Senior Grant Strategist

CENTER'S MISSION 

Building a world where LGBT people live as healthy, equal, and complete members of society.  

DEPARTMENT SUMMARY

The Grants Strategy team develops and executes comprehensive grant acquisition strategies that support the organization’s mission and objectives. The team identifies funding opportunities, develops compelling grant proposals, and ensures grant activities align with organizational priorities. By collaborating across departments, the team plays a key role in securing financial support from government agencies, foundations, corporations, and other funding sources.

JOB SUMMARY

The Senior Grant Strategist manages the full lifecycle of grant funding efforts, collaborating across Center departments to identify, develop, submit, and steward private foundation, corporate, and government grants. This role develops compelling proposals and reports, ensures compliance with funder requirements and deadlines, and works with Programs, Finance, and Development to align funding strategies with organizational priorities and programmatic goals. The Senior Grant Strategist stays informed on LGBTQ+ issues and the Center’s diverse programs and services to proactively identify funding opportunities and strengthen proposal effectiveness.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Grant Strategy & Lifecycle Management

• Lead and manage private foundation, corporate, and government grant applications to align with the Center’s mission and support program sustainability and growth.

• Oversee the full lifecycle of grant applications, from identifying opportunities through submission, reporting, and stewardship, in collaboration with Programs, Finance, and Development teams.

• Manage grant timelines, deadlines, planning meetings, and internal workflows to ensure successful and timely completion of applications and reports.

• Identify and prospect government and other funding opportunities, elevate relevant opportunities to leadership, and support funder relationship-building.

Grant Writing & Proposal Development

• Write compelling grant proposals, letters of inquiry, and funding reports tailored to funder priorities, including government RFPs and foundation grants.

• Develop strong funding narratives, objectives, and deliverables in collaboration with program leaders and subject matter experts.

• Maintain and refine a library of grant templates, data points, program information, and success stories to enhance proposal quality and efficiency.

• Ensure proposal and report content is accurate, persuasive, and aligned with funder requirements, organizational priorities, and program goals.

Program Collaboration & Strategic Planning

• Work with program staff to develop grant proposals that align with programmatic goals and community needs.

• Facilitate planning discussions to refine project concepts, identify funding needs, and strategize funding approaches.

• Stay informed about internal program developments to proactively identify funding opportunities.

• Develop and maintain detailed program descriptions in collaboration with program staff.

Budgeting, Compliance & Funder Coordination

• Partner with Finance and Programs teams to develop accurate and strategic grant budgets.

• Maintain compliance with Center policies, funding regulations, funder requirements, and grant submission requirements.

• Support interdepartmental grant planning meetings and strategic funding discussions.

• Attend funder meetings to stay informed on requirements, expectations, and funding priorities.

Grant Tracking & Reporting

• Track grant deliverables and reporting deadlines to ensure timely submission.

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in the Center’s grant management system.

• Ensure accurate and timely grant reporting in coordination with program and cross-functional partners.

• Assist with impact measurement efforts by gathering data and outcomes for grant reporting.

• Ensure timely and accurate electronic documentation of work products.

NON-ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Perform other duties as assigned

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

None. This position is a senior-level individual contributor role and does not have direct reports. The Senior Grant Strategist provides informal leadership through grant planning, coordination, cross-functional collaboration, and subject matter expertise.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Knowledge of or experience working with the LGBTQ community and familiarity with issues of particular relevance to LGBTQ people.

• A passion for the Center’s work and its mission to make the world a better place for LGBTQ people.

• Strong communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively engage and collaborate with employees at all levels of the organization.

• Minimum 3 years of experience in a similar role as a grant writer, with an emphasis on government grant writing for health and social services.

• Demonstrated project management abilities, including prioritizing tasks, managing competing priorities, and meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Ability to craft objectives, theory of change, logic models, and work plans, as well as to successfully research and utilize compelling information for the grant process.

• Demonstrated ability to increase strategic collaboration both internally and externally.

• High level of integrity and discretion when handling sensitive and confidential information.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with people of diverse races, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expression, socio-economic backgrounds, religions, ages, English-speaking abilities, immigration statuses, and physical abilities in a multicultural environment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Demonstrated ability to manage the challenges of preparing government grants for a large, multi-faceted organization, including experience balancing multiple priorities.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Prolonged sitting and extended computer use, including working across multiple screens.

Frequent communication and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders via in-person meetings, video conferencing (Zoom/Teams), and phone.

Ability to engage in focused written and analytical work for extended periods, including reviewing funding guidelines, proposals, reports, budgets, and supporting documentation.

Occasional standing, walking, and moving between meeting spaces or office areas.

Ability to maintain attention and participate actively in discussions, presentations, and decision-making sessions.

Ability to lift and carry light materials (e.g., laptop, documents) up to 10 lbs.

Visual acuity to review detailed information on screens and documents.

WORK ENVIRONMENT / SCHEDULING REQUIREMENTS

Office or hybrid work environment with regular cross-functional collaboration.

Combination of independent writing, research, and project management work and collaborative meetings (in-person and virtual via Zoom/Teams).

Exposure to fast-paced, mission-driven work with evolving priorities and deadlines.

High level of confidentiality required when handling sensitive program information, budgets, funder materials, and grant documentation.

Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and adapt to shifting priorities.

Results-oriented environment with periodic deliverables tied to grant application, reporting, and funding cycles.

Opportunity for hybrid or remote work, depending on team and business needs.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to fostering diversity within its staff. Applications are encouraged from all persons regardless of their race, color, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, sex, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, religion, disability, age, military or veteran status, including status as a victim of domestic violence, assault or stalking, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation or activities, medical or health conditions, or marital status.