Who We Are:

• An employer who prioritizes your wellness
• An employer who supports your growth
• An employer who sees and acknowledges all of you
• An employer who educates on and advocates for mental health while sharing hope to those on their mental health journey or supporting individuals on their mental health journey.

Who We Are Looking For:

• An experienced grant writer
• An organized and detail-oriented self-starter
• A strong researcher
• An empathetic advocate to the mental health community

Responsibilities:

• Lead the drafting and final submission of grant Letters of Inquiry, applications, and proposals. Coordinate with staff across departments to gather necessary information, such as grant budget, supporting data, and supplemental documents; ensure internal and external deadlines are met.
• Develop high-quality boilerplate narrative for agency programs and services, as needed.
• Manage the master calendar of current grants and prospects; monitor grant deadlines, notifications, and due diligence requirements.
• Conduct prospect research on government, foundation, and corporate giving opportunities, and stay current on philanthropy sector trends in Chicago and beyond.
• In partnership with the Director of Strategy and other leaders, steward current and cultivate new relationships with institutional funders. Duties may include but are not limited to conducting outreach, engaging exploratory conversations, and fulfilling site visit requirements.
• Document funder profiles and moves management activities in Blackbaud eTapestry.
• Uphold a library of grant support documents including staff bios, IRS forms, audits, etc.
• Facilitate the execution of grant contracts/agreements/acknowledgement letters, as needed.
• Work with the Director of Strategy, Program, and Finance teams to maintain grant compliance. Lead the drafting and final submission of grant reports by assembling all necessary supporting materials including budget reports, outcome measurements, and success stories.
• Maintain a strong knowledge of NAMI Chicago programs and their impact through program observations, meetings, and cross-departmental collaboration.
• Develop and maintain an understanding of NAMI Chicago’s clinical frameworks, approach, and place in the mental health ecosystem.
• Other duties as assigned.

Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Excellent written communication skills.
• Excellent research skills.
• Organized with impeccable attention to detail.
• Ability to collaborate and build relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Knowledgeable about the mental health community.
• Demonstrated commitment to serving marginalized and underrepresented populations in various social, economic, and racial backgrounds as well as those living with mental health conditions and/or substance use disorders.
• Proven record of success working in a diverse environment that includes people of different identities, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender and physical/mental ability.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Two or more years of successful experience in nonprofit fundraising, business development, or communications required. Bachelor’s degree, CFRE and/or CGMS a plus.
• Demonstrated success in generating grant awards from private or public institutions.
• Knowledge of and experience with funder cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship best practices.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365.

Welcomed Qualifications:

• Experience with Blackbaud eTapestry or another CRM database.
• Experience with grant application systems for private foundations and corporations (e.g., Foundant, cybergrants) and/or local, state and federal systems such as Grants.gov or the city of Chicago e-procurement system.
• Experience with Hive or other project management software.

Available Benefits:

• Compensation Range begins at $55,000/year
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Benefits
• Company Sponsored Life and AD&D Insurance
• Unmatched 401K Program
• Company Sponsored Wellness Activities