Movement Grants Manager

Movement Grants Manager

Job Description

• Reports To: Programs Director
• Supports: Movement Grants Program Officer
• Hours: Full-time (32-40 hours/week)
• Salary: $90,250 USD
• Location: Remote but requires 4-5 hours of daily routine availability between 7am-4pm PT, including availability from 8-10 am PT
• Paid leave (vacations and holidays): 6 weeks per year

About Animal Charity Evaluators

Animal Charity Evaluators (ACE) is a registered nonprofit that uses evidence and reason to help people do the most good for animals. We identify where donations can best help animals and award grants to promising projects around the globe. Our three core programs are Charity Evaluation & Recommendations, Movement Grants, and Meta-Fundraising.

Position summary

We are seeking a well-networked, detail-oriented, highly dependable, and strategic-minded individual to manage our Movement Grants program. As our Movement Grants Manager, you will facilitate the grantmaking process for two grant rounds per year (Spring and Fall) by reaching out to potential applicants, leading the review of grant proposals, managing our decision-making process, educating our team on grantmaking best practices, and communicating with grant recipients. You will work with our Programs team and external experts to identify gaps and high-priority needs in the effective animal advocacy movement, make grant decisions, track and report the progress of our previous grantees, and learn from past successes. You will also work with our Operations and Finance teams to ensure legal compliance, track financials, and disburse grants. Finally, you will work with our Development and Communications teams to communicate with donors and the public about our Movement Grants program, and contribute to our meta-fundraising efforts.

This is a role that requires a high degree of independence and initiative-taking, stakeholder relations, network building, task management, and accountability to deadlines. You will report to the Programs Director and support the Movement Grants Program Officer.

Key areas of responsibility

• Co-create our Movement Grants program strategy. ACE is continually learning new information and actively considering the strategy that informs all of our activities, including our Movement Grants program. The focus of our Movement Grants program will evolve to stay responsive to the needs of the effective animal advocacy movement, and you will guide this evolution in partnership with the Programs Director and the Programs leadership team.
• Engage with external experts and other stakeholders. As part of the Movement Grants Manager role, you will hold regular meetings with stakeholders in the effective animal advocacy community and gather external expert input when refining our grantmaking methods and conducting grant reviews. You will also stay informed about broader movement developments and global trends so that the program can stay responsive to the highest-priority needs and gaps.
• Lead our grantmaking process. You will lead the planning, scheduling, and implementation of our grantmaking process, including giving direction and assigning tasks to other Programs team members and staff in other departments, and scheduling and facilitating regular Movement Grants meetings both during grant review periods and in the prep season.
• Communicate about the Movement Grants program. You will hone your writing skills by drafting content for our website and other public-facing materials, and you will engage with external stakeholders such as donors or peers in our field. This will include travel to conferences to give presentations and meet with other funders, donors, grantees, and potential future applicants.
• Program monitoring and evaluation. You will be responsible for tracking key metrics for the Movement Grants program and reporting these on a quarterly basis at all-staff meetings. You will work in partnership with the Programs Director on developing key performance indicators and conducting program evaluation.
• People support. You will be the supporter for the Movement Grants Program Officer. This requires regular 1:1 meetings, working in partnership with them to develop and stick to their work plan, leading monthly and annual reflections, providing coaching on areas of improvement, and providing clear feedback and direction.

Sample projects:

• Grant decisions. You will facilitate our grant decisions and write about the grants we award. Example content: Announcing Our Latest Movement Grants Recipients
• Learn from advocacy research and past grants. You will stay up-to-date on the findings of animal advocacy research and draw conclusions from the reports of our past recipients, applying that knowledge to future grant decisions.

Qualifications

Essential skills

• Commitment to ACE’s mission, which is to find and promote the most effective ways to help the most animals
• Deep familiarity with the effective animal advocacy movement
• Strong ability to prioritize, assign tasks, and stick to deadlines
• Ability to use spreadsheet software such as Excel or Google Sheets
• Ability to prioritize and maintain close communication with multiple stakeholders simultaneously
• Openness to ideas that are outside of the mainstream animal advocacy movement.
• Willingness to change your mind
• High degree of professional integrity, including discretion in handling confidential information
• Ability to work independently and collaborate with many different parties
• Strong ability to lead decision-making meetings and mediate disagreements
• Ability to write accurate, error-free, logically structured reports
• Ability to present complicated information in simple terms (either in written form or in video calls with grant applicants)
• Ability to present engaging public talks
• Highly self-motivated and proactive

Preferred skills

• At least three years of related professional experience
• Experience with supporting other staff as their direct report
• Strong knowledge of grantmaking best practices
• Strong existing network in effective animal advocacy
• Excellent oral communication skills
• Demonstrated strategic thinking skills
• Solid understanding of social movements and social change
• Familiarity with effective altruism and counterfactual thinking
• AI fluency and the ability to use AI tools to enhance work efficiency
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage time while working remotely
• Ability to work in other languages (in addition to English) is an asset

Benefits

Our team works hard, but we also make time for our families, animal companions, friends, hobbies, and of course, our own health. Full-time staff are eligible for the following benefits:

• 6 weeks of paid leave, split between PTO and holidays
• Uncapped sick leave
• Flexible scheduling
• A professional development stipend
• Paid parental, family, and medical leave
• Paid sabbaticals every 5 years
• A health reimbursement plan (US employees) or health stipend plan (non-US employees) to offset private insurance costs
• Disability insurance (US employees only)
• A 3% 401k (US) or pension (non-US) match