Grants and Corporate Giving Manager

About Our Client

An urban retreat located 20 minutes from downtown Los Angeles, Our client is a place of year-round natural beauty, with internationally renowned botanical collections and spectacular seasonal horticultural displays. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums as a museum of living collections, Our client welcomes more than 950,000 visitors annually and has 28,000 member households.

With a mission to connect people with nature and one another, Our client offers free admissions and nature programs to those who otherwise might not be able to visit—including EBT cardholders and students from Title 1 schools. Our client also gives complimentary entry to veterans, active military personnel, teachers, students, and the general public on Free Tuesdays. In 2022, over 50,000 guests visited Descanso as part of these free admission programs.

The principal collections of the garden include California native plants and oak woodlands; one of the largest collections of camellias in the Western Hemisphere; a rose garden with specimens from all corners of the globe; and significant presentations of lilacs, maple trees, cherry trees and iris. The Gardens are operated by our client’s foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, in a public-private partnership with Los Angeles County. The annual budget of $17 million is funded primarily by memberships, philanthropic gifts, grants, and admission fees, as well as financial support from Los Angeles County.

Building on the success of blockbuster seasonal events such as Enchanted Forest of Light, our client has increased its visibility both regionally and nationally, and doubled its budget, membership, and visitation in the past seven years. With a wider base of support and a 10-year master plan, our client is now embarking on a capital campaign for the first time in its history, with $33 million of a $65 million effort raised to date. Projects in this first effort include, but are not limited to, improved visitor amenities, a new children’s garden, and several water projects – stormwater capture, water recycling, lake habitat improvement and more – that will make our client a leader in sustainable and beautiful garden design. Subsequent phases of the campaign effort will be rolled out over the next five to seven years, with the intention to complete all of the projects set out in the master plan.

Phase one of the capital campaign includes several pieces of public funding from the State of California and County of Los Angeles, with the intent to secure additional public funding as the master plan projects are developed and implemented.

Job Description

Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, the Grants and Corporate Giving Manager is responsible for the creation and implementation of a well-coordinated, strategic development plan to cultivate and solicit support from foundations, corporations and government sources. This position works to establish longterm partnerships, strengthen existing relationships and initiate new contacts. The Grants and Corporate Giving Manager oversees the entire grant cycle from research to reporting and closeout, and spends significant time working with the accounting department as well as outside consultants to administer state, county, and federal grants, and ensure compliance with grant guidelines. The Grants and Corporate Giving Manager understands the mission, programs, and capital projects of our client in order to identify funding opportunities from private and public grant sources as well as corporate funders.

This is a full-time, exempt position. Generally, the work schedule is 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday, but evening, weekend and holiday work may be required depending on the needs of the organization. This position reports to work onsite at Our client.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities include but are not limited to

Grants Administration and Management

• As primary grants administrator, manage the entire grant cycle from research to reporting, including writing letters of intent, proposals, and reports. Maintain the grants calendar.
• Work closely with the accounting department as well as outside project consultants to ensure timely and accurate grant reporting and invoice coding for government and non-government grants.
• Attend meetings with project consultants, project designers, and others to contribute to an understanding of complex public funding for a variety of capital projects.
• Keep current with project and program changes to ensure funders’ expectations are met and grant guidelines are followed.
• Keep current with funder requirements and work with department managers and others to ensure funded projects meet funder expectations.
• Manage outside grant writing consultants, ensuring LOIs and proposals are written accurately and submitted timely.
• Write or assign content as needed for grant proposals, LOIs, reports, thank you letters, and other correspondence. Partner with department managers to ensure program and project descriptions are complete.
• Coordinate and attend site visits with grant funders.
• Ensure funders are appropriately recognized for their support.

Corporate Giving

• Manage the corporate partners’ program, including prospect research, cultivation and stewardship of partners. Work closely with the Director of Individual Giving and Director of Communications on prospect strategy and marketing of the program.
• Develop, manage and implement cultivation and solicitation strategies for corporate sponsorships.
• Collaborate with development colleagues, board members and donors to cultivate, solicit and steward corporate giving prospects.
• Working with the marketing team and others, ensure corporate partners are recognized appropriately and in accordance with partnership agreements.

Other

• Maintain accuracy of database for corporate and foundation constituents, while maintaining confidentiality of donor information.
• Communicate effectively with other Descanso staff to gain insight on Descanso’s programs, mission, and other information necessary for successful grantwriting and reporting.
• Other duties as assigned.

Equipment Used and Physical Demands

This position requires the use of computers, standard office equipment including photocopier, postage meter, ten key, credit card processing machine, printer, hand-held (two-way) radio, projectors, golf cart.

This position requires flexibility to work in an office and an active outdoor environment which includes public interaction, exposure to various noise levels, and other distractions throughout the Gardens. Must be able to walk long distances and on occasion access various areas of the Gardens including areas not accessible by paved roads or dirt trails.This position occasionally requires lifting of up to 15 pounds.

Qualifications and Requirements

• 3-5 years of significant grants administration/management, development, and/or corporate partnership program management.
• Minimum 2 years of experience managing/administering public funding preferred.
• Demonstrated project management ability.
• Bachelor’s degree or combination of education and experience;
• Knowledge of cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies and techniques, particularly in the area of corporate and foundation fundraising.
• Ability to initiate and build relationships with prospective corporate and foundation donors.
• Demonstrated ability to take primary responsibility for diverse number of projects and to complete them in a timely manner with limited supervision.
• Excellent communication skills, with demonstrated ability to build relationships with colleagues, donors, members and others;
• Excellent problem-solving and research skills.
• Demonstrates good judgment and decision-making skills;
• Excellent spelling and grammar, and the ability to proofread with a high degree of accuracy;
• Excellent time management skills;
• A high degree of appropriateness and ability to maintain confidentiality;
• Experience with donor databases preferred;
• Strong Microsoft Office proficiency;
• A valid California Driver’s license.