Grants Specialist

Responsibilities & Essential Duties

Partners with the Manager of Grants and Evaluation to execute monthly and annual corporate, foundation, and grant funding strategies to achieve institutional revenue targets.
Supports cross-department collaboration to complete on-time grant, proposal, and reporting submissions, including proposal narratives, budgets, outcomes reports, and other materials requested by corporate and foundation funders.
Manages external foundation and corporate donor relationships with an emphasis on sustained stewardship, strategic alignment, and shared wins.
Identifies, researches, and sources corporate sponsorship and foundation grant opportunities to expand the institutional giving calendar and enhance mission impact.
Collaborates with the Manager of Grants and Evaluation to co-create and deploy an annual engagement strategy for foundations, corporate partners, and institutional stakeholders.
Provides support, information, and background materials to equip colleagues for donor and sponsor meetings to advance institutional funding prospects.
Collaborates with the Communications Team, adopting strengths-based messaging for foundation, corporate, and annual grant partners that centers on nourishing, equipping, and empowering our guests.
Utilizes constituent relationship management (CRM) software to track moves management, record grant interactions, and maintain up-to-date application statuses.
Collaborates directly with the Manager of Grants and Evaluation to maintain the grant tracking system, ensuring compliance, tracking key performance indicators, and monitoring deliverable timelines for assigned annual, corporate, and foundation grants.
Works with the Manager of Grants and Evaluation to connect grant strategies and partner expectations directly with organizational operations, program leads, and measurable project outcomes.
Other duties as assigned.

Education & Experience

2+ years of relevant experience required
Some college required. Bachelor's Degree preferred. or in place of a degree, equivalent years of experience
Basic conversational Spanish proficiency desired

Qualifications

Proven ability to work independently and manage multiple concurrent projects on time and on specification.
Work experience in grant writing, corporate fundraising, or building institutional community partnerships is preferred.
Successful experience submitting funded foundation and corporate grants and proposals, with strong technical writing skills.
Proficiency in clear and effective written and verbal communication, with the ability to build trusting professional relationships with foundation and corporate leaders.
Strong work ethic and ability to work independently across multiple community and business sectors.
Experience using various software systems and donor constituent relationship management (CRM) technologies.
Demonstrated genuine passion for our mission and commitment to upholding our team’s values: Radically Welcoming, Guest-Centered, Lead with Kindness, Curiosity-Driven, Always Improving, Collaborative by Design, Contagious Commitment, & One Team.
Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people.
Willingness and interest in continuous learning and adaptation based on professional interests and organizational needs.
High standard of performance and integrity, and ability to lead by example to foster a positive workplace culture.

Position Details

Position Type: Full-time Regular

Overtime Status: Exempt

Direct Reports: None

Department: Development

Primary Location: Food Club & Opportunity Hub

Compensation & Benefits: $53,500 - $61,500 /year

Supervision Received, General Direction: Receives broad guidance and direction and has some autonomy in decision-making and flexibility in determining how to achieve goals. Supervisor provides support and resources as needed but may not be directly involved in day-to-day decision-making or task assignments.

Supervisory Responsibilities, Informal Supervisor: Does not have formal people leading (supervisory) responsibilities. May influence others based on their expertise or relationships; lead projects with other teammates; and/or provide guidance or mentoring to other colleagues.

Physical Requirements

Frequently work in stationary position

Occasionally move about work area

Continuously read and understand written word

Continuously operate computer and general office machines

Occasionally work outside in variable weather conditions

Occasionally ability to push, pull, and lift up to 20 pounds

Other Factors

Access to consistent and reliable transportation

Evening hours Occasionally, on a pre-scheduled basis

Weekend hours Occasionally, on a pre-scheduled basis

About Community Action House

Since its founding in 1969, Community Action House has been the focal point of community efforts to provide critical support and pathways out of poverty for our neighbors in need. Our community-powered work takes a client-centric approach that meets people wherever they are at and offers services that enhance ownership and agency. Our work is organized in three interconnected areas: Food Access, Resource Navigation, and Financial Wellness. Welcome, excellence, and collaboration are some of our core values. (www.communityactionhouse.org)

In October 2021, we launched our new ‘Food Club & Opportunity Hub’ to expand efficient, impactful healthy food assistance with the on-site integration of other pathway programs. More recently, we announced a partnership with Dwelling Place to help address the affordable housing crisis here in Holland. In July 2023, we publicly launched our expansion of Lakeshore Food Rescue. (www.lakeshorefoodrescue.org)

In April 2026, we are launching our second Resale Store in Holland, MI. Our first Resale Store has proven that it can generate consistent, flexible funding that directly supports our work—while also providing practical resources for the people we serve. A second store allows us to scale that success. It’s a high-impact use of community assets: turning donated goods and volunteer engagement into reliable income, reducing our dependence on fluctuating grants and charitable contributions. (https://www.communityactionhouse.org/resale-expansion)

Organizational budget: $14M+ (inclusive of $7-8M of in kind support)
Agency Size: 80 staff and 3,000+ annual volunteers

Our Values

Who we are. Who we aspire to be. What drives us. What unites us.
> Radically Welcoming
> Guest-Centered
> Lead with Kindness
> Curiosity-Driven
> Always Improving
> Collaborative by Design
> Contagious Commitment
> One Team

If you’re excited to collaborate on our mission, grow your skills, and be part of a team that deeply cares, we’d love to hear from you.

Applications

An application is required to be submitted through our Jobs page of our website. Interviews are conducted on a rolling basis. The application process includes a phone interview and two onsite interviews. Community Action House will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If a reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact accommodations@communityactionhouse.org - thank you.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Community Action House is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth), sexual orientation, and gender identity, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, height, weight, marital status, veteran status, or any other status protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws. We encourage applicants of all backgrounds to apply.
Note: This job posting is a description of the typical duties of this position, and is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties. Job incumbents may be asked to perform other duties as required.