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Title

Grants Assistant 
About the Organization The internationally renowned Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) has received 'highest praise for their technical aplomb, their musicality, and their sheer human authenticity.' (Bloomberg News). Founded in 1980, the Dance Group performs the repertory of choreographer Mark Morris, hailed as the 'the most successful and influential choreographer alive, and indisputably the most musical' (The New York Times), whose work is acclaimed for its ingenuity, musicality, wit, and humanity. Live music and community engagement are vital components of the Dance Group. It has toured with its own musicians, the MMDG Music Ensemble, since 1996, and regularly collaborates with orchestras and opera companies around the world. In addition to 17 full-time dancers, the organization currently employs 34 full-time staff and 75 part-time staff, teaching artists, and musicians.

In the heart of the Brooklyn Cultural District, the Mark Morris Dance Center, founded in 2001, is the hub of dance and music education in Brooklyn. The nine-studio building provides affordable classes in multiple genres for people of all ages, levels, with and without disabilities, accompanied by live music. The studios, a performance space, a Wellness Center, and ancillary spaces are all available to the community and to nonprofit organizations at subsidized rates. MMDG's Community Education Programs partner with public and private schools and community centers to provide customized classes. MMDG also offers customized dance workshops for persons with Parkinson's disease and their caregivers.

MMDG programs in NYC and worldwide engage nearly 100,000 people annually. Propelled by core values of community, access, excellence, and creativity, MMDG is committed to ongoing equity, diversity, and inclusion work to ensure its programs are welcoming and accessible to all.
 
Category Development / Fundraising  
Exempt/Non-Exempt Non-Exempt  
Full-Time/Part-Time Part-Time  
Description

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION:

Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) is excited to offer a new part-time Grants Assistant position, responsible for supporting MMDG’s institutional fundraising efforts and carrying out related administrative duties.

Reporting to the Institutional Giving Manager, this position works closely with members of all other departments and supports collecting and managing of statistics on programs, the drafting of applications, and submission of funder reports for a range of funders, from private foundation to local, state, and federal grant resources. This is an exciting opportunity for someone looking to begin their career as a grants professional in the arts and gain an overview of institutional fundraising. The Grants Assistant joins the organization at a pivotal moment as we grow contributed revenue from institutions, continue to advance our core values in our work, and engage our global community in-person and online.

The successful candidate joins a community of kind and dedicated arts and administrative professionals who are propelled by Mark Morris's commitment to artistic excellence, access to the arts, and the impact that the arts have in connecting and engaging communities. MMDG is committed to ongoing and sustained equity and inclusion work. All staff are expected to be actively engaged and dedicated to upholding our core values:  celebrating our diverse community, pursuing excellence in all that we do, advancing access, exposure, and opportunity to dance and music, and cultivating creativity. Staff members also have opportunities to shape the culture of the organization through our Work, Life and Culture Committee working groups at a time when we are revamping our IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) action plan, initiating an ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) strategic plan, and more.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • Assist in coordinating, preparing, and drafting materials for select government, corporate, and foundation grant requests and reports.
  • Prepare compelling supplemental materials (i.e., photos, videos, quotes, etc.) representing MMDG programs and activities to be used in grant applications and reports.
  • Collect and synthesize relevant data and statistics regarding program attendance, the organization, and community for use in proposal writing.
  • Draft gift acknowledgement letters and receipts.
  • Collaborate with the Marketing Team to ensure appropriate funder acknowledgements and logos are included on website and in collateral materials (i.e., annual reports and performance programs etc.).
  • Maintain current and complete files for all grants.
  • Ensure data integrity through accurate pledge/gift documentation in collaboration with MMDG’s Data Enty Assistant and Finance Team.
  • Conduct grant research and make recommendations to Institutional Giving Manager and Director of Development to support organizational fundraising goals for programs, general operating funds, and capital needs.
  • Supports cross departmental collaborations on fundraising and other organizational efforts.
  • Other duties as assigned.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS           

