Grants Associate at Hampton Roads Community Foundation in Norfolk, VA

POSITION:                   Grants Associate
FUNCTIONAL AREA:  Grantmaking
SUPERVISOR:              Vice President for Grantmaking
STATUS:                       Full-Time
CLASSIFICATION:       Exempt

DESCRIPTION
The Grants Associate provides critical administrative and technical support for the robust scholarship program of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation (“HRCF” or “Foundation”), functioning as the in-house expert on the program’s on-line platform. Working closely with the Associate Vice President for Grantmaking (“AVP-G”), they are responsible for receiving and tracking scholarship requests, monitoring scholarship applications for completion, processing scholarship payments, and producing periodic reports on the scholarship program’s impact. They also assist with HRCF’s grantmaking program. The Grants Associate reports directly to the Vice President for Grantmaking.

The Grants Associate believes in the vision, mission, and values of the Foundation and, in principle and practice, is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. They support HRCF’s strategic roadmap as the guidepost for realizing them.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Scholarship Program Support
General
1. Maintain expert-level knowledge of HRCF’s scholarship management system, ensuring that it is current and well-functioning.
2. Coordinate outreach events and attend college fairs to promote the scholarship program.
3. Assist with events for scholarship donors and awardees, including preparing awardee certificates.
4. Assist the AVP-G in maintaining an up-to-date procedure manual for the scholarship program.

Annual Process
1. Serve as a reader for the scholarship review process as needed.
2. Provide administrative support to scholarship-specific committees and, in general, coordinate the feedback and recommendations received from all application reviewers.
3. Guided by national best practices, assist the AVP-G in the annual review of the scholarship application form and collaterals.
4. Respond to phone/email inquiries and special requests on scholarships in a timely manner, consulting with the AVP-G as appropriate.
5. Communicate with scholarship applicants to process requests for deferrals, study abroad and mid-year transfers, reminding them of application deadlines, any need for additional documentation, and renewal notices.
6. Contact the colleges and universities of scholarship recipients to request refunds and provide W-9 forms as needed.
7. Respond promptly to NCAA compliance documentation requests for student-athletes.
8. Post all scholarship payments and refunds in HRCF’s scholarship management system in a timely manner.
9. Working closely with the AVP-G, prepare and distribute scholarship correspondence, both paper and electronic, including decision letters and payments.
10. In consultation with the AVP-G, prepare reports and statistical analyses—both routine and customized—on HRCF’s scholarship program and impact.
11. Under the direction of the AVP-G, process scholarship acceptances and renewals, ensuring that the necessary paperwork for each is submitted, filed, and reviewed for continued eligibility; reduce, defer, or rescind scholarship awards as required.

Grants Program Support
1. Provide general information on grant processes to HRCF’s multiple stakeholders.
2. Assist with data collection and research for grantmaking activities.
3. Assist with responding to Call-in Day requests and publishing weekly email updates to nonprofits.
4. Assist the AVP-G in establishing and maintaining a non-profit directory that provides a comprehensive list of community nonprofits with descriptive information that can be useful both internally and externally.
5. Produce, distribute, and analyze surveys to targeted groups of nonprofits to provide information on how HRCF might better serve the non-profit sector.
6. Provide staff backup for HRCF’s grant management system.

General Office Administration
1. Provide back-up assistance for phone answering, parking validation, mail processing, and daily opening/closing of HRCF offices.
2. Participate actively in staff meetings and serve on internal committees as appropriate.
3. Support the development of HRCF publications and other printed materials by providing data, reports, content, and proofreading as needed.
4. Represent the Foundation at meetings and events, which may occur during or outside of normal work hours, as requested.
5. Support the execution of HRCF events.
6. Perform additional duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS
General
1. Clear understanding and belief in HRCF’s mission, with a demonstrated commitment to racial equity, diversity, and inclusion.
2. Cultural competence, with demonstrated ability to understand, collaborate, and navigate
cross-cultural differences.
3. Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field from a regionally accredited institution with at least one year of successful experience in the non-profit environment.
4. Advanced computer skills, especially in Microsoft 365 and relational database/CRM programs.
5. Ethical standards above reproach.
6. Strong written and oral communications skills.
7. Strong analytical skills.
Interpersonal
1. Strong people skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with HRCF’s multiple stakeholders.
2. Demonstrated ability to work effectively with colleagues in a small, fast-paced office environment that depends on collaboration.
3. Demonstrated ability to maintain strict confidentiality, be the consummate professional, and always use good judgment.
4. Demonstrated ability to multi-task and prioritize in the midst of a demanding workload with often inflexible deadlines.

PERIODIC POSITION REVIEW
Part of a 2024 comprehensive restructuring of the Grantmaking function area that, among other things, transferred HRCF’s scholarship program from Administration to Grantmaking, the Grants Associate is a new position. The Vice President for Grantmaking provided input on the job description. It was approved by the President & CEO on June 18, 2024.

To Apply for This Position
Visit https://hamptonroadscommunity.bamboohr.com/careers to submit a cover letter, résumé and salary requirements in our application portal. If you see this position on a job site DO NOT use the quick apply feature. You must apply through the Foundation's site and provide all required information.

Please do not mail, fax or email your résumé. NO PHONE CALLS, PLEASE.

Review of résumés will begin on June 8, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled.

We are currently using a flexible hybrid work schedule (up to two days a week), but eventually, the position may be fully in-office.