Grant Writer

WHO WE ARE

At Thousand Currents, we believe the people most affected by injustice are the ones already building the solutions. Around the world, peasant farmers, Indigenous communities, women's collectives, and grassroots movements are organizing across borders to transform food, energy, and the commons as  well as the underlying economic systems. Our role is to back them with flexible funding, with the relationships and platforms that amplify their leadership, and with the long-term solidarity that movement-building requires. 

Thousand Currents funds, connects, and supports visionary grassroots groups and movements leading solutions in food, climate, and the economy.

We support our movement partners in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia and the Pacific with core, flexible, long-term grants and value-added services. 

OUR VALUES

We envision a future where community-led movements have transformed the way we grow food, generate energy, and build economies, creating a world where people and planet thrive together. To realize this vision, we embrace and practice a clear set of values: 

• Courage - We confront injustice and inequality with love, strength, conviction, and integrity.
• Humility - We are part of a greater whole. We are one among many currents. We recognize our place among many forces for good and change that exist in the world.
• Experimentation - In order to take principled actions together, we prioritize learning, commit to self-reflection, embrace trial and error, and honor multiple ways of knowing.
• Creative collaboration - We share power, practices, and resources to reimagine new ways of living.
• Interdependence - With our futures intertwined, we respect all beings and build authentic relationships to move forward together.

As part of our commitment to maintain the integrity of our recruitment process, we kindly ask applicants to refrain from contacting staff members directly regarding this role and instead submit their interest and application through the designated recruitment process

WHAT YOU’LL DO

We are looking for a dynamic grant writer who can bring skill and cultural competencies to shape compelling, movement-centered narratives that demonstrate the impact and urgency of climate justice movements. The successful candidate will work closely with the Manager of Institutional Partnerships, the PPI Team, the Global Programs Team, Learning & Evaluation staff, Finance, and Communications colleagues to lead proposal and report development, strengthen donor stewardship systems, and craft compelling narratives that deepen support for movement-led solutions across climate justice, food sovereignty, and economic justice program areas. This role requires a deeply relational and strategic writer who can translate complex movement realities, political analysis, qualitative and quantitative evidence, and partner experiences into clear, persuasive, values-aligned narratives for institutional donors and philanthropic audiences. This role will also support research and identification of funders and perform administrative tasks aligned with donor stewardship. The ideal candidate brings exceptional writing and editorial skills, understanding of fundraising and philanthropic processes, strong grant and project management competencies, experience with political alignment and movement-led social change work, and enthusiasm for  working collaboratively across remote and geographically dispersed teams. In addition, the Grant Writer will have the opportunity to collaborate on donor communications and organizational storytelling that positions Global South movements as indispensable to addressing interconnected global crises.

Key Details: Compensation, Location, Travel, & Benefits
Position: Full time, Exempt
Team: Philanthropic Partnerships & Influence (PPI)
Location: Remote
Travel: Up to 10%
Position Reports to: Director, Philanthropic Partnerships 
Compensation:$97,000
Benefits: 

• 100% of employee and dependent cost for Health, Dental, and Vision for employee + medical travel insurance for employee 
• 10 annual holidays + open paid time off policy allowing flexible time off 
• Up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave
• Up to $1,000 stipend to set up work space, $2,000 per year wellness stipend, $1,500 per year work from home expenses, and up to $2,000 per year for learning and development 
• Remote, flexible schedule
• Retirement contribution allowance of 4% of gross salary 
• Life Insurance + Long and Short Term disability insurance 
• Possibility of sabbatical leave after seven years of employment

Please note: We are unable to provide visa sponsorship or relocation assistance.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Content Development: Researching, Strategic Writing & Narrative Building (Approximately 60%)

