Innocence Matters is a nonprofit organization dedicated to social justice and the prevention of wrongful convictions. We are seeking a dynamic individual to join us as our Grant Researcher and/or Writer. While this is an excellent opportunity for students to enter or explore the legal community, we do welcome candidates who are mainly interested in the grant research and writing portion of this listing.
General Skills & Assets
- Firm grasp of the Innocence Matters mission
- Broad, sound base of knowledge in legal and social justice fields or ability to quickly learn
- Must possess the ability to work both collaboratively and independently
- Must have the ability to work well under pressure and meet tight deadlines
- Interest in social justice issues
- Must be flexible, highly organized and detail-oriented
- Must have a can-do attitude
- Must possess demonstrated competency with Microsoft Office
Grant Research Skills
- Capable researcher
- Ability to distinguish and identify funding opportunities for special programs
- Willingness to pitch in broadly across the team when required
Grant Research Responsibilities
- Research funding source proposal requirements and submittal deadlines and maintain report deadline calendar
- Develop and maintain grant research database
- Implement system for follow-up process
- Interface with the core writing team as they develop content for grants
- Monitor donor priorities and general grantmaking trends
Grant Writing Skills
- Exceptional writing and grammar skills
- Familiarity with budgeting and financial aspects of grant applications
- Previous experience and proven track record in securing new funding opportunities a HUGE plus
- Deadline management skills
- Ability to conceptualize and articulate funding needs persuasively to potential funders.
- Ability to manage complex projects from creation to completion, and to prioritize and work on multiple tasks simultaneously
Grant Writing Responsibilities
- Work with executive director to determine goals, objectives and funding needs for programs
- Identify and pursue opportunities for support including government agencies, foundations, corporations, clubs and organizations
- Write, edit and compile grant proposals
- Coordinate preparation, assembly and delivery of proposal documents
Qualifications/Experience
The ideal candidate has or is pursuing a B.A./B.S. Familiarity with grant foundations and philanthropic community strongly welcomed.
Time Commitment
The ideal candidate will be able to sign on for a 6-month time commitment with a more concentrated effort December through January (10 hours per week) tapering down to 5 hours per week February through May. This is a volunteer position.
Innocence Matters supports and welcome diverse applicants.
