Grants Manager

About Us 

Star House exists to partner with young people as they exit homelessness to thrive in a community of hope. Founded in 2006, Star House operates our nation’s only drop-in center for teens and young adults experiencing homelessness that offers immediate access to safety and hosts continuous best practice research for effective service. Along with the Finance Fund and Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority, Star House operates the only housing village of its kind in Central Ohio for young people who are exiting homelessness. The organization met the unique needs of 1,528 individual young people in 2024, successfully connecting them with housing, jobs, education, health care, therapy and a range of community resources. 

Star House’s mission is to do whatever it takes to support young people as they exit homelessness and thrive in a community of hope. Our vision is to replicate our evidence-based model of service for youth nationally and globally, based on the demand for our services in other communities. 

We are seeking a Grants Manager who believes in our mission; embodies our values of unconditional care, doing whatever it takes as long as it takes and creating innovative solutions; and who can help us achieve our vision with development expertise. 

 

Job Description

Title: Grants Manager

Work Location: Star House, 1220 Corrugated Way, Columbus, OH 43201

Reports To: VP of Philanthropy 

☒Full-Time

☒Exempt, Salary
 

Position Summary:

With an intrinsic passion for the Star House mission, the Grants Manager is responsible for strategically overseeing Star House’s grants process in alignment with the organization’s overarching core values, goals, objectives and vision. This involves identifying grant opportunities, writing grant proposals, and synthesizing data. Grant budgets are managed in collaboration with the finance team, and compliance with grant requirements is ensured through careful attention to detail. Responsibilities also include reporting on grant activities, meeting all deadlines, communicating effectively with funders, evaluating the effectiveness of grant-funded programs and coordinating with various departments to implement grant-funded initiatives.

Responsibilities and Essential Functions: 

The following duties are representative of performance expectations; however, the list below is not ranked in order of importance. 

Grants Management (65%)

• Oversees all grant applications and reporting activities. 
• Manages and expands Star House’s grant portfolio. 
• Writes and submits new and recurring grant applications with attention to detail and expert syntax
• Seeks, conducts research and applies for new grant opportunities. 
• Ensures Star House remains compliant with all grant stipulations.
• Analyzes organizational data for inclusion in grant applications, reports and other communications. 
• Tracks outcome measures and prepares interim reports and final reports. 
• Collaborates with all levels of Star House staff to identify new and emerging needs.
• Partners with Star House team to establish needs associated with data analytics.
• Conducts data analysis necessary for grants and development needs. 
• Cultivates and maintains relationships with grant funders.
• Stays up-to-date on Star House’s mission, goals, objectives, vision and related data and research to ensure grant language alignment. 
• Stays informed about changes in the grant landscape, donor funding priorities and best practices in grant management to optimize grant-seeking efforts. 
• Partners with other team members to ensure consistency and brand strength and awareness
• Maintains confidentiality at all times regarding highly sensitive information. 
• Collaborate with finance teams to create and manage grant budgets, track expenses and ensure proper financial reporting to funding organizations. 
• Continually monitors Star House’s capacity for managing its grants portfolio and makes recommendations ongoing for improvements to systems.
• Supports Star House’s development and communication efforts by collaborating on shared organizational language.

Development Operations (35%)

• Manages Star House's social media platforms by developing strategy, executing a content calendar and developing campaigns to increase awareness and engagement.  
• Develops and executes marketing and development collateral, including annual reports, impact cards, campaign materials and donor appeals in collaboration with the VP of Philanthropy.
• Supports development goals by conducting prospect research within the existing donor pool and ensuring accurate and dynamic tracking of donor engagement activities.  
• Develops and maintains internal donor and grant reports within Salesforce CRM to support tracking, analysis and institutional knowledge, and advances continuous improvement of CRM practices and use. 
• Provides logistical and planning support for fundraising and stewardship events, as needed.
• Maintains volunteer records within the CRM and provides on-site support with volunteer groups as needed.
• Performs other specific job-related duties as assigned by the CEO or VP of Philanthropy   

“Job performance is evaluated according to the policy provisions of Star House and the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio-Council of Governments.” 

Minimum Qualifications:   

• Bachelor’s degree in related field or commensurate experience. 
• At least three years of grants administration and reporting experience. Applicable work may substitute for experience.
• Experience with Salesforce or similar CRM database is required.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and Google Suites
• Experience in Adobe Creative Suites and Canva a plus
• Well-versed in writing in Associated Press (AP) Style and other reputable syntax style. 
• The ability to reference multiple sources and synthesize complex information into clear and concise text is essential for this role.
• Strong analytical, verbal and written skills, ability to work independently, attention to detail, accuracy, timeliness and compelling presentation skills are required.
• Organization and prioritization of multiple responsibilities.
• Quick problem solver and team player. 
• Demonstrable commitment to the Star House mission. 

Note: This assignment may require a valid driver’s license and access/availability of a reliable vehicle. 

Star House is committed to equal opportunity employment, regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, socio economic status, national origin, veteran or disability status. In order to further Star House’s mission, achieve our vision and live out our values, drawing from the collective wisdom of a diverse group of individuals is essential. With diverse minds influencing our work and decisions, we can go further for the young people we serve, ensuring that our continued programming and the solutions developed along the way are influenced by the best minds.