Grant Manager – Chicago, IL

Organization: Laureus Sport for Good Foundation USA

Title: Grant Manager

Reports to: Director of Sport for Good Chicago

Location: Chicago, IL – USA

About Laureus Sport for Good Foundation USA

Laureus Sport for Good Foundation USA (Laureus USA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, grant-making organization with the mission to improve the lives of youth and unite communities through the power of sport.

To achieve our mission, Laureus USA (1) supports youth sport programs through grant making and capacity building to grow their impact; (2) strengthens communities by empowering local leaders and working alongside them to drive positive change through sport; and (3) organizes the Youth Sport sector through convening, research & evaluation, and strategic advisement.

Laureus USA is a member of the global Laureus network, which includes 7 National Foundations, 1 Global Foundation, the Laureus World Sports Academy (and Ambassadors), and the Laureus World Sports Awards. Globally, we have invested more than $200m into the Sport for Development sector globally, which has helped us reach and change the lives of more than 6.5 million children and young people.

About Sport for Good Chicago

Founded in 2018, Sport for Good Chicago is a coalition of people and organizations that leverage the power of sport for social change throughout the city. The coalition is made up of more than 80 local organizations and is led by a Leadership Council of 15 cross-sector individuals. Sport for Good Chicago works collectively to improve program quality, increase coordination, and expand awareness and funding of youth sports programs. We do this through coordinating trainings and social events, organizing roundtables and learning discussions, and taking collective action on projects like campaigns and advocacy. Most recently, Sport for Good Chicago worked together to unlock a 5M line item in the Illinois State Budget to support youth sports programs throughout the state.

Sport for Good Chicago is part of the Laureus Sport for Good Cities program that also includes New Orleans, Atlanta, New York, London, Paris, Hong Kong, and New Dehli. This program has been recognized by the World Health Organization as part of their international health policy.

Position Summary

Laureus USA seeks a strategic, entrepreneurial, data-driven and organized professional who will provide leadership for Chicago grants and programs. With a priority on grants management and coalition building, as well as strategic development and growth, the Grant Manager will build on the existing work of Laureus USA and the Sport for Good Chicago program.

Reporting to the Director of Sport for Good Chicago, the Grant Manager will be responsible for supporting and managing programmatic operations to improve and better support our mission.

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated success in program administration and facilitation and is excited by supporting community-driven outcomes and strategy.

** This role is funded through a government grant through October of 2024 and will likely require renewal of government funding to remain beyond that date. We learn of government funding decisions in May/June each year, and if the role is not renewed we will work as a partner over 6 months to support the transition

Key Responsibilities

Grant Making/Grants Management (85%)

• Ensure an equitable and national aligned grantmaking application process
  • Meet and build relationships with aligned nonprofit organizations throughout the year
  • Build communication plan to clearly share information about all open grant processes
  • Coordinate informational webinars and answer questions to set organizations up for success in their applications
  • Participate in comprehensive annual grants evaluation with full program team
  • Serve as reader for US-based RFPs and fully participate in programs team grant review process
  • Provide contextual insight on returning grantees and programs
• Manage government grantee portfolio of 15-20 grants
  • Administer grantee paperwork and disbursement of funds
  • Conduct annual site visits
  • Support grantees through quarterly check ins
  • Ensure timely reporting and support data collection to capture grant partner metrics of success
  • Conduct annual grants review with support from the Evaluation and Data Manager.

Programmatic Support (15%)

• Provide support to Chicago Program Manager and Director of Sport for Good Chicago on programmatic events and initiatives such as:
  • Attending Town Halls, socials, training events
  • Representing Laureus at community events and initiatives
  • Supporting National and Global initiatives as needed
• Build, support, and empower the Sport for Good Chicago Coalition
  • Recruit organizations, companies, funders, and individuals to join as members of Sport for Good Chicago
  • In partnership with Data and Evaluation Manager, facilitate regular surveys, focus groups, and measurement to understand collective needs and align activities accordingly
  • Represent the Sport for Good Chicago collective voice in conversations with Laureus staff, partners, and stakeholders

Partnerships and Events

• Build strong relationships with various stakeholders that will reinforce or enhance Laureus’ vision and strategy
  • Network and grow relationships with local nonprofit organizations, government agencies, funders, schools, and other stakeholders
  • Participate in complementary city-wide initiatives that align to Laureus vision
  • Facilitate introductions between various stakeholders as opportunities present themselves
  • Build strong relationships with local professional teams and athletes to cultivate local Sport for Good Ambassadors
• Run or participate in local and national events that will reinforce or enhance Laureus’ vision and strategy
  • Be active in the youth and community development communities; participate in conferences, workshops, networking events, and other thought leadership activities
  • Facilitate relationship between Laureus USA staff and local partners to plan and execute events as needed or requested
  • Represent Laureus with local and national funders and other strategic partners as needed
• Other duties as assigned: Laureus USA is a small and growing organization and every staff member is expected to provide support to the broader Laureus USA team and adapt as needed to achieve our mission.

Candidate Attributes

Core Competencies

• A demonstrable understanding of and commitment to equity and inclusion across all forms of diversity and difference
• A commitment to shared learning and shared leading across all relationships
• Demonstrable knowledge of the sport for development, youth development, and philanthropic sectors
• Ability to make data-drive decisions and cultivating a data-driven, results oriented team culture
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Strong experience using Salesforce as a grant management tool
• At least seven years of experience in program strategy and implementing research, evaluation, and measurement protocols at an organization

Values Driven Leadership

• Must believe in and have demonstrated commitment to Laureus USA’s values:
  • Teamwork Makes the Dream Work​: Laureus USA extends this value of teamwork by collaborating internally as well as externally. We understand that teamwork is the result of clear, regular, and honest communication to achieve common goals.​
  • Progress over Perfection: We are focused on continual improvement and taking steps forward to address the urgency of challenges facing our beneficiaries, partners and communities. We celebrate our wins and take the space to reflect on how to do better in the future.
  • Trust each other, Trust our partners: We believe that our mission can only be achieved through trusting and relying on one another. We trust that our colleagues are doing their best to achieve impact for the young people, organizations, and communities we serve. We enter into partnerships assuming best intentions of the people & organizations with whom we work.
  • Equity & Inclusion: Laureus USA believes we are our best when we value unique voices, backgrounds and perspectives. We actively create policies and practices that promote equity and inclusion in decision-making and allow individual strengths to be recognized. We commit to ongoing learning and improvement as we strive to create more equitable and inclusive spaces through our work.​
  • Center youth, practitioners, communities:  Centering youth, practitioners and communities in the decisions that we make and spaces that we enter; and always keeping their best interests at the forefront of our work. ​ Ambitious problem solver who builds strong and trusting professional relationships.

What You Can Expect:

Laureus USA has a high-performing culture characterized by our desire to provide our staff members with the support, resources, and information they need to be successful in our organization and in the non-profit field in general. If you take on this position, you can expect to be offered a compensation package, including salary and benefits, that will be commensurate with your experience and competitive within the nonprofit sector.

Laureus USA employees must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, and, if hired, present proof of vaccination by start date. Laureus USA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, handicap, age, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.

Expected Salary Range: $55,000 – $65,000/annually

Salary will be negotiated based on relevant skills and experience.

Interested parties should apply directly through this link.

** This role is funded through a government grant through October of 2024 and will likely require renewal of government funding to remain beyond that date. We learn of government funding decisions in May/June each year, and if the role is not renewed we will work as a partner over few months to support the transition