• Lead the development of compelling, strategic, and values-aligned grant proposals, reports, concept notes, donor briefings, and fundraising collateral for institutional donors and philanthropic audiences.
• Drive cross-organizational proposal and report development by collaborating closely with program, learning & evaluation, communications, finance, and leadership teams to gather information, synthesize insights, and produce accurate and compelling donor materials.
• Craft narratives that clearly communicate the impact, vision, and political analysis of movement partners while centering dignity, solidarity, and partner-led storytelling practices.
• Write and edit materials that connect local movement experiences with broader global trends and systems change strategies.
• Translate complex movement-led work, qualitative learning, financial information, and quantitative data into accessible and persuasive narratives tailored to specific donor audiences.
• Draft analytical donor reports that clearly articulate goals achieved, lessons learned, milestones, challenges, and strategic impact to inform how we assess our work, pivot and try new things. 
• Develop compelling proposals for both general operating support and programmatic funding opportunities.
• Think strategically about donor communications gaps and opportunities, identifying what stories need to be told, for which audiences, and why.
• Collaborate with communications staff to ensure consistency in organizational voice, tone, messaging, and political framing across donor-facing materials.
• Support the development and updating of institutional donor collateral including one-pagers, case statements, fact sheets, presentations, briefing documents, and evergreen materials.
• Contribute writing and editorial support for major organizational products such as annual reports, campaign materials, and strategic donor communications as needed.
• Ensure all proposals, reports, supplemental materials, and online submissions are completed accurately, on schedule, and in compliance with funder requirements.
• Manage online proposal and reporting portals, including translating online forms into accessible internal working documents that facilitate collaborative drafting.
• Maintain and deepen content knowledge related to Thousand Currents’ thematic areas and movement ecosystems to strengthen organizational storytelling and fundraising strategy.
• Stay informed about trends in philanthropy, climate justice, movement ecosystems, and geopolitical developments to ensure timely, relevant, and strategic donor communications

Grant Operations, Systems & Relationship Management  (Approximately 30%)

• Support thoughtful donor stewardship and “moves management” practices that deepen engagement and sustain long-term unrestricted support.
• Coordinate and execute stewardship activities including donor updates, thank-you emails and calls, briefing materials, periodic check-ins, and strategic follow-up communications.
• Collaborate with colleagues to support cultivation and stewardship strategies that align donor interests with organizational priorities and movement needs.
• Maintain accurate and timely records of donor engagement, stewardship activities, reporting deadlines, and relationship insights in Salesforce and other internal systems.
• Support preparation for donor meetings, learning sessions, reviews, and evaluations, including drafting talking points and briefing materials.
• Lead and strengthen internal grant writing systems, workflows, timelines, and project management processes that support effective cross-team collaboration and timely submissions.
• Create and manage proposal/report development schedules, kickoff meetings, and internal coordination processes across departments.
• Develop and maintain systems for tracking grants, deliverables, stewardship steps, reporting schedules, and donor communications.
• Work collaboratively with the Global Programs Team and other colleagues to gather and organize programmatic content, partner stories, financial data, and strategic updates.
• Manage multiple concurrent deadlines and priorities with strong attention to detail, organization, and follow-through.

Team Collaboration & Operational Support (10%) 

Along with all staff, this position contributes to Thousand Currents’ culture of collaboration, shared accountability, learning, and care.

Responsibilities include:

• Work in close collaboration across the Philanthropic Partnerships and Influence Team (PPI), the Center for Transforming Philanthropy, and the Global Programs Team to strengthen storytelling systems, information flow.
• Participate in organization-wide learning, including staff meetings, retreats and training.
• Manage regular personal administration, including timely submission of receipts, reimbursement requests, scheduling, travel planning, filing HR paperwork etc.
• Support organization-wide priorities and events including Thousand Currents Academy,  partner visits, fundraising campaigns, annual events, and learning initiatives etc.
• Support organizational effectiveness by contributing to transparent information-sharing and strong cross-functional collaboration across remote teams and time zones.
• Provide occasional support for broader donor communications and organizational storytelling initiatives as needed.

