Institutional Giving & Grants Manager

Make lives meaningful through making.

Who We Are

Penland School of Craft is an international center for craft education offering residential workshops, residencies, community education programs, and exhibitions. Located on 420 acres in the NC Mountains, Penland has 16 teaching studios and 60 historic and contemporary buildings. We are an equal-opportunity employer with a staff of 50+. Penland operates with a $54 million endowment and an annual operating budget of $8.4 million. We are located about an hour northeast of Asheville, NC. 

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

At Penland School of Craft, we believe that fostering a climate of equity, inclusion, diversity, and antiracism are essential to our work. We are committed to creating a campus community free of discrimination, and we welcome everyone who supports this commitment. 

Black, Indigenous, Latine, Asian, and other people who identify as people of color or BIPOC individuals are encouraged to apply, as are people holding other marginalized identities related to gender, sexual orientation, ability, and class background.

Position Summary

The Institutional Giving & Grants Manager secures and stewards foundation, corporate, and government support for Penland’s operations, special projects, and strategic initiatives. The position manages all aspects of the institutional giving lifecycle, including prospect research, proposal development, sponsorship cultivation, reporting, and grants administration. This role manages a diversified portfolio of institutional funders and collaborates across departments to align funding opportunities with organizational priorities.

This position contributes to advancement planning and institutional fundraising strategy across foundation, corporate, and government funding sources. Prior experience in nonprofit grant writing and grants management is strongly preferred; experience in the arts is a plus. The successful candidate will demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills, strong attention to detail, and proficiency with relevant computer and database systems.

This position is responsible for managing and growing a portfolio of institutional support that contributes significantly to Penland’s annual operating, programmatic, and strategic fundraising goals. It will manage a portfolio of 35 - 50 funders and prospects. This position is well-structured and is expected to manage and influence approximately $1M–$2M in annual philanthropic revenue.

This position reports to the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) and serves on the development team, which includes 7 staff members. This is a full-time, year-round, exempt, benefits-eligible position. We are looking for an individual willing to work at our Penland campus due to on-campus and team expectations. Penland is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, an hour from Asheville, NC. It is a vibrant, artistic rural community. 

Primary Responsibilities

• Institutional Giving Stewardship and Solicitation

  • Researches and identifies corporate and foundation prospects and opportunities. Assists the CAO and Executive Director (ED) in developing engagement strategies for current and potential institutional donors. Supports strategic donor outreach and communications, and maintain regular correspondence with key funding representatives. 
  • Manages a portfolio of 35–50 active institutional funders and prospects. Conducts and documents 75–150 meaningful institutional funder engagements annually, including proposals, reports, meetings, and strategic communications.
  • Cultivates, solicits, and stewards institutional funders through strategic engagement, including virtual and in-person meetings, site visits, proposals, and stewardship activities.
  • Prepares for and participates in annual legislative visits. 
  • Identifies and pursues corporate sponsorship opportunities for programs, exhibitions, events, and initiatives. Works with events staff and other department staff to identify and pursue corporate sponsorship opportunities for our annual auction and other events.
  • Develops sponsorship packages and proposals in collaboration with advancement, programs, and marketing teams.
  • Manages sponsor recognition, benefits fulfillment, and ongoing stewardship.
  • Supports campaign readiness and strategic fundraising initiatives through institutional prospect development and stewardship.

• • Grants Writing and Management

    • Develops and manages a comprehensive grants strategy aligned with organizational goals and revenue targets.
    • Builds and sustains a pipeline of prospective institutional funders by researching and identifying new grant prospects.
    • Serves as lead writer and coordinator for foundation, corporate, and select government grant proposals and reports.
    • Manages the grant submission process, including collecting and synthesizing data, completing proposals and budgets, tracking and reporting, and corresponding with foundation and corporate donors.
    • Ensures timely submission of all grant reports, renewals, and compliance requirements.
    • Develops and maintains an annual calendar schedule for letters of inquiry, proposals, and reports, tracks outcomes, and updates regularly. 
    • Coordinates with finance to ensure alignment between grant budgets, awards, and reporting.
    • Works with development and department staff to ensure accurate information is transmitted in all funder communications. 
    • Maintains the grants procedures manual and updates it annually. 

• Data Management

  • Collaborates with the development operations team to ensure accurate institutional donor records, reporting, and grants tracking.
  • Manages all grant recordkeeping in alignment with department internal protocols. Creates and maintains accurate grant-related records, including profiles, gift records, acknowledgments, and other correspondence in electronic files and Raiser’s Edge.
  • Analyzes and shares fundraising, grant implementation, and impact data to support informed decision-making regarding Penland’s prospects and strategies, and to ensure effective compliance with and stewardship of current grants.

• Department Support

  • Participates in development department planning and evaluation.
  • Works closely with program, finance, communications, and leadership teams to gather narratives, metrics, budgets, and evaluation data for grants and corporate needs and initiatives.
  • Provides support and assistance to the chief advancement officer and executive director regarding institutional funding, planning, and other projects as needed.
  • Supports organization-wide understanding of institutional funding priorities and restrictions.
  • Supports special initiatives and events that advance donor relationships.
  • Performs additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered.
• Minimum of 4-6 years of nonprofit grant writing and grants management experience, with demonstrated success securing foundation and/or corporate funding.
• Proven ability to manage a portfolio of institutional funders and meet revenue goals.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain professional relationships with institutional funders and community partners.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to craft compelling proposals and reports.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and complex submission calendars.
• Experience working with donor database systems (Raiser’s Edge or similar CRM preferred). Strong computer skills.
• Ability to interpret and collaborate on program budgets and financial information.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across departments.
• Commitment to confidentiality and professional discretion.
• A sense of humor and high standards of personal and professional excellence.
• Preferred experience in arts, cultural, or creative nonprofit organizations.
• Preferred experience with government grants and reporting requirements.
• Flexibility and enthusiasm for Penland’s mission and the achievement of fundraising goals. 
• Occasional evening and weekend work will be required. 

Physical Demands

This position is primarily sedentary and office-based, requiring extended periods of computer work, including typing, reading detailed documents, and analyzing data. The role requires effective written and verbal communication in person, by phone, and via video conferencing.

The position also requires the ability to travel locally and occasionally regionally for meetings and events; move about campus and off-site locations; and occasionally lift or carry materials up to 20–25 pounds. Evening and weekend work may be required during peak periods or special events.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Benefits

We take care of our staff through a wide range of benefits. For your wellness, we offer multiple medical plans, vision, dental, long-term disability, life insurance, retirement, and an EAP program. Benefits include generous vacation, sick, extended sick, and floating holiday leave programs, along with access to studios, free classes, meals during programming, and other discounts. We have additional benefits we can explore further during the interview process. 

Compensation

This is an exempt, full-time, year-round, benefits-eligible position. Compensation discussions are a part of the interviewing process, but the starting salary range for this position is $65,000 - $82,000 and is negotiable based on the skills and experience an applicant brings to the position.

Penland School of Craft is living wage certified.