OVERVIEW

Are you passionate about grantmaking and making a positive impact on the environment? Do you thrive in collaborative work environments and value diverse and unique learning opportunities? Are you eager to connect your personal interests to a mission-driven organization that supports professional growth? NEEF has an excellent opportunity for a Director, Grants Administration to join our team.

The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) is a national leader in building public environmental literacy. Congressionally chartered in 1990 as a 501c3 nonprofit to complement the work of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), NEEF is a non-partisan, non-advocacy organization working to make the environment more accessible, relatable, relevant, and connected to the daily lives of all Americans. NEEF collaborates with respected organizations, from both the public and private sector, to develop programs and trainings, organize events, and fund projects that empower people to positively impact our environment. NEEF’s major partners include Toyota, 3M, and International Paper as well as multiple federal government agencies. Through its network, NEEF aims to inspire the public to learn about their relationship to the environment and increase their environmental involvement.

MAJOR DUTIES

We are seeking a strategic, creative, self-starter to lead NEEF’s grantmaking efforts. The Director, Grants Administration is responsible for overseeing and adhering to policies, procedures, and systems for awarding grants and assessing their impact at the state, regional, and national levels. In partnership with Program staff, they align NEEF’s grantmaking portfolio with organizational and programmatic priorities. The Director, Grants Administration works cross-departmentally with staff to ensure strategic alignment between grantmaking, organizational goals, and audit requirements. They are also responsible for staying abreast of laws and regulations that help shape and inform granting of public and private funds and translating that knowledge into policies that can be used to guide NEEF’s grantmaking efforts. Additionally, they will integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion best practices into the grantmaking policies and processes.

Primary responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Take philanthropic strategies developed by Programs and integrate and execute grantmaking initiatives aligned with those strategies and with NEEF’s organizational priorities and mission.
• Collaborate with the program directors to review, track, and analyze grant impact to determine progress in meeting the organization’s objectives.
• Manage all logistical aspects of NEEF’s grantmaking process, including creating requests for proposals, application templates, scoring rubrics and evaluative criteria, generating grant agreements and other related documents.
• Oversee NEEF’s web-based grants management system (GMS).
• Research and analyze emerging trends in philanthropy and federal sub-awards and provide insight and processes that will inform and improve NEEF’s grantmaking programming and processes.
• Maintain relevant grantee data in Salesforce and produce reports that evaluate and support the impact of NEEF’s grantmaking efforts.
• Engage external consultants to provide feedback and assessment of NEEF’s overall grantmaking processes as needed.
• Serve as the point of contact for all applicants/grantees during application, execution and reporting phases of a grantmaking initiative.
• Conduct or facilitate and train staff on conducting in-person site visits to grantees.
• Develop and maintain a quality assurance process for internal and external grantmaking stakeholders (i.e., grantees, evaluators, etc.).
• With oversight from the VP, Finance & Administration, ensure that NEEF’s grantmaking processes meet legal, OMB, audit, and internal accounting requirements.
• Collect, analyze, and report on the status of NEEF’s grantmaking throughout the year and contribute to the financial accounting of the organization by developing accurate and timely grantee data/reports, maintaining multi-year payment schedules, and monitoring grant fund balances.
• Collaborate with Marketing & Communications staff to market the grants program, collect and communicate stories about NEEF’s grantees, and to strategically promote local and national awareness about NEEF’s grants program and the work of its grantees.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills, Knowledge, and Expertise

• Minimum education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in development/fundraising, accounting/finance, business management, environmental science, or related field.
• Minimum of five years of professional work experience in philanthropy/grantmaking, preferably with federal funds. Background in an environmentally related field preferred, but not required.
• Proven analytical, accounting/financial, and reporting skills.
• Experience engaging and working with underrepresented communities to ensure equity within NEEF’s grant funds distribution.
• Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills; excellent written and verbal communication skills. Strong ability to communicate with different audiences clearly and professionally.
• Experience with a GMS preferred.
• Computer proficiency of Microsoft Office and constituent databases, such as Salesforce. Ability to learn and master new software programs a plus.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to details; ability to manage multiple priorities and frequent deadlines.
• Ability to handle sensitive matters with discretion.
• Supervisory experience a plus.
• Some travel required.

Salary: The salary for this position is commensurate with experience. NEEF offers excellent benefits, a collaborative and learning environment, flexible hours, and values work-life balance. We are looking for someone who is passionate about making a long-term impact at a growing organization. The office is in Washington, D.C. and is metro accessible. Our team is currently teleworking due to the pandemic. The position allows for permanent telework for qualified candidates in the US.

To apply: visit https://ideali.st/xF9A5N.

At NEEF, diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity applies to both our workforce and the communities we serve.

EOE/AA/M/F/D/V

NEEF is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer and is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. NEEF is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment.