Grants Steward, Poughkeepsie Farm Project

Poughkeepsie Farm Project is a farm-based non-profit organization committed to cultivating a just and sustainable food system in the Mid-Hudson Valley. On our member-supported farm in the City of Poughkeepsie, we grow fresh vegetables and fruit for our CSA, train future farmers, provide hands-on educational programs, and improve access to healthy locally-grown food. Our mission is to cultivate local leadership in sustainable farming, food access and education, and foster an inclusive, welcoming community for everyone. Structural Overview: Poughkeepsie Farm Project utilizes a Shared Leadership structure rather than a traditional hierarchical organizational chart. The organization is led by 4 Co-Executive Directors. Staff are organized in “Circles” (similar to teams) that convene staff to focus on specific areas of work, such as Admin & Finance, Communications, etc. 

Overview of Position: The Grants Steward serves as a member of the Grants Circle, as well as a member of the Admin & Finance Circle. The Grants Steward is responsible for maintaining a regular working relationship with program circles (i.e. Education Circles, Community Engagement Circle) and the Development Circle in order to collaborate, share data, and stay abreast of program changes and details.

The Grants Steward is the lead steward of PFP’s funding pipeline, and as such is responsible for researching, preparing, submitting, and managing grant proposals and reports that support PFP’s mission and goals and meet funder guidelines and criteria. This person serves as the primary grant writer, manages funder relationships, engages in compliance reporting, and supports special project initiatives. This position requires strong writing, data analysis, program budgeting, project management skills, with an emphasis on outcome measurement. 

Although it will be possible for the Grants Steward to largely work remotely and independently, the ideal candidate for the role is a person who is able to join the PFP team on site biweekly May - October for all-staff meetings, team building, and for opportunities to witness our programs and our farm production in action. Presence among our programs and team members will be important to ensure that written grant materials embody and reflect the spirit of our work. 

Position details: Part-time hourly – 20-25 hours per week. This position has the potential to grow to be a full-time position in the 2024 year based on awarded grant funding. 

Start date: November 1, 2023

Location: Poughkeepsie, NY and/or Remote

Supervisor: Director of Finance & Program Operations 

Supervisees: Not a supervisory role, however there is potential for career advancement within the organization for the right candidates

Responsibilities:

  • Relationship development with staff program leaders, funders and strategic partners at the local, state and federal level

    • Maintain and build relationships with funders at the local, state and federal level

    • Meet with staff and funders as needed to explore funding opportunities, attend grantee trainings and fulfill site visit requirements

    • Execute thank you letters to funders in a timely fashion, and coordinate with administrative staff and Development Circle to ensure proper acknowledgment of funders and utilization of funder engagement activities

  • Act as lead Steward of the organization’s funding pipeline, including the development and submission of applications from beginning to end

    • Research new funding and development opportunities in both the private and public sectors and at local, state and federal levels

    • Serve as primary grant writer for the organization, including drafting compelling proposals, letters of interest, grant application narratives, and budgets that fully encapsulate program value and success

    • Collaborate with organization leadership and staff to develop content of grant applications as needed and finalize grant submissions

    • Prepare, organize and submit all grant submission materials

    • Monitor grant applications and follow up with funders as needed 

    • Effectively and appropriately delegate foundation and funder outreach activities to the Development Circle accordinging to the fundraising plan

  • Grants Reporting and Finance

    • Monitoring and maintain funder deliverables and reporting schedules, as well as requirements for all in-progress grant applications

    • Prepare, submit and follow up on grant reports, financial reimbursement claims and spend-down tracking

    • Drafting compelling progress reports and targeted program updates (e.g. blog posts, press releases, social media posts) to funders that fully capture programmatic success

  • Collaborate with organization leadership to ensure grant-funded program compliance

    • Represent PFP at webinars and trainings required for grant compliance

    • Collaborate with leadership to track and ensure documentation of progress towards organizational and programmatic outcomes and goals

  • Organize and maintain diligent and accurate grant related records 

    • Maintain and monitor central calendar and database of grants and prospects, deadlines, reporting schedules and requirements, and communicate with program leadership effectively

    • Uplift organizational value of transparency and accessibility by maintaining an immaculate digital organization system for grant support materials (staff bios, IRS forms, Board/staff lists, program photos, outcome measurements, success stories, etc.) and all grant-related files (awards, applications, contacts, etc.) and correspondence for easy access by staff leadership and finance

Other related assignments as necessary. We know it's impossible to convey every single task for a particular job in a single job post. Our hope is that as we work together we can use this job as a starting point so that your role can evolve over time and we can adjust your job description accordingly.

Qualifications:

  • 3+ years of relevant professional experience in fundraising, grant writing and grant reporting. Experience managing Government Grants is preferred.

  • Fluency in the Google Suite is required, as is a willingness to navigate various online grants submission portals. Experience with donor development / CRM software systems is a plus.

  • Strong verbal communication skills and exceptional and demonstrated analytical and persuasive writing skills, superior editing skills, and the ability to convey complex information in a clear manner

  • Ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines without sacrificing quality

  • Ability to self-organize and manage multiple tasks under minimal supervision in an effective and efficient manner 

Strong detail orientation with a particular attention to catching mistakes and inconsistencies others may have overlooked

  • Proactive participation in our organization’s effort to uplift all workers as leaders, and to cultivate an environment that intentionally uplifts LGBTQ+ people and Black, Indigenous and People of Color.

  • Willing to participate in organization-wide conversations about continuing to transition towards a shared leadership structure and deepening our internal and external social and food justice work. Examples: Non-violent communication, anti-racism especially in food systems, democratic decision making. 

  • Additionally, the ideal candidate will also have familiarity with local Hudson Valley and New York funders

Compensation and schedule:

  • The hourly wage range for the Grants Steward is $22-24/hour based on experience

  • Part-time hourly staff at PFP are offered access to dental insurance, generous paid time off, a half-share full season CSA share (an average of 5-10 lbs of food), access to our Pick Your Own fields (including fresh cut flowers, small fruits such as strawberries, and other smaller crops such as cherry tomatoes, peppers, beans, etc.), and access to discounted “Share Add-ons” options such as yogurt, cheese, fruit, and egg shares. 

  • Flexible schedule with availability preferred during the Monday-Friday work week to ensure seamless collaboration with other PFP team members

Application Process:

To apply, please email the following application materials to PFPAdmin@farmproject.org with “ATTN: Grants Steward Search” in the subject line:

  • Cover letter

  • Resume

  • 1-2 writing samples relevant to the position - feel free to redact as needed (ie. grant application, proposal or LOI)

  • Response to the question (between 1 paragraph and 1 page in length):

    • At Poughkeepsie Farm Project, our core values are cultural inclusion & diversity, transparency, collaboration, and accessibility. We are on a journey to identify and unlearn those practices which are barriers to our embodiment of those core values. Please select 1 of the core values listed above, and share how your personal or professional experience has helped to form your understanding of what that value looks like in practice.

The priority deadline for applying is October 16, 2023 but applications will be accepted until the position is filled. 

Poughkeepsie Farm Project is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, political orientation, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. We strongly encourage people of color, people from working class backgrounds, women, LGBTQ people, or those who are members of other marginalized communities to apply. We are willing to offer the necessary training to the right candidate, and have offered the list of qualifications as a set of guidelines, rather than as a mandatory list. If you have a passion for our work and believe that you can contribute to the growth of our organization, please reach out even if you are unsure whether you meet all of the qualifications listed.