The Humanities Council is now accepting applications for a part-time, temporary Grantmaking Coordinator position. Applications due: January 19, 2021. Click here for a PDF of the job posting.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
TITLE: Grantmaking Program Coordinator
HOURS: Part-time, 20 hours/week starting early February 2021, ending July 2021
This is a temporary six-month position. While there is some flexibility in the schedule, we expect the Grantmaking Program Coordinator to primarily work weekdays, during normal business hours. During the pandemic, staff are primarily working remotely with office access one or two days a week following social distancing guidelines and schedules. When safety protocols allow, the Grantmaking Program Coordinator will work at the Council’s Providence office.
THE ORGANIZATION:
The Rhode Island Council for the Humanities seeds, supports, and strengthens public history, cultural heritage, civic education, and community engagement by and for all Rhode Islanders. For 47 years, the Council has cultivated diverse expressions of the public humanities through vital and innovative public programs, research, and media projects that have reached millions of people in Rhode Island and beyond. The Humanities Council is a catalyst for engagement with our state’s remarkable history and culture, and believes in the power of the humanities community to inspire and improve Rhode Island. The Council was founded in 1973 as an independent state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. A private nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, the Council is supported by federal and private funds.
THE GRANTMAKING PROGRAM:
The Rhode Island Council for the Humanities Grantmaking Program funds nonprofit organizations and individual researchers to stimulate new research in the humanities, spark thoughtful community exchange, build new audiences for the humanities, innovate new methods in the humanities, and advocate for the importance of the humanities for a lively and engaged democratic public. During our 2020 regular grantmaking program, the Council distributed $169,000 to 30 different humanities practitioners. We expect to provide the same level of funding in our 2021 regular grantmaking program, which is already underway.
In April 2020, with funding provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of the federal CARES Act, the Council launched a new grant program in support of humanities organizations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Rhode Island, distributing over $375,000 through 65 grants.
THE ROLE:
Reporting to the Associate Director of Grants & Strategic Initiatives, the Grantmaking Program Coordinator provides a high level of support to all the major functions of the Council’s Grantmaking Program, ensuring that the full grant cycle process runs smoothly and efficiently. The Grantmaking Program Coordinator ensures that staff, board, partners, and grantees collaborate through organized, coordinated efforts.
Specific responsibilities include:
- Assist with grants award management and tracking of grant information, including the additional CARES Act grants
- Prepare award packets, print forms and materials
- Create and update physical and digital grant files, including maintaining grantmaking databases (FileMaker & Foundant)
- Archive and activate grants records and materials
- Develop meaningful relationships with grantmaking constituents, including grantees, board members, and other nonprofit funders
- Correspond, as needed, with grant applicants and past and current grantees
Beyond these regular responsibilities, as a small staff with big ambitions, we very often find ourselves in “all hands on deck” mode. There are periodic evening and weekend events. We expect that this position will be an enthusiastic member of our team and our small size allows us to develop skills and to participate in planning and collaboration beyond individual functional areas. We find our workplace to be an exciting and rewarding learning environment, and the ideal candidate would see it that way, too.
CANDIDATE PROFILE:
The successful candidate will have excellent written and oral communication skills and will be highly organized and effective at managing multiple projects and priorities. Preferably, the candidate will have a minimum of two years of office, administrative, and project management experience, with grant management experience appreciated. The candidate will also be familiar with non-profit work.
Competencies and qualities include:
- Customer service orientation
- Initiative, self-motivation, and follow through
- Collaboration and team orientation
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel, data entry, and databases.
- Experience with FileMaker Pro a plus
- Experience in a Mac computer environment
- Excellent time management skills
- Meticulous attention to detail
- Passion for and commitment to the public humanities
The Rhode Island Council for the Humanities is committed to workplace diversity and seeks candidates who represent the diversity of the state, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, cultural background, and socioeconomic stratum.
COMPENSATION DETAILS:
This 20-hour per week, six-month position has an hourly wage of $29 per hour. Compensation also includes paid holidays, as well as 5 days of vacation time and 5 days of sick time.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
Please send resume and cover letter via email attachment by January 19, 2021 to Scott Raker, Associate Director of Operations, at scott@rihumanities.org, with the subject line: Grantmaking Program Coordinator. No phone calls, please.
