ABOUT THE NOVO FOUNDATION

The NoVo Foundation acts from the original meaning of philanthropy: the love of humanity.

Created in 2006 by Jennifer and Peter Buffett, NoVo is committed to advancing adolescent girls’ rights, ending violence against girls and women, advancing social and emotional learning, promoting local living economies, and supporting Indigenous communities.

We are a social justice foundation dedicated to catalyzing a transformation away from a world based on domination and exploitation, to one of partnership, collaboration, justice, and equity. We envision a world that operates on the principles of mutual respect, collaboration, and civic participation, thereby reversing the old paradigm predicated on hierarchy, violence, and the subordination of girls and women.

The scale of these ambitions guides our work with our grantee partners. Ours is both risk capital and patient capital; experimentation and new thinking are critical paths forward. Seeing the world as it is, and as it could be, inspires our shared work. Through all of our activities, we try to illuminate the possibility of a new paradigm, gather evidence of its existence, and establish pathways for its manifestation. We are humbled and honored to contribute to building a world based on compassion, justice, and love. 

For further details about the mission and vision of the NoVo Foundation please visit www.novofoundation.org.

ABOUT THE ROLE - GRANTS MANAGER 

The Grants Manager will report to the Director of Grants Administration and will be structurally integrated within designated Initiative teams. This deliberate cross-functional configuration is designed to allow the Grants Manager to have a general understanding of the assigned programmatic mission, be aware of priorities, be alerted to developing plans that might be complex from a grants management perspective, and build relationships with Foundation staff and grantee partners, all while implementing best practices in grants management and compliance.

The Grants Manager is responsible for all grants management functions and all daily grant activities, including: inviting and processing incoming applications; working closely with the Finance Team to ensure payments are processed and tracked accurately; supporting the launch of new grantmaking initiatives; and providing Initiative Teams with accurate and timely information related to individual grants and program portfolios. You will work with the Grants Management Team to develop strategies to optimize the grants administration process. 

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES WILL INCLUDE:

Grants Administration

• Assuring the smooth flow of proposal processing throughout the grant cycle, from application to closeout.
• Creating and coordinating distribution of grant notification communications and grant agreements, including grant extensions, and amendments.
• Ensuring grantee reports are timely, complete, and accessible to Relationship Managers.
• Providing technical assistance to grantees and applicants regarding compliance and the Foundation’s online grants process.
• Maintaining clean and accurate information in the grants database, including scanning and uploading documents to the database.
• Recommending logical evolutions in grant coding structure, field definitions, and authorizations.
• Recommending policies and procedures for ensuring the integrity of the grants database, including data validation checks, maintenance of coding consistency, periodic analyses to verify the completeness of data, and the establishment of protocols for identifying and editing missing or inaccurate data.
• Representing the Foundation at the Grants Managers Network and in other meetings and forums.

Compliance 

• Conducting legal compliance review, interacting with Relationship Managers and grantee partners, to ensure that all supporting documentation is accurate, adequate, and consistent with IRS regulations and Foundation policies.
• Communicating with Relationship Managers when there are questions regarding grant materials, including missing application items, budget issues, etc.
• Coordinating grant agreement processing, grant report reviews, and grant modifications with Relationship Managers.
• Monitoring and reviewing grantee reports to ensure that all documents are accurate, adequate and consistent with IRS regulations and Foundation policies.

Dockets

• Supporting the Initiative Team and Director of Grants Administration in compiling and preparing materials for regular Grants Committee meetings.
• Managing the calendar for Grants Committee meetings and supporting Initiative Teams with corresponding deadlines.
• Supporting the Director in the development of materials for Board meetings.
• Producing reports on progress against annual payout requirements.

 Database & Reporting

• Creating new and updating existing contact, organization, and grant account records in foundationConnect, the grants management database built on the Salesforce platform.
• Ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of all Foundation data and reports related to grants management functions.
• Working closely with the Grants System Administrator to develop and produce accurate and timely portfolio reports, including financial summaries and dashboards.

Systems & Training

• Working directly with the Grants System Administrator and Initiative Teams to design and create applications and reporting templates that support a values-aligned grantmaking process.
• Providing guidance for the Grant Management Team’s ongoing efforts to improve and streamline the Foundation's grantmaking processes, and contributing to the development and enhancement of foundationConnect.
• Recommending changes in grants management process and technology to improve efficiency, transparency, compliance, and applicant experience.
• Providing leadership on special projects for the Grants Management Team and in collaboration with Initiatives and Operations Teams, as needed. 

WE’RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO IS…

• INTENTIONAL – Your working style is about creating order and planning ahead. You think systematically and excel at establishing elegant processes.
• AN ORGANIZATIONAL WIZARD – You can manage across multiple work streams, keeping deadlines, working in teams, and managing complexity by simplifying solutions with clarity and attention to detail.
• EMPATHETIC – You enjoy helping others and love being part of a team.
• PASSIONATE ABOUT LEARNING – The role requires ongoing training and education in best practices, compliance and due diligence and you need to be someone who is always looking to hone your craft.
• ADAPTABLE & FLEXIBLE – You can handle any curveball, and in fact, you expect them. You’re strategic yet have the ability to pivot quickly as priorities shift and the team continues to take shape.
• A SELF-STARTER – You have the ability to initiate, organize, and manage projects, and to interface successfully with colleagues in a collaborative approach.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE – 3+ years of experience working in the non-profit sector (both public charity & private foundation), ideally in high-level grants management.
• COMPLIANCE KNOWLEDGE - Solid understanding of IRS rules and regulations governing private foundations and all related activity. Attendance at legal seminars, conferences, and workshops is essential to stay up to date on the latest trends and legal rulings.
• MISSION-ALIGNMENT – Familiarity and demonstrated alignment with the NoVo Foundation’s mission and vision.

 OUR HIRING PROCESS

Our hiring process, managed by ReWork recruiting firm, is designed to give candidates insight into the nature of the challenges that we face in our daily work and bring into focus the candidates that we have learned will be most successful in this role and at our organization. Here are the phases of our process:

• Phase 1: Short, written exercises to assess technical knowledge & relevant experience - Early September
• Phase 2: A Trial Project that will mimic the role and allow candidates to showcase their skills - Late September
• Phase 3: Two 45-minute in-person interview with NoVo Leadership - Early October
• Phase 4: A final full-team interview - Mid October
• Phase 5: Our goal is to make offers soon after the final interview for a Late November start date in New York City.

We intentionally do not ask for a cover letter and do not truly consider resumes until Phase 3. This "bias blind" process is aimed at opening this opportunity to more candidates; reviewing applicants on performance assessments instead of resume proxies (e.g.where you went to school).

HOW WILL WE KNOW YOU’RE THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE ROLE?

If you want to learn more, please complete the simple initial application at:

http://rework.applytojob.com/apply/agnjwZJcXk/Grants-Manager?source=NoVo

Applications must be submitted by Thursday, September 7th. We are reviewing applications on a rolling basis so we encourage you to submit yours right away.