Resource Development and Grants Manager

Job Description
East River Legal Services (ERLS) is seeking to hire a Resource Development and Grants Manager. The position is in our Sioux Falls, South Dakota office. We are a non-profit law firm serving low-income individuals in the 33 Eastern South Dakota counties. ERLS exists to better the lives of the over 52,000 people living in poverty in Eastern South Dakota. We offer free legal services to our community's veterans, older Americans (60+), disabled, victims of crime, and all those facing financial insecurity.

Summary of Position
Reports to and receives general direction from the Executive Director. The Resource Development and Grants Manager has overall responsibility for fundraising, public relations, and project management for Legal Aid. This includes managing grants and fundraising campaigns, coordinating grant-funded projects, and supervising all public relations activities. One of the most important elements of the work is the ability to “document need” for funding requests. Understanding how the work of the organization can be defined through output and outcome measures—and then putting this into a context that will appeal to donors. Finding independent research to support the valuable work being done and reaching out to community leaders, professionals in the field, and nonprofit partners to secure endorsements and letters of support. Maintaining files of feedback from clients served and insights from staff about their accomplishments is as important as keeping an accurate count of clients served. Understanding the cost of the programming, and a failure to provide the programming can be the difference between funding and a declined letter.
• Exercising discretion and independent judgment in comparing and evaluating grant and fundraising opportunities and making recommendations to the Executive Director.
• Prepares and submits proposals and reports per RFPs and requirements of public and private funding sources.
• Monitoring and ensuring Legal Aid is compliant with all grant requirements.
• Maintaining grant files and electric documents needed for applications.
• Coordinating and preparing information for meetings and monitoring visits with funders.
• Working with staff preparing and submitting information required by funders, remaining compliant with grant assurances, applying grant industry best practices to maximize the likelihood of continued program funding.
• Managing grant opportunities and deadlines.
• Participate in Project Development and Management, including working with the management team and program staff to identify priority service areas, designing project delivery, and staffing plans, working with the finance department to develop project budgets, designing project evaluations, and determining record keeping requirements.
• Researching and identifying new funding based on Legal Aid’s needs, as determined by leadership.
• Ensure that all deadlines are met and that workloads are manageable for staff.
• Identify and build relationships with community-based organizations and government agencies providing services that benefit clients.
• Maintain knowledge of local dynamics and context that affect clients, including developments related to poverty alleviation and/or victims’ rights.
• Gather best practices and contribute to national resources to enhance staff practice and experience.
• Contribute to ERLS’s annual and ongoing training events.
• Provide leadership and vision, and act as a partner to the leadership team, to help drive the organization to a new level of success with innovative, effective, and creative fundraising strategies.
• Create and implement development strategies with clearly defined outcomes and an accompanying communications plan to support its success.
• Design and build best practices systems and processes.
• Leverage data and analytics to drive efficiencies.

Status
Full-time, Exempt