NON PROFIT GRANT WRITER

TO APPLY

Please send resumes to:

MAIL

The HistoryMakers
1900 S. Michigan Ave. | Chicago, IL 60616

EMAIL

[email protected]

Non Profit Grant Writer sought for The HistoryMakers , the nation’s largest African American video oral history archive. This is a newly created position for The HistoryMakers. The person hired will be responsible for managing corporate, government and foundation relationships for long-term growth, including appropriate stewardship activities. This position will also be responsible for developing an annual development plan and tracking system for timely applications and report submissions. The person hired must demonstrate a commitment to the mission of The HistoryMakers and the ability to function well in a mission-driven organization with a sense of urgency and ethics.

EXPERIENCE

• Three to five years of professional grant writing experience in the area of education, library science and/or the archival field. Experience with grant submissions to the Ford Foundation, Mellon Foundation, NEH, IMLS, NSF preferred.
• Experience working as a solo member of a team.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Raise $1,000,000 annually.
• Research prospective funders and develop a Microsoft Excel tracking list for submitting LOIs, grant proposals and reports on a timely basis and doing appropriate follow up.
• Develop an excellent understanding of the organization, its programs, goals, and focus and be able to articulate these in a compelling manner to donor prospects.
• Represent The HistoryMakers at all times professionally and adhere to The HistoryMakers confidentiality and ethics policies.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in African American Studies, American history or other related humanities field.
• Excellent business communication and presentation skills, both written and oral.
• Strong administrative skills and knowledge of Microsoft office(including Microsoft Excel).
• Excellent writing and organizational skills and the ability to write in a clear and persuasive way and to adjust the writing style required by the prospective funder.
• Ability to do budgets.
• Ability to research new and existing potential funding sources using available public information.
• Ability to be flexible with changing priorities and work as part of a team as well as independently.

SALARY & BENEFITS

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. The HistoryMakers also offers a competitive benefits package that includes 403(b), PTO, health, vision and dental insurance, tuition reimbursement and school loan repayment assistance.

The HistoryMakers, the nation’s largest African American video oral history archive ( is a one-of-a-kind collection, housed permanently at the Library of Congress. Its website ( accessed by millions worldwide, is sited in Wikipedia and used as a “go to” reference tool. Its digital archive ( user name: [email protected]; password: THMDemo) has been licensed by colleges, universities, K-12 schools and public libraries for use by faculty, students and patrons and is growing in popularity in the wake of COVID19 and the focus on online learning. Within the next few years, The HistoryMakers will become the digital repository for the Black experience: providing much needed content, role models, success pathways and frameworks for a 21st century citizenry that has become increasingly less tolerant, divisive and economically and educationally disparate.