Part-Time Grants & Community Programs Coordinator

GREATER LOWELL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION — Position Description

Position Title	Reports To	Status	Hours	Location	Compensation
Grants & Community Programs Coordinator (Part-Time)	VP, Marketing, Programs & Strategy	Part-time employee, hourly, non-exempt	10–20 hours/week (averages about 15; flexes with the grant calendar)	100% onsite, 100 Merrimack Street, Lowell	$32 – $41/hour

Position Summary

The Grants & Community Programs Coordinator is GLCF’s in-person face of grantmaking. Reporting to the VP for Marketing, Programs and Strategy, this onsite role manages the human side of every grant cycle: the relationships with nonprofits, reviewers, and funding partners; the committee meetings; the education and outreach that help applicants succeed; and the events where the Foundation celebrates its grantees.

The role works hand in hand with GLCF’s contracted grants systems consultant, who administers the Foundant GLM platform remotely. The consultant handles system setup, workflow processing, application vetting, reviewer technical support, decision documentation, and data reporting. The Coordinator handles everything that requires being in the room, in the community, and in relationship with people.

Success in this position comes from a sincere interest in the mission of the community foundation, warmth and judgment with nonprofit partners, conscientious time management across concurrent deadlines, and a natural ease in moving between independent work, close collaboration with in person and remote partners, and a small in-office team.

Core Responsibilities

Grant Cycle Coordination

• Maintain GLCF’s master grant calendar for all annual and responsive cycles, in partnership with the VP and the grants systems consultant
• Draft and update the content of cycle materials: announcements, RFPs, application questions, scoring rubrics, award and declination language, and report templates (the consultant builds them in GLM)
• Schedule, prepare for, and staff in-person grant selection and committee meetings, including room setup, packets, and follow-up
• Make personal follow-up calls to applicants and grantees, including declined applicants seeking feedback
• Serve as the in-office liaison with the Controller for grant payment batching, check pickups, and check presentations

Nonprofit & Stakeholder Relationships

• Serve as GLCF’s primary relationship contact for grantees and applicants on program, eligibility-fit, and mission questions (technical and portal questions route to the consultant)
• Build and maintain relationships with nonprofit partners, volunteer reviewers, and funding partners
• Recruit volunteer reviewers and lead orientation for selection committees on GLCF priorities, scoring, and conflict-of-interest practice
• Promote grant opportunities across the 21-community service area through community meetings, partner networks, and GLCF communications

Program Development & Education

• Design and lead GLCF’s annual Grants Education Session (in person and online), including curriculum, logistics, presenters, and follow-up materials
• Write and maintain web-based resources for nonprofit partners: grant guidelines, application tips, and FAQs
• Develop replicable tools and templates that build nonprofit capacity in the grant process
• Document best practices and recommend improvements to GLCF grantmaking
• Design and pilot youth philanthropy programming with GLCF program staff (year-two goal)

Events & Community Presence

• Serve as lead for GLCF’s Annual Meeting, the Foundation’s event announcing the results of its largest annual grant cycle
• Support Celebrate Giving and other GLCF events as needed
• Represent the Foundation at community meetings, convenings, and occasional evening or weekend events
• Perform other duties as requested by the VP for Marketing, Programs and Strategy

Qualifications

Required

• Passion for the community foundation mission
• 2+ years of experience in nonprofit programs, grantmaking, community engagement, or a related field
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including clear professional correspondence and public speaking
• Experience working with volunteer committees and community stakeholders
• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent deadlines independently
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and comfort learning web-based grants software
• Ability to work onsite in Lowell office on a regular weekly schedule, with occasional evenings and weekends
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, or equivalent professional experience

Preferred

• Experience in community foundations or philanthropic organizations
• Experience designing and facilitating training or educational programming for nonprofits
• Familiarity with grant application review and program evaluation; Foundant GLM experience a plus
• Knowledge of the Greater Lowell and Merrimack Valley nonprofit landscape
• Residence within the Greater Lowell service area
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation for site visits

Core Competencies

• Relationship-building: Cultivates trust with diverse nonprofit partners, committee volunteers, and colleagues
• Accountability: Takes ownership of outcomes; communicates status and flags issues early
• Accuracy: Applies careful attention to detail in grant documentation and stakeholder communications
• Collaboration: Works seamlessly with a remote systems partner and a small in-office team
• Initiative: Identifies opportunities for improvement and brings solutions, not just problems
• Community Connection: Centers the needs of underserved communities and under-resourced towns across the 21-community service area

Performance Expectations

Within the first contract, the Coordinator is expected to show consistent, measurable progress in four areas:

• Cycle coordination: Committee meetings, calendars, and applicant communications run on schedule, in step with the systems consultant
• Stakeholder engagement: Responsive, warm communication with grantees and applicants; positive feedback from nonprofit partners and reviewers
• Program contribution: Successful design and delivery of the annual Grants Education Seminar and the Annual Meeting

Schedule

Hours average about 15 per week and flex between 10 and 20 with the grant calendar: heavier during application, review, and award periods, and around the Annual Meeting; lighter in off-cycle months. A consistent set of in-office days will be agreed upon at hire. All work is performed onsite at GLCF’s Lowell office or occasionally at community locations.

 

To apply

Please submit a cover letter and current resume to jennifer@glcfoundation.org.
Use Subject: Grants & Community Programs Coordinator

Review of applications will begin in December 2026 and will continue until the position is filled.