GRANT WRITER AND COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIST

Grant Writer and Communications Strategist

Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are
Established in 1908, James Madison University is a comprehensive public institution offering undergraduate, masters and doctoral programs to more than 20,000 students. JMU is regarded as one of the finest regional universities in the nation and has been continuously cited in U.S. News and World Report, Changing Times and Money Magazine as an outstanding public university. Located in the heart of Virginia's beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. Known for its livability, diversity, local food, arts and natural surroundings, this Virginia Main Street community is a great place to live and work.

Duties and Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

The Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations is responsible for developing and managing programs leading to private gifts which will support and advance the faculty, students and programs in alignment with the overarching mission and vision of James Madison University. The staff identifies potential donors, and educates both corporations and foundations about financial needs of the university and conducts solicitations to meet these needs.

The purpose of this position is to solicit private gifts as well as the capital and endowment requirements of the university as needed. This position will be charged with all elements of the proposal and grant submission process including identification of new funding sources in the private and non-profit sectors, and execution of all elements of the proposal submission process. This individual will be expected to manage multiple grant submissions and keep a continuous flow of new corporate, foundation and non-profit opportunities.

• Apply for new private funding sources for projects, programs and new initiatives by researching databases and analyze them to identify likely opportunities.
• Manage all elements of the proposal or submission process including compiling, writing, editing and submitting grant applications.
• Develop individual grants or proposals in accordance with each organization's objectives and preferences and submission guidelines
• Work with university advancement team and others to prepare proposals
• Keep in contact with funders during their review of a submitted grant application in order to be able to supply additional supportive material if needed.
• Build solid and lasting relationships with funder's through creative cultivations, stewardship and consistent timely outreach.
• Develop and maintain excellent collaborative relationships with university faculty and staff to better understand the needs, impact, data, and budgets for our programs, in order to submit the strongest proposals possible.
• Manage the process of supplying progress reports when required by funders which in includes working with staff to collect data on outcomes for funded program.
• Track all correspondence, submissions and reports in our database.
• Create a wide variety of collateral, including newsletters, flyers, video scripts, website and social media content.
• Coordinate and provide support for the Madison Champions program.
• Assist the Director of Corporate Relations with other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in English, communications, writing or related field required. Masters preferred.
• Two to four years of directly related experience and/or training in communications marketing and/or grant writing and/or fundraising.

Skills:

• Must have the ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines, and work as a team player.
• Exceptional written communication skills; ability to write clear, structured, articulate, and impactful proposals, press releases, etc.
• Ability to analyze needs and trends, utilize data, research, and create content to convey the needs of the University to specific grantor/funder interests and priorities in a compelling way.
• Detail-oriented, strong time management skills, the ability to be self-motivated.
• Corporate and foundation grant writing and administration experience.

To apply go to or visit JobLink.jmu.edu and reference posting number F1565.

Pay Range: Commensurate with Experience.

James Madison University is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.