Institutional Giving Associate / Grant Writer

The Institutional Giving Associate is a member of the Savannah Music Festival (SMF) development team and reports directly to the Associate Director of Development. This individual is responsible for coordinating the submission of LOIs, proposals, and reports to government, corporate, and private foundation funders, researching and facilitating inquiries to prospective funders, and maintaining and stewarding external relationships with institutional funders throughout the year. This individual retains highly organized, accurate internal data records on these areas and supports departmental and strategic goals.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manages submission of government, corporate and private foundation grant proposals for funding
• Work directly with the key staff members to collect pertinent supporting information and documents for applications. 
• Manage direct relationships with grant funders, including phone and email correspondences, letters of inquiry, in-person meetings and final report submissions.
• Maintain a grants calendar to ensure timely and accurate submissions, reporting, and post-award stewardship.
• Conduct prospect research for foundation, government, and corporate giving, assisting with outreach to viable funding sources.
• Serves as a main point of contact for institutional funders 
• Drafts text for organizational letters, correspondences, invitations, special thank you notes, prospect information and publication copy
• Ensure institutional funders are recognized and acknowledged accurately
• Utilize Airtable to track correspondence, contact information and proposal outcomes for foundation and government accounts
• Keep organized and accurate files related to funders
• Assists with donor stewardship communications via phone, email and letters on matters such as gift reminders, thank you calls, sponsorship opportunities, benefit fulfillment, proposals and festival scheduling and provides support at all development-related special events
• Work with the Development Team to schedule and implement large-scale mailings (mail merges, stuffing, coordinating mail volume), including renewal notices, direct mail appeals and other correspondence with donors and prospective donors
• Serve as a point of contact for donors at scheduled festival concerts and special events
• Other duties as required

TRAITS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Research shows that women and people from underrepresented groups often only apply to jobs if they meet 100% of the qualifications. As no one ever meets 100% of the qualifications, we encourage you to apply if you feel that much of the following matches your experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree 
• Minimum two years experience researching and coordinating grant proposal submissions with proven success securing mostly 5-figure and some 6-figure grant awards
• Extreme attention to detail is a must
• Exceptional writing and research skills are required
• Must be extremely organized when handling multiple details and have the ability to multi-task and prioritize multiple projects
• Have a deep curiosity about all kinds of music
• Committed to creating a safe, welcoming environment that embraces inclusion, equity, and diversity
• Proficient in using Google Suite, Microsoft Office, Mac OS, and Zoom; working knowledge of AirTable and DonorPerfect is a plus.
• Detail-oriented in internal and external communications
• Ability to work respectfully with others and meet deadlines
• Flexibility, patience, and grace under pressure
• Collaborative working style with a hands-on approach to teamwork
• Self-starter with the ability to perform with minimum supervision
• Willingness to adjust work hours to meet deadlines
• Plan work efficiently to meet the departmental budgets, goals and objectives
• Ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality
• Willingness to work long hours during the 17-day Festival and work donor-specific and education/outreach events throughout the year
• Must have a valid driver’s license and be able to lift upwards of 30 lbs

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS: 

The benefits package for the full-time, exempt position includes paid time off and employer contribution to medical, dental, and vision care, life, short-term, and long-term disability insurance, a simple IRA plan, and parking. The pay range is $40,000 - 50,000, commensurate with qualifications and experience. 

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to jobs@savannahmusicfestival.org. 

Savannah Music Festival is an equal-opportunity employer. All aspects of employment, including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical??? condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or ?expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

ABOUT SAVANNAH MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Savannah Music Festival (SMF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting exceptional live music that entertains, educates, inspires, and unites communities. SMF started as Savannah OnStage International Arts Festival in 1989 with the vision of bringing high-quality artists from around the world to perform in Savannah’s Historic District. The organization operates year-round to plan and produce an annual multi-day, multi-venue music festival, off-season concerts, and free music education programming.

The annual springtime festival presents a diverse selection of music genres, including classical, jazz, American, and international roots music. The festival features original productions, cross-genre collaborations, free artistic lectures and Q&As, and commissioned works staged at various venues throughout Savannah. With its performances and education programming, SMF annually serves more than 30,000 music enthusiasts from many backgrounds, locations, and age ranges.