Grants Associate

Pisces Foundation
Grants Associate
Reporting to Senior Grants Manager
San Francisco, CA
Full Time

The Pisces Foundation works to advance a world where nature and communities thrive. With a focus on fostering collective action to address complex social challenges, the foundation supports the field building, movement infrastructure, and collaborations necessary for significant and sustainable change. The foundation is headquartered in San Francisco, California with grantee partners across the globe. More information on the Pisces Foundation’s updated strategy can be found here.

The Opportunity

The Pisces Foundation seeks a detail-oriented and proactive Grants Associate to join our dynamic team. Reporting to the Senior Grants Manager, this role supports the foundation's grantmaking process and enhances operational efficiency and effectiveness. The Grants Associate will collaborate closely with program and operations teams and provide crucial support to grantees and applicants. This position is perfect for a self-motivated individual with excellent organizational and communication skills who is eager to contribute to the Foundation’s cutting-edge social impact approach.

Key Responsibilities

1. Grantmaking Operations
   • Manage Trustee-driven and event grants, including due diligence and award letters, through both the Foundation and a donor advised fund.
   • Implement grantmaking policies, processes, and tools from grant inquiry to close, including creating grant records, executing grant invitations, following up on proposal and report submissions, and reviewing proposals and reports for completeness.
   • Support timeline and workflow management for grant approvals.
   • Execute wire confirmations for timely grant payments.

2. Compliance
   • Perform due diligence on applicant and grantee organizations.  
   • Support the Grants Manager in providing financial reports, grants payments, audits, and tax filings.

3. Grantees and Applicants Interaction
   • Guide grantees and applicants through the Foundation’s application process with reputational sensitivity; answer grantee questions about the Salesforce portal and communicate policies.
   •  Troubleshoot and provide technical support for grants software to grantees and staff.

4. Internal Relationships and Learning

• Maintain a close working relationship with the program and operations teams.
• Support the program and operations teams on projects, ensuring accountability and clear communication in a matrixed management structure.
• Comply with best practices for grantmaking, particularly IRS guidance on donor advised funds.
• Contribute to foundation-wide projects that advance the Foundation’s organizational goals.

5. Workflow and Budget Management
   • Assist in preparing grant dockets for quarterly board meetings.
   • Provide regular reports on program budget spending.
   • Support the Foundation’s Learning and Evaluation practices, including annual reviews and ongoing grant reporting, in partnership with the Program Director and Program Analyst.

6. Data and Technology
   • Serve as the expert on the Foundation’s grants management platform, addressing internal and external questions.
   • Assist the Senior Grants Manager in transitioning to a new grants management platform by performing research, analysis, and testing.
   • Update the grants management platform to support adjustments to the Foundation’s processes.

Desired Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 2 years of experience in grants management or Salesforce administration.

• Excellent organization skills, strict attention to detail, accuracy, follow-through, and commitment to high-quality work.
• Strong judgment and the ability to think and work independently, plan, prioritize, and track multiple work streams under deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Self-starter, highly motivated, comfortable with ambiguity, and able to work through solutions when no obvious path exists.
• Strong team orientation with the ability to collaborate effectively within and across teams to reach common goals.
• Ability to represent the Foundation and build relationships with stakeholders, including staff, board members, partners, and grantees with a respectful and authentic manner.
• Experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds with flexibility, emotional intelligence, and a willingness to help others.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and effectively to a range of audiences in meetings, over email, and through formal work product and presentations.
• Demonstrable commitment to justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Commitment to the Pisces Foundation’s mission and strategy.

Location and Schedule 

To promote collaboration and a dynamic work experience, the Pisces Foundation operates with a hybrid schedule, working out of the Foundation offices in downtown San Francisco on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and the first and third Thursdays of each month. Candidates must live in the San Francisco Bay Area and be legally authorized to work in the United States. 

Compensation and Benefits

Pisces Foundation offers an excellent compensation package including platinum-level health, dental, and vision insurance; a Flexible Spending Account; life insurance; bereavement leave; paid time off; and holidays. 

The starting salary for this role is $75,000 – 90,000, depending on skills and experience. Our salaries are competitive, reflect our geographic location and field, and are commensurate with experience. Pisces Foundation participates in multiple compensation surveys for grantmaking organizations and conducts an annual review of market-based salary trends. 

We offer a supportive and values-driven environment where professional growth is encouraged.

How to Apply

CEA Recruiting is assisting Pisces with this search. To be considered for the position, please use the link to submit a resume, thoughtful cover letter, and salary expectations. https://job.ceaconsulting.com/jobs/grants-associate-san-francisco-ca-107391

Interested candidates are strongly encouraged to apply before the priority deadline of August 11th. The position will remain posted until filled. All applicants will be notified when the search has closed. You may contact search lead Tamara Evans with questions, but please use only the website to submit your application materials. tamaraATceaconsulting.com

Equal Opportunity Statement 

We know there are strong candidates who may not have all the qualifications listed above. If you have skills and experiences would be an asset to the role, please apply. The Foundation encourages people of color, those from under-resourced communities, immigrants, LGBTQ+, and others with diverse backgrounds and with a variety of skills, experiences, and ideas. We are an equal opportunity employer. Employment selection and related decisions are made without regard to sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, race, age, disability, religion, national origin, color, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.

CEA Recruiting works with leading environmental nonprofits, foundations, and businesses to recruit top talent and design effective organizational staffing strategies. For more information, visit www.cearecruiting.com.