You will be successful in this role if you:

  • Write Well and Consider Context – You write succinctly. You consider not only the content of your writing but the context in which it will be read.
  • Prize Punctuality – You meet and beat deadlines.
  • Are Independent and Intuitive - You can work autonomously with minimum supervision but also know when you need to seek advice from your peers.
  • Thrive on Excellence, Candor and Change – You have an active interest in growing your skills. You appreciate earnest feedback on how to improve applications and reports that you draft.
  • Enjoy Details – You find joy in owning an ever-evolving set of facts and figures about our broad base of programs. You take pride in your grammar skills.
  • Align with our Core Values - You work well with others towards a common purpose to achieve shared goals by developing and maintaining responsive, cooperative, and mutually beneficial internal and external relationships.

DEADLINE:

  • The position is open until filled.
  • Please note that some candidate interviews may be conducted by video using the Zoom (https://zoom.us/) video communications application. Please download the application in advance and have a functioning camera and speaker on your device. MMDG can also provide candidates with reasonable accommodations, if needed.
 
Position Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • 1-2 years of experience in non-profit grant writing or another writing practice that is clear, concise, and analytic in style.
  • Previous experience with government and private foundation funders preferred but not required.
  • Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite and Excel.
  • Experience with project management software and database systems preferred but not required.
  • Compliance with MMDG COVID-19 Safety Plan and Vaccination Policy.

SCHEDULE:

  • 24 hours/week. We envision a Grants Assistant who works three, eight-hour days per week in our Downtown Brooklyn Mark Morris Dance Center. Days are flexible and will be determined with upon job offer.
  • With all new positions in our development department, we require six months of on-site in-office work in order to enable comprehensive onboarding. After six months, we are open to considering remote work at the discretion of the supervising Institutional Giving Manager and Department Head.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

  • $22 per hour.
  • Benefits package includes: Paid vacation (40 hours/year), sick leave (up to 20 hours/year), holidays and bonus days; Pre-tax Commuter benefit.
  • Access to free and discounted classes at the Dance Center and online.
  • Access to special events and MMDG performances (when available).
  • Invitations to cultural events extended to other staff members by community partners.

APPLICATIONS:

  • Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls please.
  • Incomplete submissions will not be considered.
  • You will be asked to submit the following as part of your online application:
    • 1-page Cover Letter addressed to Haley Mason Andres, Institutional Giving Manager, answering the questions listed below.
    • Complete résumé highlighting relevant experience
    • 2 writing samples – samples can include any of the following – please label the samples clearly:
      • Grant applications that you wrote or co-wrote; please specify your role in the writing (i.e., this is a grant I co-wrote with the Development Director and a Program Assistant).
      • Essays or letters where you have introduced a topic, supported the topic in the body of the essay, and written a conclusion.
      • Essays written by others that reflect your preferred writing style and with your comments/notes on what you found effective in the essay’s composition.
    • The cover letter should include answers to each of the following questions:
      • Why are you interested in working at the Mark Morris Dance Group?
      • The Grants Assistant will be responsible for supporting a robust institutional giving portfolio. What relevant skills and experiences would you bring to this work?
      • MMDG is a values-driven organization; please review our core values of Community, Excellence, Creativity, and Access and discuss two instances in your professional career where you have demonstrated at least one of them.

 

 
 
EOE Statement We are an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a diverse workforce and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or veteran status. It is the policy of MMDG to comply with all the relevant and applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). MMDG does not discriminate against any qualified employees or job applicants with respect to any terms, privileges, or conditions of employment because of a person’s physical or mental disability. MMDG makes reasonable accommodation wherever necessary for all employees or applicants with disabilities, provided that the individual is otherwise qualified to safely perform the duties and assignments connected with the job and provided that any accommodations made do not require significant difficulty or expense.  

This position is currently accepting applications.

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