Grants Assistant

The James Irvine Foundation is a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation dedicated to expanding opportunity for the people of California to participate in a vibrant, successful and inclusive society. The Foundation’s grantmaking focuses on three program areas: Arts, California Democracy and Youth. Since 1937 the Foundation has provided over $1.3 billion in grants to more than 3,500 nonprofit organizations throughout California. With about $1.6 billion in assets, the Foundation made grants of $65 million in 2011 for the people of California.

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the Grants Manager, the Grants Assistant provides day-to-day support for grants administration for the James Irvine Foundation. The Grants Assistant is responsible for tracking all incoming proposals, supporting the grant reporting process, maintaining the integrity of the grants database, and providing clerical and customer support for grants administration.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Databases

• Assists with the grants database (currently GIFTS, transitioning to Salesforce) including proposal entry, coding, merging documents and running monthly reports for program staff.
• Responsible for the tracking and distribution of all incoming proposals and reports through the online portal.

2. Proposal/Grant Files

• Maintains organizational files. Verifies IRS exemption status and eligibility.
• Processes, manages and maintains expenditure responsibility grant files.
• Maintains onsite storage area and prepares and sends files to offsite storage. Retrieves tracks and resends offsite files as requested by Foundation staff. Has overall responsibility for closed grant files.
• Maintains electronic filing system.

3. Grant Process

• Supports the grant reporting process, including sending reminder emails, creating payment letters and grantee reports forms.
• Processes discretionary grants, matching gifts, and membership/sponsorship requests including receiving requests, verifying eligibility, generating necessary letters, scheduling payments and reports, generating reports as needed, creating and maintaining files.
• Sends overdue report reminder emails and letters to grantees.

4. Board Meetings and Grant Approvals

• Provides clerical assistance with the production of materials for grant approvals, including the preparation of the board docket. Assists with editing of materials as needed.

5. Administrative Support

• Provides customer service to grantees and applicants using the online system.
• Provides clerical support for grants administration. Assists with meeting scheduling and planning as needed.
• Responds to all grantee auditor requests for payment confirmations.
• Receives and sorts mail, and forwards information requests and paper inquiries to the Grants Manager.

6. Foundation-wide Responsibilities

• Joins other staff in office and Foundation-wide tasks as assigned.
• Participates in staff meetings and trainings.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor degree required
• A minimum of one year of work experience with a foundation or nonprofit organization

REQUIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Knowledge of MS Office software applications
• Familiarity with databases and data management is required; experience with Salesforce or GIFTS desired
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and strong customer service orientation
• Ability to plan workflow, prioritize, and meet office deadlines; good attention to detail and follow-through are essential
• Ability to take initiative, think creatively, be amiable to change, and work collaboratively

Application Instructions

Interested applicants should submit their cover letter and resume to: Email: hr@irvine.org

Mail:

The James Irvine Foundation
Human Resources Department
575 Market St., Suite 3400
San Francisco, CA 94105

Application deadline: Thursday, November 15, 2012

Start date: December 2012

The James Irvine Foundation offers an attractive benefits package. The Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we encourage applicants who reflect the diversity of California. The Foundation greatly appreciates all expressed interest.

Job Type: Administration
Organization Type: Foundations