Grants Assistant - The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage

JOB TITLE: Grants Assistant

DEPARTMENT:  The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage

REPORTS TO:  Grants Manager

SUMMARY

The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage (the Center) is a multidisciplinary grant maker and hub for knowledge-sharing, dedicated to fostering a vibrant cultural community in Greater Philadelphia. The Center invests in ambitious, imaginative projects that showcase the region’s cultural vitality and enhance public life, and we engage in an ongoing exchange of ideas concerning artistic and interpretive practice with a broad network of cultural practitioners and leaders. The Center is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and administered by The University of the Arts, Philadelphia.

The Center is committed to an equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplace. We employ a staff of talented, motivated individuals with experience and interest in the nonprofit and/or arts and culture sectors.

This a full-time position reporting to the Center’s Grants Manager and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and works with Program staff to help support the grant making processes of the Center. The Grants Assistant facilitates the work of the Center’s Grants Manager (GM) by providing logistical support for awarded grants to—

  • Provide accurate day-to-day support of grants administrative operations for approximately 75 concurrent open grants, including preparation and processing of contracts and reports, tracking compliance and grant status, and stewarding requests to resolution.
  • Deliver technical support in response to grantee inquires, careful analysis and reconciliation of Center-funded project expenses and metrics to ensure that payments, contracts, and reports are completed accurately and processed in a timely matter.
  • Maintain optimized workflows for grants administrative processes to support evolving needs across the Center.
  • Communicate with grantees, consultants, and other Center staff, while upholding the standards for a professional, responsive, and problem-solving oriented grant management process.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Contracting

  • Assist GM in annually creating contracts and schedules for new grants which includes drafting project deliverables and timelines, budget modifications, and reporting and payment schedules— paying close attention to detail for accuracy.
  • Coordinate with Program Staff to organize information and materials needed for contracting meetings. Send essential information and custom materials to new grantees and answer inquiries.
  • Expedite initial payment and contracting phase by distributing, collecting, and processing contracts and requirements in a timely manner.
  • Thoughtfully and carefully interpret submitted materials to detect issues and summarize data and information for other Center staff.
  • Maintain accurate records of contracting progress for each new grant and regularly provide status reports to colleagues.
  • In collaboration with GM, create and disperse contracting and reporting guidelines and instructions to grantees, as well as coordinate annual instructional sessions for new grantees.

Reporting

  • Receive, document, and track status of requests from grantees regarding changes to project budgets or timelines, delegating such requests to GM for direction, feedback, or approval.
  • Regularly correspond with grantees to provide instructions and answer frequently asked questions clearly and attentively. Keep GM apprised of these communications and discern when to elevate issues or questions.
  • Track reporting schedules, issuing reminders to GM and grantees on the status of reports outstanding and reports due.
  • Process report extension requests and update Center internal records with changes. Send inquiries to assure the submission of any outstanding reporting materials, elevating issues as necessary to GM.
  • Coordinate with Program Staff to organize and synthesize information and materials needed for reporting meetings.
  • Receive and process grantee interim and final reports, which includes analyzing and evaluating complex financial reports for correct calculation of grant expenditure categories such as Honoraria, Production, and Travel.
  • Manage the reconciliation of select proof-of-payment documentation to make sure grantee’s receipts align with reported expenses. Correspond with grantees to secure missing receipts or clarify report content.
  • Thoughtfully and carefully interpret submitted materials to detect issues and summarize data and information for other Center staff.
  • Provide grantees with technical assistance and instruction via email and meetings for using report forms and submitting report materials.

General Grants Maintenance

  • Maintain updated records and respond to regular requests from financial and executive staff or program directors on the status of grants.
  • Notify financial staff of any significant changes to grant payment schedules or project timelines. Submit check requests, coordinate payment information from grantees, and facilitate careful distribution of grant payments.
  • Meet with GM on a weekly basis to discuss the status of open grants and draft biweekly written summary updates for executive and program staff. Facilitate a monthly meeting between Grants Administration and Program staff to discuss project updates.
  • Assist GM in implementing software/systems that support grants management.
  • Receive and alert GM, program, and communications staff of grantee event updates. Maintain Center wide events tracking system. Track and record grantee attendance metrics. Coordinate with communications staff on receiving and tracking grant documentation and marketing materials.
  • Organize all electronic and hardcopy grant files in accordance with the Center's archive and retention policy.

