GRANTS MANAGER
WHO WE ARE
The Nathan Cummings Foundation (NCF) is a multigenerational family foundation rooted in the Jewish tradition of social justice. NCF envisions a future where all people, in body and spirit, breathe freely, care for each other, and flourish in just, regenerative, and loving communities. We are guided by our core values of justice and equity, interdependence, learning and listening, courageous transformation, and integrity as we partner with social movements and organizations that have creative and catalytic solutions to NCF’s interconnected goals of racial, economic, and environmental justice (REEJ).
HOW WE COLLABORATE
At NCF, collaboration is the cornerstone of our culture. We actively cultivate a highly collaborative atmosphere centered on cross-departmental teamwork, with staff members participating in various organization-wide committees, working groups, task forces, and REEJ-specific solutions teams. Our team embodies a collaborative, open, and inquisitive approach that encourages innovation, introspection, and creativity.
Our recently adopted strategic plan prioritizes, in part, using the totality of our assets to drive impact and strengthen our organizational culture. To that end, we seek to develop influential leaders and cultivate emotional intelligence within our staff to elevate individual/team performance and establish trust and credibility across the foundation.
THE ROLE AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
The Grants Manager (GM) reports to and works in close partnership with the Director of Asset Management to support all aspects of an investment lifecycle. This includes developing organization and team-wide approval timelines, structuring investments, ensuring regulatory compliance, and facilitating the efficient flow of information across the foundation. The GM oversees the day-to-day operations of grants management, ensuring high-quality administration, adherence to policy, and alignment with NCF’s strategic priorities.
As the primary manager of NCF’s Asset Management System (AMS), the GM is responsible for maintaining data integrity and ensuring accurate, up-to-date information for both grants and PRIs. They collaborate with staff, board members, and external partners to ensure effective use of the AMS, supporting transparency, informed decision-making, and operational efficiency across the foundation.
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT
At NCF, the Asset Management (AM) Team adopts a comprehensive and strategic approach to managing all types of the foundation’s capital to maximize impact. Asset Management is a developing function that reflects the foundation’s dedication to overseeing the entire scope of its assets. This approach balances attention between pre- and post-investment factors, ensuring that financial resources are allocated and monitored in a way that supports NCF’s mission and generates measurable results.
The department combines three interconnected functions that work together to ensure resources are managed effectively and ethically. It manages the complete lifecycle of grants, ensuring they are processed swiftly, compliantly, and aligned with the foundation’s objectives. It also oversees NCF’s Program-Related Investments (PRIs), assessing performance and risk to maintain financial stability and mission consistency. Additionally, Asset Management spearheads NCF’s efforts in data collection and analysis to better understand the impact of the foundation’s investments, identify trends related to racial, economic, and environmental justice (REEJ), and guide strategic decisions by leadership and the Board. Collectively, these functions position Asset Management as NCF’s hub for impact intelligence, integrating data, strategy, and accountability to ensure all assets are managed with integrity, transparency, and purpose.
PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
Grants Management
- Manage the full lifecycle of the Foundation’s grants, from intake and review through approval, payment, monitoring, and closeout, ensuring accuracy and compliance at each stage.
- Oversee the due diligence process and documentation for all grantee partners, including international partners, in accordance with IRS regulations and Foundation policies.
- Track and monitor active grants, ensuring that all pre- and post-grant requirements are met, and that reporting obligations are fulfilled in a timely manner.
- Provide support and guidance to internal and external partners throughout the application and reporting processes.
- Create and manage the annual docket calendar, highlighting key deadlines and ensuring alignment of internal and external partners to grantmaking timelines, including application, review, board meeting, and reporting milestones.
- Develop dashboards, reports, and visualizations that inform grantmaking strategies and learning.
- Prepare reports for legal, audit, and board review as requested by staff and leadership.
- Maintain the asset management database and ensure accuracy, consistency, and data integrity.
- Respond to data requests from staff to support decision-making, reporting, and evaluation efforts.
Grants Administration
- In partnership with the Team Coordinator, coordinate the administrative and operational functions of the AM team to ensure smooth workflows, shared knowledge, and coverage across roles and responsibilities.
- Monitor and track the grants budget in collaboration with the Director of Asset Management, ensuring alignment between commitments, disbursements, and projections.
- Maintain, update, and develop guidance materials and documentation related to grantmaking policies and procedures, including the Foundation’s grants management manual.
- Lead and support the successful adoption and ongoing management of the Temelio Asset Management System (AMS), serving as the primary point of contact for system improvements, user support, and data integrity.
- Identify opportunities to streamline administrative processes and strengthen cross-departmental collaboration.
