Grants Manager

Grants Manager

Loaves & Fishes Overview

Loaves & Fishes is a nonprofit organization established in 1982 with a mission to provide healthy meals to Minnesotans in areas where the need is greatest. Serving free meals across Minnesota, no questions asked. We believe every person, regardless of socioeconomic, cultural, religious, or ethnic background, deserves to have their basic needs for food, dignity, and respect met. Our work is powered by donors, volunteers, and partners who share that belief.

Position Summary

The Grants Manager owns Loaves & Fishes' institutional funding, from the first prospect search to a long-term partnership. You'll research and cultivate foundation, corporate, and government funders; write proposals that show the real need for free, healthy meals; and steward each relationship so funders stay connected, informed, and ready to renew. This is a high-trust role.

You'll be the main point of contact for our funders and the person who turns program, operations, and financial data into stories and reports they can rely on. You care about food insecurity, you like getting the details right, and you want your writing to keep meals on the table for our families, friends, and neighbors.

Responsibilities: Grant strategy and writing (about 40%)

• Research prospective foundation, corporate, and government funders and build a prioritized prospect pipeline
• Write clear, compelling LOIs, proposals, and applications that connect our work to each funder's priorities
• Partner with the Executive Director, Director of Advancement, and Director of Operations and Programming to identify funding needs and shape each request
• Work with leadership and finance to prepare project budgets and required financial documents
• Compile and keep current the standard attachments funders request (audits, 990, board list, budgets, program data)
• Own the grants calendar and status tracker to ensure deadlines aren’t missed

Funder stewardship and relationships (about 25%)

• Own a portfolio of foundation, corporate, and government funders and build relationships that lead to renewed and growing support year over year
• Create a stewardship plan for each funder: regular impact updates, timely thank-yous, guest and volunteer stories, and invitations to events
• Plan and lead site visits so funders can see our meal programs and meet the people behind them
• Bring funders closer to the mission through meal-site volunteer opportunities and Impact Report briefings
• Partner with the Executive Director and Director of Advancement on funder meetings and cultivation strategy
• Keep funder contacts, interests, and history current in our donor database, coordinating with the Stewardship Manager
• Track renewal rates and funder retention as a core measure of success

Reporting, invoicing, and compliance (about 25%)

• Own grant reporting, invoicing, and compliance for all public and private funders, including county and state contracts
• Gather program, operations, and financial data from internal teams and translate it into each funder's required format
• Track reporting and billing deadlines; follow up with staff to fill data gaps
• Serve as the primary contact for funders on reporting, invoicing, and documentation questions
• Maintain organized, audit-ready grant files and records

Advancement team support (about 10%)

• Contribute writing, data, and editing to the annual Impact Report, newsletters, and campaign materials
• Support corporate partnership development where grants and sponsorships overlap
• Help staff events and tabling opportunities throughout the year
• Support time-wide event planning objectives
• Stay current on grant trends, funding opportunities, and best practices
• Other duties as assigned by the Director of Advancement

30/60/90 Day Goals

First 30 Days

• Meet one-on-one with the Director of Advancement, Executive Director, Director of Operations and Programming, Stewardship Manager, Community Engagement Coordinator, Programs Manager, and Social Media & Content Specialist
• Visit Community Meal Locations, Community Distribution, and our Commissary Kitchen to understand our programs and meet Site Coordinators, volunteers, and guests
• Inventory all active, pending, and past grants: funder, amount, purpose, deadlines, and reporting requirements
• Collect and organize core grant documents: 990, audit, budgets, board list, IRS letter, logic model, and boilerplate language
• Flag any reports or applications due in the next 90 days and confirm owners
• Get access to the donor CRM, shared files, and budget information needed for proposals

Days 31–60

• Build a 12-month grant calendar covering applications, reports, and renewals, shared with Advancement and Finance
• Set up a grants tracking system in the CRM or a shared tracker, with status, amounts, and deadlines
• Support every application and report due in this window
• Partner with Operations to define the program data grants need (meals served, sites, guests, volunteers) and how often it's pulled
• Coordinate with the Communications Manager on stories, photos, and impact data for proposals
• Research and prioritize identifying new prospects: foundations, corporate giving programs, and government funding

Days 61–90

• Own the full grant pipeline independently: prospects, applications, awards, and reports; with assistance from the Director of Advancement and Executive Director where applicable.
• Submit at least two new applications to prospects identified in days 31–60
• Make at least three funder contacts: a site visit invitation, a check-in call, or a thank-you
• Present an annual grants plan to the Director of Advancement with dollar goals, target funders, and timeline
• Create a grants budget template and boilerplate library so any proposal can be built quickly
• Set up a monthly grants report for the Director of Advancement and Executive Director

Qualifications: Required

• 3+ years of grant writing experience, with a track record of funded proposals and renewed grants you wrote or co-wrote
• Proven experience stewarding funder relationships through reporting, updates, and site visits, ideally including government or county contracts
• Excellent writing and editing skills; you can explain complex programs simply and persuasively
• Strong organization and deadline management across many grants at once
• Comfort working with budgets and program data
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint
• High school diploma, GED, or equivalent

Nice to have

• Bachelor's degree in communications, nonprofit management, English, or a related field
• Experience with a donor CRM or grants management software
• Familiarity with Minnesota foundations and public funding sources
• Knowledge of food access, hunger relief, or social services

How you work: collaborative, detail-oriented, a problem-solver, approachable and friendly, eager to learn, and committed to the Loaves & Fishes mission.

Benefits: 14 days of paid time off (PTO) accrued in year one

• 9 paid holidays plus 2 floating holidays
• Health, dental, vision, and life insurance
• Short-term disability insurance
• 401(k) eligibility after 90 days, with a 3% employer contribution
• Hybrid schedule set with your supervisor

Work environment

This role works primarily in an office setting, at the Loaves & Fishes office or remotely. It regularly requires sitting, standing, talking, hearing, moving around the office, and using a computer. Site visits take place routinely. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

How to apply

Email a cover letter, resume, and 2–3 writing samples (a grant proposal or report is preferred) to mfranz@loavesandfishesmn.org. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

This description outlines the general nature of the role and is not an exhaustive list of duties.

Loaves & Fishes is an equal opportunity employer.