Thousand Currents is committed to responding flexibly to changing circumstances and priorities which means that the expectations of every position are dynamic. This description reflects the assignment of essential functions, but does not proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

Role Requirements 

We recognize that people gain skills through a variety of experiences. We encourage applications from candidates who meet most of the criteria and are committed to our values.

• At least 7 years of professional experience in grant writing, fundraising communications, philanthropy, strategic communications, or related writing-intensive roles.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with demonstrated ability to craft compelling, persuasive, and politically grounded narratives for philanthropic audiences.
• 7+ Years experience of writing successful grant proposals and donor reports, specifically for institutional funders, foundations or intermediaries.
• Strong ability to translate complex movement-led work, political analysis, qualitative learning, financial information, and data into accessible and compelling narratives.
• Experience writing for general operating support requests and unrestricted funding opportunities.
• 7+ years experience grant writing for social justice movements, grassroots leadership, and movement-centered funding in the Global South, specifically in areas related to food, climate, and the economy.
• Deep alignment with Thousand Currents’ values and thematic areas, including climate justice, food sovereignty, and economic justice.
• Experience with partner-centered storytelling practices that navigate power, representation, and cross-cultural communication with care, accountability, and respect.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, including managing multiple deadlines, contributors, and complex workflows simultaneously.
• Experience working collaboratively across functions including programs, communications, finance, development, and leadership teams.
• Familiarity with donor stewardship practices, relationship management, and moves management strategies.
• Experience using grant management systems, donor databases, and online submission portals; familiarity with Salesforce strongly preferred.
• Strong research and synthesis skills, including the ability to work with qualitative and quantitative information to strengthen donor communications and evidence-based storytelling.
• High learning orientation, sound judgment, attention to detail, and openness to feedback.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic, remote, and geographically dispersed work environment.
• Excellent internal communication and collaboration skills across teams and time zones.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working as a grant writer in climate justice, global philanthropy, international solidarity, or movement-support organizations.
• Background in program implementation, participatory learning & evaluation, or movement research.
• Experience supporting thought leadership, strategic communications, or organizational narrative development.
• Experience contributing to annual reports, campaign materials, or broader fundraising communications strategies.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands of this position are light and may require walking or standing to a significant degree.  The position requires frequent computer use at a workstation. As Thousand Currents staff work in a number of locations and come together for meetings on occasion, all staff must be able to travel by car and plane to meetings at locations nationally and internationally. Availability to travel and maintenance of a valid passport is required. National or international travel represents up to 25% of the time for this position. Thousand Currents will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. This job description and its physical requirements will be reviewed periodically as duties and responsibilities change with business necessity.  Essential and marginal job functions are subject to modification.

Equal Employment Opportunity 

Thousand Currents is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, color, marital status, or medical condition including acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related conditions.

To Apply
Thousand Currents is interested in building a high-performing diverse team. In order to do so, we approach hiring a little differently. Rather than focusing on resumes to determine potential for success, we instead rely on proven talent predictors and targeted skills assessments. With that, in addition to a cover letter and resume, please submit 2 writing samples (published or unpublished, as PDF attachments or links).

We are particularly interested in donor-facing samples that demonstrate movement-centered storytelling and fluency in climate justice and/or global social justice issues:

• Donor-facing communications (e.g., One grant proposal or substantial proposal excerpt, one-pagers, funder updates, donor report, strategic narrative piece), preferably for general operating support and movement-based work). 
  

Please limit each sample to no more than 5 pages(or provide excerpts if longer) and please redact funder names or sensitive information as appropriate.

For each sample, include a brief context summary (3–5 bullet points) covering:

• • Audience
  • Purpose
  • Your specific role (and collaborators, if applicable)
  • Impact (if known)

Applications are due by 5pm ET on JUNE 15TH.
If you are in need of any accommodations during the application or recruitment process please let us know by emailing humanresources@thousandcurrents.org.