1. POSITION VACANT: Senior Proposal Writer, American India Foundation Trust, Delhi/ NCR

2. ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND:

The American India Foundation Trust (AIF) is committed to catalyzing social and economic change in India through high-impact interventions in education, livelihoods, public health, and leadership development. Working closely with local communities, AIF partners with NGOs to develop and test innovative solutions and with governments to create and scale sustainable impact. AIF’s programming seeks to achieve gender equity through developing inclusive models that focus on and empower girls and women. Founded in 2001 at the initiative of President Bill Clinton following a suggestion from Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji, AIF has impacted the lives of 16.51 million of India’s poor across 35 States and Union Territories of India.

AIF works on Education, Livelihoods, Public Health, and Leadership programs in India.

1. Education - AIF’s education programs ensure that some of the most marginalized groups have access to high-quality educational opportunities and gain critical life skills alongside 21st century knowledge to prepare them for success in today’s globalized world. The Digital Equalizer program bridges the educational and digital divide in India and prepares students, especially young girls, for a career and life. The LAMP program addresses the complex issues faced by children at-risk of migration, providing them with the education, resources, care, and support they need to break the cycle of poverty.

2. Livelihoods - AIF works closely with the public and private sector to create inclusive and sustainable livelihoods for individuals, families, and communities across India with a long-term goal of equalizing the informal and formal sectors to provide equitable opportunities for all citizens. ABLE helps create an ecosystem for the inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and MAST leverages technology to equip underprivileged youth, marginalized rural women, Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and nano-entrepreneurs with the knowledge, skills, and financial and market linkages they need to find employment, run businesses, launch micro-enterprises, and earn a dignified living.

3. Public Health - AIF promotes maternal and child health through its MANSI program. MANSI is a community-focused health intervention program that addresses the inequities in accessing quality and affordable health care for mothers and newborns among the vulnerable population in India.

4. Leadership - The AIF Banyan Impact Fellowship is an immersive bi-national volunteer service program with immense strategic importance in the US-India corridor. Through its Banyan Impact Fellowship, AIF is helping to shape the next generation of leaders committed to building lasting change for underprivileged communities across India, while also strengthening the civil sector landscape to be more efficient and effective.

For more information about AIF, please visit: https://aif-india.org/

3. JOB DESCRIPTION/ RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Senior Proposal Writer (SPW) will directly report to the Director- Strategic Partnerships with dotted line reporting to the US Development Team.

The SPW will work for the AIF Programs in India and collaborate closely with AIF US Development team to coordinate, write, and submit successful proposals to major international institutional and individual funders. S/he will strategize on, as well as coordinate and implement the pre-award planning, organization, and preparation of various grants for both institutional and individual restricted giving to AIF.

In addition, the post-holder will also collaborate with and support the Manager- Grant Reporting to ensure that the post-award administration of reports and programmatic updates to these restricted donors are on time and of excellent quality.

Key Job Responsibilities:

A. Proposal Writing and Submission (50%):

(1) Work directly with Program staff in crafting compelling narratives and statistical evidence for proposals that are designed to succeed with major institutional and individual donors in the US and internationally. Proactively stays updated on program strategies and new directions to offer novel “Products” to be presented to international prospects;
(2) Coordinate the planning and preparation of grant/ donor/ funder proposals and outlines subsequent reporting initiated by the development team; Provide guidance and assistance to fundraising staff to interpret donor agency regulations and requirements;

(3) Prepare and compile all components of each grant submission, ensuring that the proposal is formatted, packaged, and submitted in accordance with granting agency requirements. Work with the relevant Relationship Managers (RM) to follow up with the agency consistently during the evaluation process.

B. Supporting the Expansion AIF’s International Institutional Funder Pipeline (20%):

(1) Actively research and prospect international foundations and corporations (US- and Europe-based, as well as other global funders aligned with AIF’s mission) for potential LOI and/ or proposal submissions; Build relationships within such institutions towards the goal of being invited to submit winning proposals;

(2) Explore new prospects in HNIs, Family Foundations, and other institutional donors internationally to consistently maintain a thriving pipeline of international prospects that can expand and deepen AIF’s standing in the global funding arena.

C. Working Cross-Functionally with AIF Teams in US and India (20%):

(1) Serve as a liaison between US-based development staff, India-based program staff, finance offices in India and the US Development team (to work on budgets), and the office SPOCs of prospective funders in the proposal submission process;

(2) Works with India-based program team to stay always updated regarding the strategy and implementation of AIF’s programs and their outcomes to represent them in the best light to prospective donors whose giving priorities align with AIF’s mission.

D. Report Coordination Support (10%):

(1) Collaborate with and support the Manager- Grant Reporting around the administration of post-award grants to ensure that budgeting and administrative policies, procedures, and agency requirements are being followed; Follow and support in the management of administrative problems and/or budget changes occurring during the awarded granting period, especially in light of planning for a renewal grant submission to the same donor;

(2) Develop and maintain the CRM database for recording and tracking grant proposals, awards, and related statistical information; Create and distribute standard and special reports, studies, summaries, and analyses, as required.

4. QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCIES:

Qualification and Experience
(1) Applicant must have a Bachelor's Degree in any related field;
(2) Three to four years of grant writing experience is required with a demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing;

(3) Proven ability to develop and produce compelling grants and other proposals;

(4) Ability to analyze and interpret financial data and prepare financial reports, statements, and/or projections.

Skills and Competencies

(1) Willingness to work in alignment with US time zones as needed to collaborate seamlessly with US-based AIF’s RMs;

(2) Excellent interpersonal communications skills across all professional settings with internal program and development colleagues, as well as external stakeholders;

(3) Ability to work seamlessly and professionally with internal departments and coordinate with domestic and international staff;

(4) Knowledge of current developments/trends in the area of expertise. Ability to provide technical advice to colleagues in the area of expertise;

(5) Ability to determine informational needs, collect and analyze information, and devise and develop statistical analyses and reports;

(6) Database management skills with a donor-CRM such as Raisers Edge, Virtuous, etc;

(7) Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel);

(8) Discretion, diplomacy, and sophisticated communication skills that not only nurture but also expand AIF’s relationships with external stakeholders, while deepening internal relationships across functions and programs;

(9) Knowledge of grant funding policies and procedures and applicable local, state, and federal regulations;

(10) Knowledge of budgeting and fiscal management principles and procedures;

(11) Demonstrated commitment to the eradication of poverty in India and alignment with AIF’s mission.

5. COMPENSATION OFFERED:

Gross compensation budgeted for the position is attractive and in alignment with salaries paid by leading I/NGOs for leadership roles. The offer made to the selected candidate shall be commensurate with qualifications, experience, and salary history.

6. LOCATION: Delhi/ NCR

7. REFERENCE: SPW-AIF

8. CONTACT INFORMATION:

Team SAMS
Strategic Alliance Management Services P Ltd.
1/1B, Choudhary Hetram House, Bharat Nagar 
New Friends Colony, New Delhi 110 025
Phone Nos.: 011- 4081 9900; 4165 3612

9. APPLICATION PROCESS:

Eligible candidates interested in the position are requested to apply by May 20, 2024 using the link https://bit.ly/Apply-SPW-AIF.

Note: Candidates must upload three writing samples of grant proposals that were approved with their application.