
  
  
• Bachelor's degree in education, English or a related field; Master's degree preferred
  
  
• Demonstrated ability to develop successful foundation and corporate grant proposals
  
  
• Experience with legal agreements a plus
  
  
• Ability to analyze grant guidelines and apply comprehensive knowledge of educational content to grant requirements
  
  
• Ability to work on several high-stakes, deadline-driven projects simultaneously
  
  
• Agility and willingness to adapt to changing priorities in an entrepreneurial environment
  
  
• Strong critical and analytical skills
  
  
• Ability to think creatively and navigate large, complex organizations and political dynamics
  
  
• Superior organizational skills with great attention to detail
  
  
• Excellent writing and oral communication skills
  
  
• Ability to work as part of a team, as well as independently with minimal supervision
  
  
• Comfort working across disciplines within education and operations
  
  
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Mail, and Adobe Acrobat; database experience preferred
  
  

Residency Requirement: As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of his or her CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district.