Description

EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Full-time | Salaried, exempt 

SCHEDULE: Monday-Friday; occasional evenings/weekends

WORK LOCATION: In person | Vista, CA

COMPENSATION: $72,000-$75,000 DOE

BENEFITS: Medical & dental; paid vacation, holidays & PTO

ROLE FOCUS: Approximately 60% Grants & Institutional Giving / 40% Community Engagement & Fundraising

ABOUT SOLUTIONS FOR CHANGE

Solutions for Change is a nonprofit committed to solving family homelessness - one family, one community at a time. We fight The Churn of poverty, homelessness, dependency, and instability by addressing root causes and equipping families to build stable, independent futures.

Our integrated model brings together Solutions Academy, Solutions Enterprise, and Solutions Institute. Solutions Academy is a structured 700-day transformation process that develops work readiness, career pathways, leadership, financial capability, family management, personal growth, and accountability.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Grants & Community Engagement Manager grows philanthropic support through institutional giving, fundraising, and community engagement. The role owns the full grant lifecycle - prospect research, proposals, reporting, stewardship, and renewal - while also supporting donor engagement, fundraising initiatives, community partnerships, events, and donor communications. The position is designed with an approximate 60/40 emphasis: 60% Grants & Institutional Giving and 40% Community Engagement & Fundraising.

Working across senior leadership, Community Engagement, Transformational Impact, Finance, and Marketing, the Manager connects funders, donors, and community partners to Solutions for Change's mission, outcomes, and stories of transformation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Grants & Institutional Giving - Approximately 60%

 Manage institutional funding opportunities from prospect research and cultivation through submission, award, reporting, stewardship, and renewal.

 Research and qualify prospective funders aligned with Solutions for Change priorities, including economic mobility, family homelessness and housing stability, human services, education and youth outcomes, and behavioral health.

 Write persuasive, customized letters of inquiry, proposals, applications, case statements, and grant reports that connect funder priorities to organizational outcomes.

 Maintain a forward-looking grant pipeline and master calendar, including cultivation plans, deadlines, reporting requirements, renewal strategies, and next steps.

 Coordinate proposal budgets, program data, attachments, and supporting documentation with Finance, Transformational Impact, and other internal partners.

 Maintain accurate grant records and prepare timely interim and final reports demonstrating results, stewardship, and compliance.

 Serve as a primary relationship manager for institutional funders and support leadership and program staff with funder meetings, site visits, and follow-up.

Community Engagement & Fundraising - Approximately 40%

 Support donor cultivation and stewardship through follow-up, donor communications, impact updates, and other relationship-building activities.

 Contribute to fundraising appeals, campaigns, sponsorship opportunities, and donor-facing materials in collaboration with Community Engagement and Marketing.

 Assist with donor, funder, and community events, including tours, site visits, briefings, and other engagement opportunities.

 Help identify and cultivate corporate, civic, and community partnership opportunities that can advance fundraising and organizational visibility.

 Support senior leadership with donor and partner preparation, meeting materials, follow-up, and stewardship; maintain accurate donor and funder information in organizational tracking systems.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

 Bachelor's degree in communications, English, journalism, nonprofit management, public administration, or a related field preferred; an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered.

 3+ years of experience in grant research, proposal development, grant management, and funder reporting; nonprofit experience strongly preferred.

 Demonstrated record of producing successful, well-researched grant proposals and managing multiple deadlines simultaneously.

 Exceptional writing, editing, grammar, research, and proofreading skills, with the ability to make complex information clear and compelling.

 Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with comfort interacting professionally with donors, funders, corporate partners, community members, and senior leaders.

 Experience supporting donor stewardship, fundraising campaigns, events, corporate partnerships, or community engagement is preferred.

 Highly organized, self-directed, and dependable; proficient with Microsoft 365. Experience with donor, CRM, or grant-tracking systems is a plus.