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Legal Defense Fund

Grants Writer

Legal Defense Fund, New York, New York, us, 10261


The NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the country’s first and foremost civil and human rights law organization. Founded in 1940 under the leadership of Thurgood Marshall, who subsequently became the first Black U.S. Supreme Court Justice, LDF was launched at a time when the nation’s aspirations for equality and due process of law were stifled by widespread state-sponsored racial inequality. From that era to the present, LDF’s mission has been transformative — to achieve racial justice, equality, and an inclusive society.

LDF’s litigation, public policy advocacy and public education programs in the substantive areas of criminal justice, economic justice, education, and political participation seek to ensure the fundamental and basic human rights of all people to quality education, economic opportunity, the right to vote and fully participate in democracy, and the right to a fair and just judicial system. LDF continues to make an impact in the area of public service and was recognized by Fast Company as one of its 2023 Brands That Matter under its public service category.

As of March 7, 2022, LDF transitioned to a hybrid work environment. Any candidate selected for this position should be prepared to work in the office location assigned at least two days per week.

Responsibilities for the role include but are not limited:

Prepare accurate and compelling grant proposals, grant reports, and other grant-related materials (e.g., one-pagers, information summaries, program briefs);Work with program staff across the organization to capture information for proposal and report narratives.Draft speaking points for donor meetings and speaking engagements.Support grant development processes, including notetaking, identifying funding opportunities, and developing and managing project timelines.Assist with stewardship of institutional donors, including drafting donor communications, such as email updates, impact reports, and annual reports.Proofread/copy edit grant proposal/report narratives and other fundraising documents and materials; andOther responsibilities as assigned.Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree.Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience in a development office; past grant writing experience is a must.Commitment to the racial justice mission of LDFExceptional writing and editing skills, with the ability to synthesize complex concepts into accessible narratives;Ability to quickly and succinctly convey complex ideas (e.g., draft responses to proposal questions with character/word limits);Interest in and knowledge and familiarity with a range of social and racial justice issues;Excellent time management and organization skills;Ability to multi-task and adhere to multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment;Detail-oriented;Understanding of corporate and foundation relations; andExperience with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint and Word).

The salary range of the position is $75,000 to $90,000.

LDF offers a rich platform of benefits including medical (Empire), dental (Cigna), vision (NVA), flexible spending accounts (Flex Facts), transit/commuter plan, life insurance, AD&D, voluntary life & AD&D (UNUM), AFLAC, Employee Assistance Plan, and Health Advocate. As well as the many healthcare benefits, LDF offers a 403b plan with employer match, and a robust vacation, sick, and personal time program to ensure employees have a healthy work-life balance.

This is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, efforts or requirements or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed as assigned. This description does not constitute a contract of employment and LDF may exercise its employment-at-will rights at any time.

Please note that LDF requires all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Accordingly, successful candidates must be fully vaccinated and submit proof of vaccination prior to the commencement of employment unless they qualify for a reasonable accommodation for bona fide medical or religious reasons.

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The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to you without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, age, veteran status, medical condition or disability, genetic information, gender identity, or any other protected status under federal, state, or local law.

How to apply:

This position is open until filled.

To apply for this position, please submit your resume and cover letter.