Western Reserve Land Conservancy has an immediate opening for a Grants Manager. The position reports to the Senior Director of Conservation Projects and is located at the Land Conservancy’s main office in Moreland Hills, Ohio.

This is a full-time position with a salary range of $60,000 to $68,000 annually, commensurate with experience, and the position is eligible for benefits.

BACKGROUND

Western Reserve Land Conservancy provides people with essential natural assets through land conservation and restoration. Headquartered in Moreland Hills, Ohio, we are a non-profit organization, the largest land conservancy in Ohio and nationally accredited by the Land Trust Alliance. Serving an area of 29 counties from the Pennsylvania line to the Sandusky Bay, the Land Conservancy has permanently conserved more acreage than Cleveland Metroparks and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park combined. We work with private and public landowners, farming families, neighborhood development corporations, corporations, county park systems, local residents and many more to help create communities nourished by vibrant natural lands, working farms and healthy cities. Thriving Communities, our urban revitalization program, is nationally recognized for thought leadership on removing blight; creating land banks statewide to find productive uses for vacant properties; and revitalizing communities through greening strategies. Our mission is funded through a combination of program revenue, government grants, and philanthropic gifts from individuals, foundations and corporations.

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the Senior Director of Conservation Projects, the Grants Manager (Manager) is responsible for the management of a well-coordinated and strategic government grant-writing program that provides the funding for strategic land acquisitions and conservation easement purchases, as well as other related projects for Western Reserve Land Conservancy.  This role includes identifying, writing, and submitting grants to local, state, and federal government sources and quasi-governmental sources. This position requires coordination with partner organizations and other departments within the Land Conservancy. The highest priority for the Manager is researching and writing public grants. In addition, the Manager is responsible for identifying new sources of public funding as well as grant management for funded projects, including tracking grant requirements, maintaining accurate records, and coordinating activities across multiple projects.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Project Funding Support

The Land Conservancy secures land protection grants from local, state, federal and private sources to support conservation acquisition and restoration efforts. The Manager supports the entire process of obtaining conservation funding for land protection projects, from grant identification to submission to grant administration. This broad responsibility could range from writing a grant for a land acquisition project, to writing a grant for a new playground on a partner park, to buying a conservation easement from a farmer on their private land. Some field work may be required, including visits to properties with partnering organizations, funding entities, and biologists who perform natural resource surveys.  Strong research skills are needed for developing solid proposals. 

In a calendar year the Manager will write an average of 40 grant applications totaling $30 million in requested funding. Due to the application cycle, there are times during the year when the Manager will be working on multiple applications at the same time.

Researching

The Land Conservancy needs to diversify its sources of Conservation funding.  As a result, a key responsibility of the Manager is to collaborate with all departments and continually identify and research sources of funding from among the grants available from numerous public bodies.

Reporting

The Manager is responsible for tracking and reporting all public funding for which we apply and receive.  This reporting should be provided to the Conservation Team and Management Team and be prepared for each Board of Trustees meeting.

Collaboration

Collaboration with partners and funders is a crucial element of the conservation funding process. The Manager coordinates with partner organizations and funders, such as other non-profits, various levels of local government, and local, state, and federal agencies.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND CAPABILITIES

• Highly energetic professional with a track record of building strong relationships and winning grants.
• Effective communication skills with the ability to write clear, structured, articulate, and persuasive proposals.
• 3+ years’ fundraising experience, preferably in grant writing, is strongly preferred.
• Experience in preparing proposals for and securing grants from state and/or federal grant funding sources.
• Experience researching public funding opportunities.
• Effective organizational and time management skills combined with the ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment.Must be able to work effectively in a team setting.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college is strongly preferred.
• Background in natural resources is preferred but not required.
• Must be able to convey a strong passion for the Land Conservancy’s mission and knowledge of its strategies and activities to build engagement and support.

Western Reserve Land Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to hiring staff members who represent the rich diversity of our community. At the Land Conservancy, all employees and applicants for employment are judged on their merits.  The Land Conservancy is committed to providing an environment free of illegal discrimination of any kind, and does not base any employment decisions on race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, religion, age, disability, military or veteran status, or any other protected category under federal and state laws.