Overview
The Grants Manager will play a key role in sustaining the Carolina Federation’s growing development program. Our Development Department is in an exciting phase of building systems, diversifying funding streams, and deepening relationships with donors who are aligned with our mission. The team is actively implementing donor management software and developing small-dollar fundraising strategies to lay the foundation for scaling our work.
We’re looking for someone who sees grant writing as more than just securing funding—it’s a powerful tool for sustaining movements, shifting power, and fueling long-term social change.
This role is ideal for a strong writer and strategic thinker who thrives in both structured grant writing and creative resource development. The Grants Manager will be responsible for researching and writing grant proposals, managing grant reporting, and helping strengthen relationships with institutional donors and our coalition partners.
The skills and commitments that will allow someone to succeed in this role include:
● A deep commitment to building multi-racial, working class political power for communities across North Carolina.
● A strong belief in the role of sustainable funding to support long-term organizing.
● An eagerness to learn from experiments and co-create systems within a dynamic and evolving development program.
● Strong writing and storytelling skills to develop compelling grant narratives and funder materials.
Specifically, the Grants Manager will be responsible for:
Grant Prospecting & Donor Research
● Researching new grant opportunities and maintaining a pipeline of prospective funders.
● Identifying and tracking Requests for Proposals (RFPs) that align with the Carolina Federation’s mission.
● Providing research on institutional funders and key philanthropic networks, prioritizing partnerships over transactional funding relationships.
Grant Writing & Management
● Alongside the Development Director, designing systems to gather and synthesize diverse sources of information—recorded interviews, meeting summaries, program debriefs, and past materials—into clear external-facing narratives that communicate the organization’s work to funders and donors.
● Collaborating with program staff, finance, and leadership to develop funding proposals and reports that communicate the Carolina Federation’s impact.
● Ensuring timely submission of applications and maintaining all necessary supporting documents.
● Managing a grants calendar, tracking deadlines, renewal opportunities, and funder communications.
Funder Stewardship & Reporting
● Maintaining relationships with funders through regular updates, donor briefings, and site visits.
● Drafting progress reports and program updates tailored to different funder audiences, and assisting in drafting our annual Impact Report.
● Ensuring proper acknowledgment of funders, including thank-you letters, public recognition, and updates.
● Coordinating with communications staff to integrate funder messaging into newsletters, social media, and organizational materials.
Data & Systems Management
● Supporting the use of new and existing systems for funder tracking.
● Ensuring grant compliance by maintaining accurate funder records, reporting deadlines, and documentation.
Qualifications & Experience
● 2 years in grant writing, fundraising, or nonprofit development.
● Strong writing and storytelling skills—capable of crafting compelling narratives that align with funder interests.
● Experience managing grant calendars, deadlines, and compliance requirements.
● Experience with CRM systems, donor databases, and online grant portals is a plus.
● Experience with systems and process writing is a plus.
● Passion for the Carolina Federation’s mission and a commitment to racial, economic, and social justice.
● Personal or professional experience living in the South, engaging in multi-racial organizing and/or organizing in the South is a plus.
To apply for this job email your details to Development@carolinafederation.org
About Carolina Federation
The Carolina Federation is a statewide organization that brings people together across race to build a new political majority in North Carolina, rooted in a culture of belonging and strong enough to win elections and wield governing power in our state. Our work combines the best of Southern freedom traditions: deep base-building, transformative cultural work, power-building issue campaigns, and large-scale voter organizing.
Over the past six years, our chapter-based membership organization has grown to become one of the largest voter engagement operations in North Carolina. In addition to our voter engagement work, we are equally proud to be known for the depth of our leadership development, our democratic endorsement processes, and the governance of the organization by elected member leaders.
Carolina Federation Values
● Commitment to Building Power; through elections, issue campaigns, base-building and organizing, centered around the leadership of working-class people and people of color.
● Commitment to Justice; to racial, economic, gender, and environmental justice and to lifting up the leadership and dignity of the working-class people and people of color; a felt sense of inspiration and alignment with our DNA principles
● Commitment to Interdependence -- bringing your best, relying on the strengths of others, the knowledge that we are responsible for each other’s well-being
● Commitment to Integrity – drawing from deep values and beliefs with a track record of honesty and courage
● Resilient, Ambitious, Relentless – leaning on professional and personal support systems and internal resources to sustain yourself in challenging times; believing that you and others are capable of greatness and that victory is possible for our people; getting creative and experimental when things get difficult