Community Resource Center (CRC), a Denver based nonprofit, supports, and strengthens change-makers across the nonprofit ecosystem, working together to create a more equitable Colorado. As a statewide convener, CRC listens to partners’ challenges and considers new ways to provide support and access to tools most needed by organizations. An ongoing challenge faced by small, rural-based, and BIPOC-led and serving nonprofits is access to grant funding. Often, smaller organizations lack the capacity to conduct research for, write, and develop systems for management and reporting on grants. The GrantCorps VISTA will combat this barrier by engaging with rural nonprofits addressing poverty and build their capacity through fund development and grant writing. The VISTA will assist in securing resources and sustainability for rural nonprofits by researching grant opportunities and writing and submitting strong grant proposals. They will gain valuable insight and experience in fund development by crafting and initiating grant applications for these nonprofits. This second-year VISTA will continue to provide one-on-one grant writing services to rural nonprofits to fund their programs, projects, and general operating needs. The VISTA member will increase the ability of these smaller rural, BIPOC-led and serving, nonprofits’ access to funding opportunities, leveling the philanthropic playing field. This role will address the sustainability of services to low-income communities, and the streams of funding that make access to those services possible. By doing so, the VISTA will increase the ability of our partners to improve educational, health, housing, and workforce development outcomes. CRC staff will support the VISTA member and enhance their opportunities for professional development and future employment. CRC is looking for committed and passionate individuals to join this ground-breaking initiative to bridge the access gap and work towards a more equitable future.
Member Duties:
The Grantwriting Specialist VISTA will: 1) Gain skills and receive training in grant writing for nonprofits and community organizations 2) Develop templates and tools for the nonprofit organizations to utilize in future grant applications 3) Plan and initiate potential opportunities for program, project, and organizational evaluation to better meet the needs of more partner organizations 4) Collaborate with their supervisor and partner organizations to draft, review, and edit grant narratives and grant reports 5) Leverage relationships with funders and front range funding entities to increase access for rural and bipoc led nonprofits 6) Apply for diverse funding opportunities to ensure long term sustainability7) Utilize CRC’s collection of statewide funding data to make recommendations for organizations 8) Engage collaboratively with other VISTAs to create grant tracking and CRM systems, developing recommendations for CRC and partner organizations to effectively utilize these tools
Qualifications:
- Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national or a lawful permanent resident alien of the U.S.
- High school diploma or GED required; must be at least 18 years old
- Pass required criminal background checks, including a National Sex Offender Website search, to serve with at-risk or vulnerable populations. AmeriCorps service is contingent on passing these background checks. If background checks have not been resolved by the conclusion of a member’s training, they will be placed on administrative hold until they meet the clearance threshold.
- Be willing and able to complete 1700 required hours of service (52 weeks) by April 9, 2024.
- English fluency, with clear and concise communication skills.
- This is a full-time AmeriCorps position. Must be able to serve a total of 40 hours per week. Days and hours may range from Monday to Sunday and from 9am to 7pm Mountain time. Schedule will be determined by the host site’s needs. The host site recognizes that all state holidays will be treated with the same expectation as working on the weekends. Those that are scheduled to work and make calls, will still be expected to work. All regularly scheduled meetings will be cancelled on state holidays.
To Apply:
Please review the Service Opportunity Listing. You will be prompted to either create an account or log in to the My AmeriCorps Portal (my.americorps.gov) to apply.