Board Support
- Work with the Asset Management Team and other relevant teams to organize and draft board meeting materials and presentations; generate and edit board book documents.
Leadership and Strategy
- Address challenges with innovative, sustainable solutions, driving tangible results.
- Continuously assess the effectiveness of strategies and initiatives to drive improved outcomes in the department.
- Align grantmaking functions with the Foundation's mission, vision, and values.
Learning and Communications
- Share learnings from conferences, communities, partners, and other venues to catalyze broad impact.
- Take an active role in relevant affinity groups and remain up to date with knowledge about trends and movements.
- Serve as a point of contact for relevant calls, emails, and visitors and be a general information resource for the team.
- Provide leadership in coordinating internal and external communications to ensure a cohesive, effective, and unified approach to all communications and related tasks.
Project Management and Administration
- Efficiently plan, execute, and oversee projects, ensuring alignment with foundational goals and timelines.
- Maintain organized records, prepare material, and effectively communicate relevant work information.
- Manage time and workload and employ the foundation’s resources to meet project and administrative requirements effectively.
- Communicate with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring clear and timely information exchange.
- Fulfill other administrative responsibilities to support daily operations.
- Participate in cross-department solution teams and other working groups.
- Perform other duties or special projects, such as those that may span multiple Foundation departments, including setup and cleanup of foundation-wide events and meetings.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s required.
- Five or more years of experience in grants management, grants administration, impact investing, or a related field. A strong understanding of the full grantmaking lifecycle is required; experience with the program-related investment (PRI) lifecycle is a plus.
- Strong knowledge of IRS regulations and compliance requirements related to charitable giving, capital deployment, and financial stewardship, comfortable navigating relevant Treasury or other regulatory agency guidelines.
- Strong financial acumen, with demonstrated ability to interpret and apply financial concepts across diverse organizational contexts, including experience with budget tracking, reconciliations, and reporting.
- Experience with grants management or CRM databases.
- Excellent project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, adapt to changing needs, and work effectively across diverse teams and work styles.
- Clear and effective communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work productively with staff, board members, and external partners.
- Proficient data management and analytical skills, with the ability to translate data into insights through dashboards, reports, and visualizations.
- Possesses knowledge and understanding of philanthropy and social justice and demonstrates a deep commitment to racial equity and justice, aligning with NCF's pursuit of REEJ.
- Demonstrated intellectual curiosity and a strong willingness to learn and grow.
- Highly adaptable and self-driven team player, fostering a safe and inclusive environment.
- Effective leadership to foster team growth and address challenges innovatively.
- Willingness to demonstrate a strong commitment to learning and improvement.
SALARY RANGE: $107,000 - $137,000. At NCF, fairness and transparency shape our compensation. Salaries for all positions are evaluated by applicable qualifications and experience, leveraging data obtained through third-party benchmarking, aiming to fall close to the median salary range.
LOCATION: This remote position is open to candidates residing within the United States, aligning with our operating hours of 9:30am to 5:30pm Eastern Time. Please note, this role currently requires in-person organization days two consecutive days per month in New York City.
AS AN NCF TEAM MEMBER, YOU WILL ENJOY:
- Health Care Plans: We provide health care plans (medical, dental, and vision) for you and your dependents, effective on the first day following your first full month of employment.
- Employer Retirement Plan: We contribute 15% of your salary to your retirement plan, regardless if you participate in our employee-contributed 403b plan with targeted fund options.
- Parental Leave: We provide 12 weeks of paid leave for new, birth, and non-birth parents.
- Professional Growth: After one year of employment with the foundation, we offer up to the IRS maximum allowance towards eligible tuition reimbursement and other professional development opportunities.
- Paid time off: We offer a competitive PTO package, in support of a healthy work-life balance, inclusive of 12-13 paid holidays, 10 Summer Fridays, and the last week in December off.
COMMITMENT TO RACE EQUITY AND INCLUSION, AND EQUAL EMPLOYMENT:
As a foundation focused on racial, economic, and environmental justice (REEJ) in our work and investments, we’re deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This commitment is reflected in how we work together internally and with our external partners. It’s also reflected in how we hire. Regardless of how you identify, we encourage you to apply for this role if you meet most of the qualifications outlined above.
NCF provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type because of the individual’s race or color, religion or creed, caste, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity or expression (including the use of preferred pronouns), sexual orientation, sexual and reproductive health decisions or decision making (of employees or their dependents), height, weight, marital or familial status, military or veteran status, caregiving circumstances, gender-based violence survivor status, credit or salary history, age, disability, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, pre-employment arrest record, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
CLASSIFICATION OF EMPLOYMENT: This is an exempt position.
HOW TO APPLY: Please visit NCF’s Career Page