Location: Remote
Hourly Rate: $90- $125 per hour commensurate with experience
Contract Period: April 29 – August 23, 2024
Hours: Contract is expected to entail 10 hours per week initially and will increase to 25 hours per week starting May 27
Deadline for submission: April 2, 2024
Contact: Emily Solomon, Senior Manager for Institutional Giving, [email protected]

Keshet is seeking a skilled and experienced grant writer to write grant proposals and reports, manage and track all grant activities with institutional funders, and work with Keshet team members to gather information for grants management. The grant writer will report to the Senior Manager of Institutional Giving, and will report to the Chief Development Officer, when the Senior Manager of Institutional Giving is on Sabbatical leave, May 28 – August 20, 2024. This is a contract position with the potential for a longer term contract.

About Keshet

Keshet works for the full equality of all LGBTQ Jews and our families in Jewish life. We turn values at the heart of Judaism—equality, inclusion, and human dignity—into action in Jewish communities. We equip Jewish organizations with the tools to build LGBTQ-affirming communities, create spaces for queer Jewish teens to feel valued as queer and Jewish, and mobilize the Jewish community to fight for LGBTQ justice nationwide.

As an organization that teaches the importance of proactive LGBTQ inclusive messages and actions, Keshet recognizes the similar need to make our commitment to racial equity and justice clear and explicit. We commit to embed a racial equity and justice lens into Keshet’s leadership and staff structure, political analysis, organizational policies, communications, and program content.

Keshet’s national office is in Boston with staff also in the field in New York, Florida, Chicago, the Bay Area, and Texas, as well as staff working remotely across the country.

About the Position

Individual contractors are invited to submit a proposal to serve as a contractor for grant writing and management services to ensure that grants, letters of interest, and funder reports are both prepared and submitted in a smooth and effective manner. This work will be conducted during the weeks leading into and then through the sabbatical leave period of Keshet’s Senior Manager of Institutional Giving. Keshet’s full grants portfolio is expected to be $3.7M in 2024, comprising about 65% of total organizational revenue. Grants range in size — from small, project-specific grants to significantly-sized, multi-year general operating grants — largely from Jewish institutional funders, along with other community and family foundations. The grant writer will both collaborate and coordinate with various staff members, including Keshet’s Program Directors, Chief Financial Officer, and other staff members as necessary, to craft compelling grant proposals and reports, manage grants systems, and ensure compliance with all grant requirements. The role includes helping to identify and research new funding opportunities  that align with our organization’s goals and values as described below. The successful candidate will: 1) have strong writing and editing skills, 2) be able to manage multiple funder details with both efficiency and strong attention to detail, 3) work with Keshet staff across departments to best capture the impact of Keshet’s programs in a timely and smooth manner to ensure quality  grant submissions. Prior experience working with Jewish institutional funders or making the case for LGBTQ+ serving organizations is a plus.

Scope of Work

The selected grant writer will be responsible for the following tasks:

1. Develop and write clear, compelling, and well-organized grant proposals and reports.
2. Submit grant applications within specified deadlines, predominantly submitted through online grant portals, and provide follow up on the status of each submission, as necessary.
3. Collaborate with Keshet’s staff to gather information, data, and supporting documents necessary for grant applications and grant reports. Work closely with Keshet’s staff to ensure alignment between grant proposals and organizational priorities.
4. Maintain accurate records and schedule of grant submissions, outcomes, and reporting requirements. Keshet uses Salesforce for grants management.
5. Research potential grant opportunities that align with Keshet’s mission and programs.

Proposal Submission Requirements

Interested candidates should submit:

• A cover letter and resume demonstrating experiences relevant to scope of work
• Two relevant writing samples
• A document that includes:
  • Overview of your experience and qualifications of nonprofit grant writing, specifically including any direct work with funders focused on Jewish and/or LGBTQ+ causes.
  • Information about your approach for how you work with clients.
  • Examples of successful grant proposals previously written for similar organizations.
  • References from past clients or organizations you have worked with.

Proposal Deadline

Please submit your proposal no later than April 2, 2024.

Proposal Submission Instructions: Submit your proposal electronically to Emily Solomon, Keshet Senior Manager of Institutional Giving at [email protected].

Selection Process

Proposals will be evaluated based on experience, qualifications, and review of writing samples. Shortlisted candidates may be invited for an interview to discuss this contract position in more detail.

If you have any questions or require additional information, please Emily Solomon at [email protected] or 617-524-9227, ext 121.

Keshet Organizational Values

Keshet’s organizational values are rooted in a Jewish ethical framework that mandates the pursuit of justice and the creation of compassionate, caring communities. Just as Keshet’s Seven Values for Inclusive Jewish Community elevate LGBTQ equality in Jewish life, these organizational values inform the work of our staff, board, and other leaders in building a dynamic, strong, inclusive, and effective organization.  

Justice. We are committed to equality and social justice. As Jews, we have a responsibility to fight oppression, effect change, and repair the world. We see LGBTQ justice as part of a broader movement for justice for all people.

Pride. We understand pride in identity as key to feeling whole. When LGBTQ Jews are encouraged to live our truths and participate openly and authentically in Jewish life, the entire Jewish community is stronger.

Human Dignity. We lead with compassion and empathy. We celebrate—and strive to help others see and celebrate—the inherent humanity, worth, and dignity of all people.

Partnership. We meet our community partners wherever they are in their journeys to LGBTQ equality, supporting them with the tools and resources they need to move forward.

Belonging. We are committed to creating a sense of belonging for all Jews within Jewish institutions. We embrace the racial, ethnic, and religious diversity in the Jewish community and strive to reflect that diversity in Keshet’s own leadership.

Impact. We are serious about creating concrete change. Our work must make a measurable difference in the lives of LGBTQ Jews and advance full equality in Jewish life.

Joy. We are committed to making an impact and we know that this work is more sustainable when we intentionally build in moments of joy, celebration, and fun. We take our work seriously but we try not to take ourselves too seriously.