Grant Writer

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid is seeking an in-office Grant Writer to join the Grants Team. Founded in 1970, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides free civil legal services to residents in 68 Southwest Texas counties. TRLA also represents migrant and seasonal farm workers throughout Texas and six other southern states.

TRLA is the largest legal aid provider in Texas and is nationally recognized for high-quality, zealous advocacy for its clients. TRLA has offices in Alpine, Austin, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Edinburg, El Paso, Laredo, Mercedes, San Antonio, Sinton, Uvalde, Victoria, Weslaco, and Nashville, Tennessee.

As a member of the Grants Team led by the Director of Grants, the Grant Writer is responsible for identifying funders, working with attorneys to define work for potential funding support, and submitting grant proposals. The Grant Writer serves as a member of TRLA's Administration, reporting directly to the Director of Grants or her designee.

The Grant Writer studies and understands the history, structure, objectives, programs, and financial needs of TRLA to help raise general operating and program-specific funding.

Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Draft high-quality letters of inquiry and proposals to foundations, corporations, and government agencies;

2. Develop proposals by assembling information including project nature, objectives/outcomes/deliverables, implementation, methods, timetable, staffing, budget, standards of performance, and evaluation;

3. Coordinate with Attorney Team Managers or relevant project staff, administrative staff, and Grants Team to develop grant proposals;

4. Meet proposal deadlines by establishing priorities and target dates for information-gathering, writing, review, approval, and submission;

5. Determine proposal concept by identifying and clarifying opportunities and needs, studying requests for proposal (RFPs), and attending strategy meetings;

6. Stay up to date on current state and federal policies that may impact funding and conducts research on various issue areas to insure TRLA funding proposals are relevant and data-driven;

7. Maintain quality results by using templates; following proposal-writing standards including readability, consistency, and tone;

8. Maintain proposal support databases;

9. Write, revise, and edit drafts including executive summaries, conclusions, and organization credentials;

10. Prepare development reports for the Executive Director, Director of Grants, and the Board of Directors;

11. Correspond with private funders in preparing grant proposals;

12. Work with current and potential funders to explore areas of potential funding support;

13. Meet with development staff of partner non-profits around potential collaborative efforts;

14. Maintain positive relationships with funders, grantors, and other stakeholders;

15. Update job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; maintaining personal networks;

16. Stay abreast of TRLA’s work by familiarizing oneself with TRLA’s various practice areas, teams, and special projects; and

17. Other duties and responsibilities as determined by their primary supervisor.

​​​​​​​This is an in-person position, and regular, on-site attendance is considered an essential function of the role. While TRLA supports flexibility and may allow occasional remote work where appropriate and with prior approval, consistent in-person attendance is expected.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Strong written, verbal, and electronic communication skills

• Experience with Microsoft Office suite

• Strong time-management skills

• Ability to multi-task and remain flexible

• Ability to work with a number of individuals, all with various needs and deadlines

• Outstanding organizational skills with strong attention to detail

• Strong problem-solving skills

• Detail and deadline oriented

• Strategic planning skills

• Strong presentation skills

• Ability to travel

Education, Experience, and Licensing Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in English, or related field;

• Two years of grant writing and/or development experience, prospect research, general fundraising with proven success in raising funds for nonprofit organizations or a minimum of 2 years comparable and transferable skills acquired in a professional setting; and

• Some legal and social justice knowledge preferred but not required