Grants Manager

Position Summary:

The Grants Manager is Carpenter’s Shelter’s lead grants professional, responsible for expanding and sustaining public and private funding. Working closely with the Deputy Director, this role oversees the grant lifecycle from prospect research and proposal development through award tracking, reporting, renewal, and closeout. The ideal candidate brings strong federal grants experience interpreting funding notices, coordinating complex applications, and supporting compliance and can translate program outcomes and organizational priorities into clear, persuasive narratives. The Grants Manager works in close partnership with the Development team to align grant strategy, messaging, funder stewardship, and the broader fundraising calendar.

This position is approximately 20–30 hours per week and may be filled as a traditional employee or as an independent contractor/consultant. The selected candidate must be available for occasional in-person staff meetings, funder meetings, site visits, and other organizational activities as needed.

TITLE: Grants Manager

REPORTS TO: Deputy Director

SALARY: $4,599-5,500/month

SCHEDULE: 20-30 hours per week

WORK ARRANGEMENT: Remote-eligible, with regular availability for in-person meetings and activities.

LOCATION REQUIREMENT: Preference for a candidate who resides in the Washington, DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) metropolitan area.

About the Organization:

Since 1988, Carpenter’s Shelter has addressed the housing crisis facing people experiencing homelessness in the City of Alexandria. What began as an emergency shelter has grown into a comprehensive service provider grounded in Housing Justice — the belief that safe, adequate, and equitable housing is a fundamental right, and that housing is key to stability. Through Emergency Shelter, Rapid Rehousing, Winter Shelter, Permanent Supportive Housing, and David’s Place, Carpenter’s Shelter served 1,082 people experiencing homelessness in FY2026.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Lead the preparation of grant proposals by researching funders, drafting narratives, building budgets with the Deputy Director and Finance team, and ensuring compliance with grant guidelines.
• Lead and coordinate competitive applications for federal, state, and local government funding, as well as private foundations.
• Review and interpret NOFOs, RFPs, and funding announcements and develop clear internal workplans.
• Maintain working knowledge of federal grant requirements, including Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200).
• Provide report-writing support for government and foundation reports, board materials, and program narratives, translating program data and outcomes into compelling, funder-appropriate content.
• Adhere to the Carpenter’s Shelter Code of Ethics and SEED Values.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Funding Strategy and Diversification

• Research new funding prospects and stay current on trends and best practices in grant-seeking.
• Build and maintain a diversified pipeline of federal, state, local, foundation, and collaborative funding opportunities aligned with the agency’s programs and priorities.
• Lead grant strategy discussions with leadership to assess readiness, competitiveness, staffing, and risk before pursuing opportunities. Coordinate these discussions with the Development team to ensure grant priorities complement individual giving, corporate, and other fundraising strategies.
• Identify and cultivate new foundation prospects by researching funder priorities, giving history, geographic focus, relationships, and alignment with Carpenter’s Shelter programs and strategic priorities.
• Prepare concise funding recommendation briefs covering eligibility, award size, strategic fit, deadlines, and next steps.
• Maintain an annual and multi-year grant development calendar.

Grant Development and Cross-Agency Coordination

• Partner with internal teams, including the Development team, to gather information for applications and reports and communicate with funders as needed.
• Clarify service models, staffing, outputs, outcomes, and evaluation measures for proposals and reports.
• Coordinate with the Deputy Director and/or Compliance team to identify grant conditions, risks, and capacity needs before and after an award.
• Lead application kickoff meetings, set deadlines, and provide status updates to stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain reusable grant content, including organizational descriptions, program summaries, and standard attachments.

Grant Administration, Reporting, and Stewardship

• Maintain and update Carpenter’s Shelter grants database, ensuring accurate and current information on grant opportunities, deadlines, submissions, awards, reports, and outcomes.
• Maintain comprehensive records of grant activities, documents, and communications.
• Monitor the progress of grant applications and awards, providing regular updates to the Deputy Director.
• Maintain a centralized grant file and compliance calendar for application, award, reporting, modification, renewal, and closeout deadlines.
• Review award notices and agreements with appropriate staff and document key deliverables, performance measures, restrictions, reporting schedules, and special conditions.
• Support timely narrative reporting by coordinating data collection, drafting reports, incorporating program and financial input, and securing required internal approvals.
• Support responses to funder questions, monitoring requests, desk reviews, site visits, and requests for additional documentation in coordination with Development, Finance, Programs, Compliance and Executive Leadership.
• Help identify grant implementation or reporting concerns early and elevate them to the Deputy Director with practical recommendations for resolution.
• Ensure adherence to all grant-related regulations, policies, procedures, and funder requirements within the scope of the position.

Relationship Management and Special Projects

• Communicate professionally with funders, grant officers, government representatives, community partners, and other external stakeholders as authorized.
• Support preparation for funder meetings, presentations, briefings, and site visits, and participate in those activities when requested.
• Provide general administrative support for the successful oversight of grants, including scheduling meetings, organizing documents, and assisting with special projects assigned.
• Support agency-wide initiatives and special projects assigned by the Deputy Director that strengthen organizational infrastructure, funding capacity, program quality, and operational effectiveness.
• Support cultivation and stewardship of foundation funders, including preparing correspondence, concept papers, letters of inquiry, proposals, reports, funder briefings, and site visits in coordination with the Development team and organizational leadership.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in a related field (nonprofit management, communications, public administration, public policy, or business administration).
• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible grant writing, development, or management experience.
• Demonstrated experience with federal grant applications and complex government grant requirements; HUD funding experience strongly preferred.
• Experience helping nonprofits diversify funding and build a pipeline of government, foundation, and corporate opportunities.
• Ability to research funding opportunities, assess strategic fit, and lead funding strategy discussions with senior leaders.
• Exceptional proposal writing, editing, research, and communication skills.
• Ability to interpret grant instructions and synthesize program, financial, and outcome data into persuasive submissions.
• Strong organizational and project management skills; self-motivated and able to meet competing deadlines.
• Ability to work independently and build strong working relationships with diverse groups.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint).
• Preferred candidate resides in the Washington, DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) metropolitan area and will be available for in-person meetings and activities as needed.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to pass a background check.
• Flexibility to work outside normal business hours to meet submission deadlines or attend scheduled meetings.

Preferred:

• ARP, HHS, SAMHSA, HHS, DOJ, and other federal grant programs.
• Experience with outcome measurements, logic models, program evaluation, Results-Based Accountability, and HMIS.
• Knowledge of post-award grant administration, compliance, monitoring, reporting, renewal, and closeout practices.
• Experience with homelessness, affordable housing, human services, or community-based nonprofit programs.
• Experience helping nonprofits diversify funding and build a pipeline of government, foundation, and corporate opportunities.

Core Competencies:

• Strategic thinking and sound judgment.
• Persuasive and accurate writing.
• Research and analytical thinking.
• Project management and follow-through.
• Collaboration and relationship building.
• Comfort facilitating strategy discussions.
• Attention to detail and quality control.
• Initiative, adaptability, and problem solving.

Application Process:

Applicants should forward a cover letter and resume electronically to Trinette Hawkins-Coleman, Deputy Director, at THawkins-Coleman@CarpentersShelter.org by September 11th, 2026. In the subject line, type: “Grants Manager”. No telephone calls are accepted. Only qualified candidates will be contacted. Carpenter’s Shelter will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Carpenter’s Shelter is an Equal Opportunity Employer and agrees not to discriminate against any employee or job applicant because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, age, gender, physical or mental disability or any other characteristic protected by law. Successful candidates must be committed to working with a culturally diverse population.