Working at the Vermont Community Foundation

For more than 35 years, the Vermont Community Foundation has served Vermonters and their families through philanthropy and building stronger communities. Our mission—Better Together: inspiring giving and bringing together people and resources to make a difference in Vermont—provides the bedrock for our workplace culture. Our employees are passionate about making a difference every day. We approach our work with curiosity, respect, and integrity and believe in collaboration, equity, and diversity. When you join our team, your work will matter. 

Position Overview

The Grants Specialist is a key member of the Community Impact team. This position focuses on donor-advised, nonprofit, and designated grant and distribution processing. This position is also responsible for creating and storing letters that accompany grant checks, maintaining grant records and processes, and supporting other internal team functions. This position would be ideal for a great team player who enjoys routine tasks and takes pride in doing accurate and quality work. 

This position sits on the Grantmaking team within the Community Impact department and reports to the Director of Grants. 

Essential Responsibilities

• Process grants, including entry and coding, within the Foundation’s grantmaking systems, preparation of internal forms, copying and distribution of checks and letters, exporting and mail merging letters, and managing the grantee acknowledgement and reporting processes.
• Perform due diligence and compliance for grants and distributions, including verification of advised grants, documentation and filing of fund advisor grant recommendations, nonprofit distribution requests, and verification and documentation of current 501(c)(3) status for grantee organizations.
• Work closely with other grants processing staff to apportion and complete donor-initiated grants when volume is high and serve as additional support to other grants processing staff by completing eligibility checks and processing grant payments as needed for all grant types.
• Communicate with Community Impact, Philanthropy, and Finance departments regarding grant recommendations and distributions.
• Work closely with the Grantmaking team to ensure consistency in grant processing, coding, and system integrity.
• Contribute as an active member of the grants administration and support team within Community Impact. The Grantmaking team administers competitive processes, responds to grants-related inquiries, and provides technical assistance to applicants, grantee partners, and Community Foundation colleagues.
• Work directly with grantseekers via phone and email to answer questions and provide clarification of the Foundation’s overall grantmaking priorities, direction regarding application procedures, and feedback on proposals.
• Work with the Director of Grants to coordinate regular reporting and data analysis for fundholder-initiated grants and distributions.
• Use data to support effective project management, the assessment of project outcomes, or improving the process of grants management.
• Create effective strategies to prioritize during heavy grant volume periods. 

Key Competencies

Our organization’s culture is designed to inspire and empower employees to do their best work every day, and we are committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and positive workplace. In keeping with our core values, we are seeking team players who bring the skills and qualifications named below and who value collaboration, diverse perspectives, and community. 

• Excellent organizational, clerical, and time management skills
• Excellent communication and customer service skills
• Keen eye to quality control and detailed research
• Initiative and ability to work independently 
• High motivation and extreme dependability
• Willingness to self-reflect and learn
• A commitment to collaboration, teamwork, and personal growth
• Ability to understand cross-functional systems
• Always seeking opportunities to improve efficiency
• High degree of personal and professional integrity

Education and Experience

• Strong computer skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office products and a high level of comfort working in Excel
• Experience with any grants management software is a plus but not required
• Previous administrative support experience
• Experience and enjoyment working collaboratively on a team 
• Nonprofit experience is a plus

Location: This is a hybrid position requiring access to both the Middlebury and Burlington offices. Regular in-person meetings with the Community Impact team will be required. Travel to and working from the Middlebury office is required twice per month in accordance with the Foundation’s grants processing calendar.