You may have significant involvement in other relevant administrative special projects and duties as required. Primary responsibilities for the Grants Assistant shift throughout the Center’s annual grants cycle.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by the incumbent; they do not purport to describe all functions.  Incumbent may be assigned other duties, and the essential functions may change from time to time as necessary.

Education:

  • Associates or Bachelor’s Degree.

 Experience:

  • 3 years of full-time experience in administrative work

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

  • High proficiency and comfort with the use of Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, and Outlook is a must.
  • Experience with the basic concepts of project management is preferred, as well as familiarity with analyzing budgets.
  • You’ll need to be a detail-oriented, systematic thinker with superior organizational skills and proven success in maintaining and remaining accountable to efficient and accurate administrative processes.
  • The job requires effective interpersonal skills to interact with the Center’s constituency, fellow staff, and external consultants professionally and with care.
  • You must be skilled in analyzing data, information, and situations to define the problem or objective, identify relevant factors, formulate logical and objective conclusions, and distill or summarize said information for colleagues.
  • You will be expected to work independently and as a team member.
  • You must have the judgment to know when to ask questions and when to take initiative.
  • You’ll need to prioritize competing deadlines for multiple projects in a busy environment accurately, efficiently, and with a high level of attention to detail.
  • You will maintain professionalism and congeniality under pressure and in sensitive situations.
  • Respect and empathy for the needs and issues of non-profit organizations and artists is required, while clearly understanding the appropriate boundaries between Center staff and its constituents.
  • You’ll need the ability to exercise a high level of discretion and confidentiality in interactions with both internal and external people concerning all work-related information, and with understanding of the Center’s unique relationship to The Pew Charitable Trusts.
  • Having a willingness to pitch-in as needed and ability to learn quickly is highly desired.
     

Please note: Applicants who are practicing artists should note that in order to prevent conflict of interest or the appearance thereof, the Center has a Code of Ethics that may limit artistic and cultural practice within our grant making region, and when collaborating outside the region with Center grantees.

 

LOCATION, HOURS, REMOTE WORK
The Center’s offices are located at 1608 Walnut St, Suite 18, Philadelphia PA
The Center operates each Monday - Friday from 9a.m.to 5p.m.
Center staff have the option to work remotely each Monday and Friday only, but may be asked to work at the office on these days for occasional special assignments, deadlines, or activities. 


COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT
The University of the Arts requires all employees be fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine and provide proof of vaccination. Documented medical and religious exemptions will be reasonably accommodated.

ABOUT THE PEW CENTER FOR ARTS & HERITAGE
The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage (the Center) is a multidisciplinary grant maker and hub for knowledge-sharing, dedicated to fostering a vibrant and diverse cultural community in Greater Philadelphia. The Center invests in ambitious, imaginative, and catalytic work that showcases the region’s cultural vitality and enhances public life, and we engage in an ongoing exchange of ideas concerning artistic and interpretive practice with a broad network of cultural practitioners and leaders. Center funding has made possible thousands of performing arts events, history and visual arts exhibitions, and other public programs for audiences in Philadelphia and its surrounding counties.
Visit https://www.pewcenterarts.org/about for more information.
 

TO APPLY: Interested, qualified applicants should submit letters of application and resumes to the Human Resources Department via email to jobs@uarts.edu. Please ensure job title is in the Subject line.
 

In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, The University of the Arts publishes its Annual Safety Report at the following link for your reference:

http://www.uarts.edu/about/campus-crime-fire-reports

 

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Title IX Statement: The University of the Arts prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in its programs and activities, including admission and employment, in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The Director for Title IX, Equity, & Compliance is responsible for overseeing compliance with Title IX and other civil rights laws and regulations. To contact the Director for Title IX, Equity, & Compliance, e-mail titleix@uarts.edu, visit The University of the Arts, 320 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19102, or call 215-717-6362. To learn more about the University's Title IX policy and response to sex discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence, please visit www.uarts.edu/titleix. Inquiries may also be directed to the Federal agency responsible for enforcing Title IX, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

 

 

Launch Experience