Manager, Reports & Proposals

Reports To: Director, Development Finance & Operations
Job Type: Full-time, Exempt
Region: United States
Location: US-Remote
Start Date: Immediate
Contact: Please apply using our company site ONLY.

Agriculture is the key to unlocking a better future for billions of people. But while rural families sustain the world, they struggle to sustain themselves. Root Capital is a nonprofit social impact investor that puts its money where others don't – in underserved agricultural businesses.

We provide financing and business training to agricultural enterprises in the "missing middle" - those that are too big for microloans but too small for commercial lenders. As these agricultural businesses succeed and scale, they become engines of impact that help farming families, communities, and economies to flourish.

Founded in 1999, we are the largest social investor in agricultural businesses. As both a lender and a nonprofit, our unique model allows us to go where other financiers don’t and support agricultural enterprises so they can succeed and grow. Our world-class team of experts identifies, partners with, and invests in exceptional agricultural entrepreneurs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Over 23 years, Root Capital has invested $1.7 billion in more than 750 agricultural enterprises, proving these under-served businesses are bankable and investable. We have shown that access to finance helps these enterprises succeed and fuels the economy. Root Capital’s investments and essential business and finance training have impacted 10 million farming families through job creation, financial security, and climate resiliency. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, we currently have offices in Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia, Peru, Ghana, and Kenya.

The Manager, Reports & Proposals, co-leads report, proposal and concept note writing for Root Capital and develops and oversees related procedures and processes to facilitate and improve cross-departmental collaboration in fundraising endeavors. As part of the Development Department and Root Capital’s Grant Writing Team, this role will develop compelling and competitive grant reports and proposals for foundations, corporations, bilateral & multilateral agencies, and individuals and lead the organizational grant reporting function. This is a mission critical position that is responsible for writing reports, concept notes and proposals for multi-year, multi-million-dollar grants, helping to ensure that Root Capital is able to meet its five-year $100 million Strategic Plan fundraising target.

Grant Reporting  (45%)

• Oversee the team’s annual production of 70+ high-quality grant reports according to specifications and timing established in donor contracts.
• Lead the writing, compilation, review and timely submission of high-quality reports per donor requirements. Report writing and submission responsibilities shared among the Grant Writing Team.
• Develop strategic messaging and graphics/visualizations around Root Capital impact, lessons learned, and forward-looking strategies.
• Assist in data management, analysis, and visualization of program outputs for reporting purposes.
• Coordinate with the Grants Management Team to ensure accuracy and timeliness of reporting data and internal monitoring dashboards.
• Support the coordination of information gathering on program implementation across Root Capital teams and regions.
• Develop reporting skills and capacities across the organization, including traveling to global offices, virtual training, and developing materials and resources.

Grant Proposal and General Fundraising Writing (30%)

• Co-Lead the development and drafting of grant proposals and concept notes of multi-year, multi-million-dollar requests (new and renewal; for assigned themes and geographies) that meet donor requirements and interests and align with our five-year Strategic Plan and fundraising $100 million goal. In particular, serve as a primary writer in support of bilateral and multilateral grant proposals (e.g., USAID, Inter-American Development Bank, etc.).
• Manage the full cycle of proposal development and create work plans, proposal development tools, and timelines in collaboration with proposal stakeholders across departments and geographies (US, Latin America, Africa, and Indonesia).
• Contribute to proposal project design by:
  • Working with regional programs teams and external-facing Development colleagues for brainstorming and to ensure proposals align with both Root Capital’s strategy and donor priorities.
  • Developing logical frameworks to reflect strategic framing and messaging about key objectives, activities, and expected outcomes of proposed work.
• Support the development of strategic documents that align with the pillars of Root Capital’s five-year Strategic Plan, as well as existing initiatives (WAI, D4Ag, Climate Resilience, Youth).
• Develop proposal development skills and capacities across the organization, including traveling to global offices, virtual training, and developing materials and resources.
• Support external-facing colleagues by designing and producing additional relevant data and donor requested materials.

Grant Writing Workflow and Process Management (15%)

• Maintain up-to-date pipeline of reports for accurate tracking and task assignment of upcoming reports and proposals.
• Review pipeline of proposals, reports and other deliverables with Grant Writing Team to coordinate workflow, create synergies between efforts, and share knowledge.
• Update and maintain relevant records in Salesforce (Root Capital’s CRM) and other internal systems.
• Continuously improve departmental processes, especially related to report development and grant management, to enhance the team’s efficiency and well-being.
• Participate positively in department planning and project management, for proposal and reports as well as other development and grant management processes.
• Supervise consultants and/or additional staff that may be hired to prepare grant reports as needed.

Organizational and Departmental Strategy Development and Sector Insight (10%)

• Prepare and present analyses of proposal and report pipelines and workflow.
• Leverage content expertise and institutional knowledge to serve as a resource and thought partner for donor-facing colleagues, including:
• Anticipating future challenges and opportunities within key funder relationships and helping ensure effective deployment of departmental/ inter-departmental resources to respond.
• Helping as needed with stewardship of key funder relationships, such as by providing strategic input into donor communications, agendas and contents of donor calls.
• Increasing team capacity by participating or filling in for colleagues on donor calls and in-person meetings as needed.

• 7+ years of work experience in fundraising, donor engagement, or related programmatic experience, including specialized knowledge of foundation fundraising best practices and proposal development.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills. Ability to explain complex programs effectively in clear, persuasive language.
• Superlative organization, attention to detail, and project management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects from start to finish while navigating information gaps and uncertainty.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines, juggle multiple priorities and adapt to a rapidly changing environment.
• Demonstrated skills and motivation towards gender and cultural sensitivities, championing organizational and staff diversity and upholding organizational core values.
• Entrepreneurial spirit and professional maturity; able to work independently, yet know when to seek support.
• Experience developing successful bilateral grants (USAID preferred).
• Willingness to travel internationally, when and if conditions allow. Expected travel: 5% - 20% of time, under normal circumstances.
• Root Capital is a bilingual organization. Spanish language proficiency (written and spoken) is preferred.
• Commitment to Root Capital’s mission.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.