Grants Manager

Grants Manager
Location: Legal Action’s Administrative Office in Milwaukee
(Flex Work may be Available)
9/29/23

SUMMARY: Legal Action of Wisconsin (Legal Action) is seeking a Grants Manager with exceptional grant writing skills to craft and oversee the comprehensive lifecycle of grants and contracts, with an initial focus on government funding sources at federal, state, and local levels. The Grants Manager will focus on potential non-government grant sources after an initial period. This role offers a unique opportunity for a seasoned grants professional to advance our mission. As a Grants Manager, you will collaborate closely with our statewide team to secure funding across various areas of law and service, effectively managing a substantial multimillion-dollar grants portfolio. This Grants Manager position will allow you to leverage your expertise in grant writing and project leadership within a dynamic legal environment that makes positive impacts in the lives of low-income people statewide. This is a management position and is full-time and FLSA-exempt.

LEGAL ACTION OF WISCONSIN: We are a large and vibrant non-profit law firm funded by the federal Legal Services Corporation, the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, Victim of Crime Act funding, the Wisconsin Equal Justice Fund, and many other sources. Each year, we provide free legal aid to about 11,000 – 14,000 low-income persons in Wisconsin’s southern thirty-nine counties with offices in Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, Oshkosh, Green Bay, and La Crosse. In addition, the firm operates statewide projects to serve farmworkers and to serve human trafficking victims. Most of our work is in the areas of housing, public benefits, removing barriers to employment, consumer, and family law.

Legal Action believes that equal justice under law can only be achieved through the collaboration of a diverse staff. We strongly encourage applications from women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, and people with life experiences or educational backgrounds that add to the firm’s diversity and our capacity to provide high-quality legal aid.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: The Grants Manager is responsible for finding and securing grant funding with a specific focus on government grants (federal, state, and local). This list of duties and responsibilities is not all inclusive. It may be expanded to include other duties and responsibilities from time to time. To that end, the Grants Manager is responsible for:
1. Grant research and writing. This will encompass a large majority of the Grants Manager’s time (about 80%.) This includes:
a. Continuously researching and cultivating relationships with potential grant and contract sources, expanding our network.
b. Communicating with program managers and other staff to determine a good match between existing program activities, future planned activities, and Request for Proposal Requirements (RFP).
c. Developing and submitting complete and high-quality grant proposals to new potential funding sources and existing funding sources.
d. Collaborating with program managers to develop and update program logic models, activities, objectives, and outcomes that are attainable and competitive.
e. Engaging other Legal Action managers in project and proposal development, ensuring a unified approach.
2. Maintaining and growing our relationships with existing sources of grants and contracts including:
a. Fostering and enhancing relationships with existing grant and contract providers to ensure ongoing support.
b. Acting as a liaison between program staff and funders to facilitate effective communication and mutual understanding.
3. Coordinating and assisting with the submission of grant reports. This includes:
a. Working closely with the CFO and finance team to construct budgets and financial reports that align with funder expectations.
b. With the Director of Legal Services, ensure the punctual submission of program reports and information to maintain compliance with grant and contract terms.
4. Maintaining meticulous organization while managing multiple deadlines and coordinating with various collaborators. This includes ensuring the tracking of service delivery and grant deadlines aligns with the needs and requirements of grants and is in compliance with and supportive of reporting requirements.
5. When necessary, with the Director of Legal Services, provide project management once funding is secured, including overseeing the implementation of funded projects, tracking project milestones, and ensuring compliance with grant terms.
6. Participating in ongoing training and development including but not limited to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access related training at fundraising and legal aid conferences and these may require occasional overnight travel.

LOCATION: Milwaukee Administration Office. (633 W. Wisconsin Ave., Suite 2000, Milwaukee.)

FLEX WORK: Legal Action supports flexible work arrangements that meet the goals of the organization and the employee. Flex work (remote work or compressed work week) is available but we expect the Grants Manager to be in the Administrative Office at least 2 days per week on a regular basis.

COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY: At Legal Action, health and safety is a top priority. We require all new, unrepresented employees and interns, law clerks, volunteers, and contractors from employment agencies or consulting firms to have completed their COVID-19 vaccinations and booster and to provide medical proof from Wisconsin’s Immunization Registry or from a medical provider of their fully vaccinated status as a condition of employment with Legal Action within 28 days of their first day of employment. Individuals may request a medical or religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine requirement. Exemption requests must be completed and approved on or before the first day of employment.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Enter information into a computer accurately. Answer numerous emails, phone calls, and other electronic and electronic communications throughout the day. Occasionally move objects, usually about 10 – 20 pounds. Retrieve documents from printers and copiers and similar office equipment and file or distribute to others as needed.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: This role is mostly sedentary, with most of the duties performed on a computer, phone, table, or reception desk. Desk and workspaces will accommodate a wheelchair or other assistive devices. This position may require occasional short-distance or long-distance travel.

GOVERNANCE: Legal Action’s personnel policies and other operating policies and procedures govern this position.

SALARY: Our Board of Directors determines salary scales for all Legal Action positions: Management cannot negotiate additional pay with incumbents. In making salary determinations, we place incumbents on the steps of the salary scales using their number of years of relevant work experience. Employees move up one step on their anniversary dates unless they are on a performance improvement plan. Sample steps on the Grants Manager salary scale are as follows:

Step 5 (5 years of relevant experience): $68,530
Step 10 (10 years of relevant experience): $76,887
Step 15 (15 years of relevant experience): $85,245
Step 20 (20 years of relevant experience): $93,268

LANGUAGE PREMIUM: Legal Action’s Salary Administration Plan includes additional pay of either $2,400 or $4,800 annually (depending on the amount of work and paid pro rata per pay period) for those employees who are fluent in Spanish or Hmong and who utilize their language skills in performing their work.

FRINGE BENEFITS: This position receives a full fringe benefit package. It currently includes:
• Employer-paid health and dental insurance for employee, employee + spouse, employee + children, or full family with no premium contribution by the employee unless a spouse has other health insurance available to them;
• Two options for individual Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) to help employees with deductibles and out of pocket costs. One HRA option (base HRA) has no contribution by the employee and the other, optional HRA option (buy-up HRA) requires a monthly contribution by the employee.
• Employer-paid life and long-term disability insurance and other voluntary (employee-paid) income protection benefits for employees and their dependents;
• A retirement plan contribution (subject to annual board approval, dependent on budget);
• Generous sick leave accrual;
• At least 20 days of annual leave per year (longer tenured employees receive additional annual leave);
• At least four days of personal holidays per year (longer tenured employees receive additional personal holidays) in addition to Legal Action’s 11 firmwide holidays (which includes Juneteenth);
• Four weeks of paid parental leave after one year of employment; and
• 40 hours of “Service Leave” for every five years of employment.

RELOCATION EXPENSES AVAILABLE: Up to $1,200 of expenses related to relocating may be available for reimbursement.

SUPERVISION: This position reports to Nicole Zimmer, Director of Legal Services.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD: The position is subject to a six-month probationary period.