Grants Associate

OPEN POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT – Grants Associate

About The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation
Our vision is a Chicago that offers education, prosperity, and hope for all. The Foundation awards $8 million in grants each year across three program areas: Arts Learning, Education, and Employment. Across all of our funding areas, our focus is on helping organizations build capacity to enhance the quality of services and better assess the impact of programs; develop successful program innovations that other organizations in the field can learn from or adopt; and share knowledge so that information which can help low-income communities and individuals is widely and readily available. For more information, visit www.FryFoundation.org.
 
Title:                            Grants Associate
Supervised by:            President
Status:                         Full-time, Exempt
 
Position Summary:
The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation seeks a Grants Associate to support the accurate and timely processing of grants across all Foundation program areas. The Grants Associate is a high-trust role responsible for moving grants through the pipeline from submission to payment, maintaining data integrity in the Foundation’s grants management system, and serving as a professional and responsive point of contact for grantees and board members. This role requires exceptional attention to detail and follow-through, strong written communication skills, and the discretion and judgment to represent the Foundation well in external interactions.
 
Responsibilities:

Grants and Proposal Processing

• Fully process Foundation grants across all program areas, including program, director, family, and discretionary grants — from submission through payment
• Create and maintain proposal folders; run compliance checks including nonprofit status verification, demographic data, and other required documentation
• Ensure data accuracy and completeness in SmartSimple, the Foundation’s grants management system; respond to data requests and support program staff with system questions, report pulls, and grantee follow-up on outstanding submissions or requirements
• Serve as a first point of contact for grantee inquiries related to the application process, portal questions, and grant requirements; manage the Foundation’s applications and reports inboxes
• Support letters of inquiry processing, including preparing decline letters and summary materials
• Manage annual conflict of interest forms and vendor demographics survey

Board and Meeting Support

• Serve as a reliable and responsive point of contact for board members, providing timely assistance with meeting logistics, materials, and general inquiries
• Support board book preparation and assembly in coordination with the Senior Grants Manager
• Coordinate board meeting logistics, including managing invitations, reminders, and support for setup and materials

General Responsibilities

• Attend and actively participate in staff meetings and other educational programs when directed
• Maintain confidentiality of all grant related information
• Perform special projects and other duties as assigned

 
Work Environment:

• This position operates in a professional office environment that is accessible.
• This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, scanners, and filing cabinets. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear and read a computer monitor. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must frequently lift and/or move objects up to 25 pounds
• This is a full-time position. Days of work are Monday through Friday. The Foundation operates on a hybrid schedule. Regular in-person presence is expected, with flexibility for remote work. Flexibility will be required during weeks with in-person board meetings or events, which are scheduled with at least two weeks’ advance notice.
• Decisions and criteria governing the employment relationship with all employees are made in a non-discriminatory manner, without regard to race, ethnicity, creed, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, citizenship status, military service and/or marital status, order of protection status, handicap, disability, or any other factor determined to be unlawful by federal, state, or local statutes

 
Qualifications:

• Post-secondary degree and 2–3 years of experience in a foundation, nonprofit, or professional services environment preferred
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy; strong follow-through on tasks and commitments
• Excellent written communication skills; able to correspond professionally and clearly on behalf of the Foundation
• High level of discretion and professional judgment
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• Experience with grants management systems (SmartSimple or similar) a plus
• Genuine interest in the Foundation’s mission and the communities it serves

 
Compensation:

• Salary is $65,000 to $70,000. Excellent employee benefits include 3 weeks of vacation, paid sick days and employer-paid health and dental insurance (85% of the premium). A 403B retirement plan is available.

 
Application Process:

• Please submit your application by July 22, 2026. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and well-qualified candidates will be invited to participate in a two-round interview process. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].