Development and Grant Manager
Olympia, Washington | Remote/Contract | $40-50/hour, depending on experience
About Masterworks Choral Ensemble
Masterworks Choral Ensemble is an adult Southwest Washington chorus dedicated to performance, community service, music education, and leadership in the arts. Our mission is to perform sacred and secular choral, orchestral, and newly commissioned works; collaborate with other arts groups; participate in community service activities; and provide leadership in developing, sponsoring, and broadening the vocal arts. We perform three-four concerts each year at the Washington Center for Performing Arts in Olympia, WA.
MCE has just over 100 active members, many of whom serve in a volunteer capacity to support choral funding and operations.
Position overview
Masterworks Choral Ensemble is seeking a Contract Development and Grant Manager to strengthen and diversify the organization’s revenue streams. This role is responsible for maintaining MCE’s existing grant funding while designing and implementing structured systems for donor development, business sponsorship, and board-supported volunteer fundraising.
The successful candidate will create practical campaigns, outreach materials, and tracking systems that enable the Board of Directors and MCE members to execute effective fundraising efforts. Direct outreach by the contractor will be limited to high-priority prospects as needed to support revenue goals.
The focus of this role is revenue diversification, sustainability, and long-term development infrastructure, with volunteers and board members executing the majority of outreach tasks.
This is an independent contractor position with flexibility for remote work and independent scheduling.
Duties and responsibilities
Grant writing
- Reapply for all existing grants currently received by MCE (Inspire Olympia and Community Accelerator; approximately $40,000 annually).
- Track deadlines, reporting requirements, and submission schedules.
- Prepare and submit new grant proposals as appropriate to maintain existing funding and explore selective opportunities aligned with MCE’s mission.
- Advise the Board on potential funding opportunities and strategies.
- Collaborate with the Board and Artistic Director to ensure proposals reflect accurate financials, organizational data, and artistic priorities.
Revenue diversification and sponsorship strategy
- Design structured sponsorship and donor programs tied to seasonal concerts, including the annual spring orchestra fundraising campaign.
- Identify and prioritize prospective sponsors and donors for board-supported outreach.
- Create materials, templates, messaging tools, and sponsorship packets to support volunteer and board-led fundraising efforts.
- Establish simple tracking systems to monitor donor and sponsor outreach and progress toward goals.
- Provide direct outreach support for select high-priority prospects as needed, ensuring time commitment aligns with the contract hours.
Volunteer activation and campaign support
- Develop clear, actionable volunteer roles for fundraising campaigns to lower barriers to participation.
- Provide guidance and resources to enable board members and choir members to execute outreach tasks effectively.
- Monitor campaign progress and recommend adjustments to improve participation and revenue results.
- Advise the Board on strategies to strengthen long-term donor retention and diversify revenue streams.
Requirements and qualifications
- Exceptional written communication skills with the ability to adapt voice and tone.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage deadlines, and deliver completed work on schedule.
- Attention to detail and accuracy in preparing narratives, and supporting documents.
Preferred experience
- Proven success in grant or proposal writing for nonprofit organizations.
- Familiarity with the Inspire Olympia grant and other regional arts funding programs.
- Knowledge of nonprofit financial management and budgets.
- Experience creating systems, processes, or toolkits that enable volunteers or staff to effectively participate in fundraising and outreach.
- Familiarity with small-business sponsorship programs or donor development strategies.
- Consulting with nonprofit arts organizations on grant writing and revenue development practices.
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent professional experience.
Compensation and the contract period
- Compensation is capped at $10,000 for the contract period, billed monthly at $40-50/hour (commensurate with experience), for 12-13 hours per month.
- This contract covers the period April 1, 2026 –June 30, 2027.
- Phase 1 (April–June 2026): up to $2,500
- Phase 2 (July 2026–June 2027): up to $7,500, contingent on continuation.
- Workload will vary throughout the term, with heavier activity in late winter and spring for MCE’s two major grant applications and spring orchestra fundraiser.
- If the $7,500 budget is fully used before June 30, 2027, MCE may consider extending the contract depending on organizational needs and revenue generating success.
Proposal Information
Interested consultants are invited to submit a proposal on or before Friday, March 27 including:
- Resume
- Cover letter or statement of interest outlining relevant experience
- Hourly rates and terms
- Two writing samples (preferably grant proposals or related materials)
Please send proposals to businessmanager@nullmce.org.
Application closes Friday, March 27.
Anticipated start date: April 2026.
