Grant Writer

Ready to use your voice to secure funding that transforms lives?

Join the NVFS Family: You will develop compelling proposals to secure funding in support of Northern Virginia Family Services NVFS mission and programs. You will focus primarily on private funding sources including corporate family and community foundations while also supporting proposals for local state and federal funders as needed. You will manage the full proposal process from research and writing to assembling materials and ensuring timely submission while working closely with program finance and development teams to align funding with organizational priorities.

What Makes This Role Special: This role offers a unique opportunity to combine storytelling, strategy, and impact. As a Grant Writer at NVFS, you won’t just write proposals—you’ll collaborate across programs, engage with real community needs, and help secure critical funding that directly supports services for vulnerable populations. You’ll gain exposure to a wide range of funding sources, from private foundations to government grants, while working in a mission-driven environment that values collaboration, innovation, and growth.

Benefits and Compensation: We want you to be well, have work/life flexibility, grow your career with us, and have the resources and support you need. Check out our comprehensive benefit offerings here in support of various dimensions of your wellbeing.

This position has a starting salary of low to mid 60s and is a hybrid role.

In this role, you will be responsible for:

Prospecting:

• Develop a strong understanding of NVFS programs, client barriers and needs, and broader human services and systemic issues impacting the communities served by actively engaging in internal program planning and grants team meetings.
• Research, identify, and evaluate prospective funding opportunities, including attending pre-application webinars, and synthesize key information for grants and program teams.
• Communicate funding opportunities to the Director of Institutional Grants and recommend grants to pursue based on eligibility, alignment, and competitiveness.

Writing:

• Research and analyze local and regional community needs data for use in grant proposals.
• Manage the full grant proposal process, collaborating with grants, program, and finance teams to develop, write, compile, and submit grant applications in a timely and efficient manner.
• Create application checklists based on Requests for Proposals and establish timelines, clearly communicating roles and responsibilities to relevant staff across the organization.
• Author and manage proposal content, ensuring the submission of complete, accurate, and high-quality grant applications.
• Responsible for completing and/or compiling all application components, including letters of intent/inquiry, full proposal narratives, budget narratives, and other materials as specified by the funder.
• Coordinate with relevant staff to gather qualitative and quantitative data for grant reports and co-author reports to meet funder requirements while fostering ongoing donor engagement.

Management:

• Maintain grant files from initial review through closeout using the agency’s grant management database, including uploading documents, applying established naming conventions, and regularly updating grant/project information based on internal and external communications.
• Facilitate the internal review process for award documents by program, finance, and executive staff prior to signature.

Other:

• Conduct peer review of other Grant Writer’s proposals and provide clear, constructive feedback to help improve the quality and competitiveness of submissions.
• Participate in regular supervision with the Director of Institutional Grants and provide updates on progress and priorities.
• Support the Development and Communications department with events and activities, as needed.
• Enter data for record keeping and reporting to meet relevant guidelines.

Your Background: We understand that you may obtain skills through a variety of professional, personal, educational, and volunteer experiences.

• Bachelor’s degree in English, Communications, Nonprofit Studies, Marketing, or a related field preferred
• Minimum two (2) years of experience in grant writing or technical writing within a nonprofit or related human services setting
• Demonstrated project management experience, including the ability to independently manage complex, multi-step projects from initiation through completion while coordinating multiple stakeholders and deliverables
• Excellent writing, editing, organization, and interpersonal skills
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple concurrent deadlines
• Ability to work collaboratively across multiple programs and departments with diverse staff at all levels to effectively gather information and move projects forward
• Proven ability to research, analyze, and systematically compile information from a variety of sources into clear, cohesive materials with strong attention to detail, including translating data and program information into compelling narratives
• Familiarity with GrantNavigator and/or Monday.com a plus, but not required
• Oral and written fluency in English; additional language skills always welcome
• Digital and technical proficiency, including working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite
• Must be able to demonstrate and live the organizational values of Communication, Integrity, Respect, Collaboration, and Accountability

Additional requirements

• Successful completion of background checks upon hire
• May be called upon to work beyond normal working hours

Working at Northern Virginia Family Services (NVFS) means doing work that matters every day because of the difference you will make in the lives of children and families in Northern Virginia. NVFS’ breadth, depth and scope of services offer the resources and support to ensure that everyone in need, at every stage of life, maximizes their potential and fully contributes to a thriving community. At Northern Virginia Family Services (NVFS), we value every team member’s contribution and our collective impact on our clients and the community. NVFS is an equal opportunity employer, E-Verify participant and drug-free workplace.