About Borealis Philanthropy

From Black-led movement-building to queer and trans liberation, to disability justice and inclusion, community organizers are working every day to bring about transformational change. Borealis Philanthropy exists to listen to, invest in, and support them. Our staff of experts come from the communities we serve, and bring their lived experiences, values, and visions to the work of supporting community-driven change through grantee and funder collaboration.

As a philanthropic intermediary, Borealis Philanthropy builds bridges between funders and organizers by creating opportunities for impact-driven investments. We team with funders to conceive, develop, and implement grantmaking initiatives that resource many innovative organizations within each of our respective grantmaking funds. In partnering with philanthropy, we remove barriers to funding for grassroots organizations and invest in intersectional movements, building a future that serves all of us.

‍Our Values

Alchemy + Healing, Atrevida + Audacity, Accountability + Integrity, Ubuntu + Interconnectedness

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Job Overview

The Grants Manager is responsible for the full grantmaking life cycle, and ensures that grantmaking processes meet the needs of multiple internal and external stakeholders. The Grants Manager manages this work in coordination with the Programs department and supervises the work of the Grant Associates. This role also plays a key part in analyzing trends in grantmaking, ensuring equitable practices, and supporting a positive experience for grantee partners.

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Responsibilities

Grants Management Oversight

The Grants Manager manages the organization’s grantmaking operations, including:

• Managing the organization-wide grantmaking docket schedule, collecting necessary materials, and coordinating with the Director of Finance, VPs of Programs, and the CEO to secure grant approvals.
• Partnering with the Finance department to ensure smooth and timely payments of approved grants
• Recommending and executing changes to procedures, policies, and systems to facilitate expansion, compliance, and increased efficiency
• Serving as a liaison between Finance, Programs, Development, and Communications to align grant processes with organizational goals and timelines
• Staying informed of research, activities, and trends in the philanthropic sector and with peer funders

Grants Compliance and Due Diligence

The Grants Manager ensures legal and 501(c)(3) compliance of all outgoing grants, including:

• Maintaining up-to-date knowledge of IRS regulations and other legal guidance relevant to public charities and philanthropic intermediaries
• Conducting second reviews of due diligence completed by Grant Associates, screening for legal, financial, and program compliance issues
• Ensuring that grant requirements are correctly documented in the grants management system
• Managing organizational conflicts of interest related to the grant approval process
• Championing equitable grantmaking practices, including streamlining processes, reducing burdens on grantees, and ensuring accessibility and fairness in proposal review and reporting requirements
• Collaborating with the broader organization to assess and mitigate risks related to grantmaking, including compliance, reputational, and operational risks
• Incorporating grantee feedback into ongoing process improvements to ensure the grant experience is accessible, responsive, and aligned with Borealis’ values

Team Support and Training

The Grants Manager provides staff support and training, including:

• Supervising, coaching, and mentoring Grant Associates, including conducting performance evaluations and supporting professional development
• Supporting program teams and Grant Associates in addressing grant structure issues and identifying effective solutions
• Designing and delivering training to program staff on grantmaking processes and procedures, in partnership with Grant Associates, both for onboarding new staff and when new grantmaking system features are released
• Producing, maintaining, and improving internal grantmaking SOPs, training materials, and documentation for consistency, onboarding, and compliance

Grantmaking System

The Grants Manager partners with the Salesforce Systems Analyst to ensure that Salesforce is meeting grants management needs, including:

• Partnering with external Salesforce system contractors as needed and managing the vendor relationship to ensure system functionality supports current and evolving grants management needs.
• Ensuring the integrity of grants data in Salesforce and providing reporting as requested for internal and external stakeholders
• Ensuring the smooth functioning of grantmaking processes in Salesforce, including the grantee portal

Other Duties

As a member of the Borealis staff, the Grants Manager performs certain functions that are not specific to their job but support the organization as a whole. This includes:

• Participating actively in organizational life, including staff meetings, trainings, and cross-functional projects
• Submitting and approving expense reports and timecards by stated deadlines
• Contributing to organizational development and change efforts, including serving on committees or special project teams
• Modeling Borealis’ culture and values; aligning outcomes, practices, and communications with the organization’s culture
• Managing special projects and performing other duties as assigned

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Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree with five years (5) of grants management experience preferred; or a combination of education and experience
• Three (3) years of supervisory experience
• Experience using grants management systems required, Salesforce preferred
• Familiarity with tax rules governing public charities, philanthropic intermediaries, and donor collaboratives
• Experience using systems and tools such as Zoom, Google Suite, Slack, and Asana

‍Competencies (Knowledge, Skills & Personal/ Behavioral Attributes)

• Highly organized and detail-oriented with strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to plan, prioritize, and manage multiple tasks effectively
• Strong project management and follow-through skills
• Excellent communication skills, with experience designing and delivering clear guidance in a variety of formats
• Ability to work collaboratively and build relationships in a virtual, values-aligned workplace
• Commitment to racial equity, disability justice, and equitable philanthropy
• Ability to apply a disability justice lens to making systems and processes accessible
• Understanding of equitable and participatory grantmaking principles and ability to operationalize them
• Commitment to Borealis’ vision and values

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Salary Range

MIN $92,000 | MID $115,000 | MAX $138,000

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Work Environment (Conditions and Physical Demands)

This job operates in a professional, virtual, home office or co-working environment, with local and national travel. In line with Borealis’ commitments to racial equity and disability justice, our current policy is that no staff member's travel or attendance at in-person meetings is required at this time. If team members are interested in attending in-person events, Borealis will, as needed, work to make reasonable accommodations to ensure their health and safety.

This role routinely uses standard office equipment, including a laptop computer and a cell phone. The employee is generally required to spend long periods of time sitting, typing, and working at a computer. May require the ability to occasionally lift and transport items. Accommodations will be made based on ability and accessibility.

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Commitment to Disability, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Borealis is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, we will ensure that people with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact recruitment@borealisphilanthropy.org. Borealis is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, or any other category protected by local, state, or federal laws. We are committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive staff team. We strongly encourage applicants who are people of color, LGBTQ, women, trans and gender non-conforming people, people with disabilities, and/or formerly incarcerated people.

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