Grant Manager (Consultant)

About the role

StreetWise Partners drives career mobility through high‑impact mentoring, career coaching, and employment support, having served over 25,000 adults in New York City and Washington, D.C. for more than 25 years. The Bridge Program provides customized, one‑on‑one mentorship and career coaching to job seekers, building professional skills, social capital, and advocate networks. Under new CEO leadership, the organization is scaling its revenue base and seeks a Grant Manager (Independent Contractor) to build the acquisition engine for foundation, corporate, and government funding streams. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer and partnering closely with the CEO, this role owns new business generation, prospect dossier development, proposal infrastructure, and pipeline forecasting to turn growth strategy into a fundable, forecastable pipeline. The position is remote (U.S.), with preference for candidates in the NYC or D.C. metro area, and entails approximately 40 hours per month as an hourly independent contractor.

Responsibilities

• Prospect Development & Portfolio Management (40%): Build and manage an active portfolio of qualified foundation, corporate, and government prospects, each backed by a funder‑specific dossier (giving history, program priorities, decision‑makers, cultivation timeline). Apply moves‑management discipline to advance prospects from identification through qualification to solicitation, in coordination with the Chief Development Officer and CEO. Source new relationship pathways via LinkedIn and funder networks to keep the pipeline full. Own the portfolio in a shared tracking system designed for forward‑looking revenue forecasting. Own end‑to‑end submission of every proposal, LOI, and funder report, from first draft through final upload or mail, confirming receipt where required.
• Proposal Strategy & Development (35%): Write and submit high‑quality LOIs, proposals, and funder reports at a pace of 3‑5 new applications weekly, tailoring each to the funder’s priorities. Build and own the Master Proposal library containing the organization's core narrative, outcomes data, and AI‑enabled program use cases so every proposal starts from a position of strength. Partner with finance to build and align grant budgets and budget narratives. Position every ask in the funder’s own language and priorities—no generic, reused copy.
• Pipeline Forecasting & Reporting (15%): Own a grant tracking system that separates new business from renewals, providing leadership an honest, current read on revenue in motion. Deliver a weekly pipeline report tight enough to drive real decisions, not just document activity. Surface deadline risk and resourcing gaps early enough to act on them. Maintain a master deadline calendar covering every application, LOI, and funder report due date, with sufficient lead time for review and refinement before submission.
• Strategic Collaboration (10%): Partner with program and finance to translate outcomes and evidence into funder‑ready narrative. Stay embedded in organizational strategy through regular internal engagement. Lead adoption of AI tools that increase research and drafting velocity, consistent with board direction to modernize the development function. Perform other tasks as assigned.

Requirements

• 5+ years of institutional fundraising experience, with grant writing and prospect research as core disciplines, preferably in workforce development, education, or economic mobility.
• Track record of proposals that convert, not just proposals that go out the door; comfort being measured on win rate and dollars raised, not only volume submitted.
• Sophisticated prospect research instincts and ability to build a pipeline from a cold start using LinkedIn, funder databases, and public philanthropic data.
• Experience building and defending grant budgets alongside a finance team.
• Fluency in a CRM and project management tool (Salesforce and Asana preferred).
• Operator’s mindset: someone who has built a fundraising system before, not only worked inside one.
• Strong command of funder voice, able to move fluidly between organizational strategic priorities and a program officer’s evaluation criteria.
• Availability during core U.S. Eastern business hours and ability to work independently as a remote consultant.
• Demonstrated fluency using AI tools to automate prospect research and build an efficient grant workflow (e.g., faster funder qualification, first‑draft generation from a proposal library, repeatable pipeline process). Be ready to describe a specific AI‑enabled workflow you have built or used.

Skills

• Prospect research and moves‑management expertise.
• Grant writing, LOI and proposal development tailored to diverse funders.
• Grant budgeting and financial narrative development.
• CRM and project management proficiency (Salesforce, Asana).
• AI‑enabled workflow automation for research and drafting.
• Strategic collaboration and communication with program, finance, and leadership teams.
• Pipeline forecasting, reporting, and deadline management.

Pay

$75 per hour, approximately 40 hours per month. This is an independent contractor role; no benefits are offered.

Schedule

Approximately 40 hours per month, remote (U.S.). Candidates located in New York City or the Washington, D.C. metro area are preferred but not required.