About Us
Based in Charlotte, NC, The Merancas Foundation is a private foundation guided by the belief that anyone who works hard should be able to achieve a sustainable living. The Foundation supports local nonprofits that provide opportunities to improve the lives of individuals and families experiencing socio-economic hardship. Grantmaking primarily focuses on education, housing, and wellbeing. Please visit The Merancas Foundation's website at www.merancas.org to learn more about the mission and strategic priorities.
Position Summary
The Office & Grants Administrator supports the Foundation's mission by managing office operations, grantmaking administration, and special initiatives. This role ensures that critical timelines, workflows, and administrative processes are executed consistently and collaboratively across a lean team. It demands exceptional attention to detail, a high degree of accuracy across all work products, and the self-direction to manage competing priorities. The ideal candidate is flexible, highly organized, and genuinely energized by the work — someone who brings the same care and precision to a Board packet as to a routine task.
Major Responsibilities and Essential Functions
Office Administration
Provides direct office support to Foundation staff, the President, and the Board of Directors.
- Reception & Hospitality: Serve as the welcoming face of the Foundation — greet visitors, answer and route calls, and manage office and shared space logistics including meeting setup, catering, and cleanup.
- Board & Meeting Support: Prepare Board meeting materials; draft accurate and timely minutes for Foundation meetings — leveraging AI tools to support drafting efficiency; support the Board newsletter and related communications.
- Communications & Correspondence: Respond to inquiries via phone and email, routing to appropriate staff; answer routine questions about grant programs, deadlines, and guidelines; route incoming mail and process outgoing correspondence.
- Records, Systems & Compliance: Maintain and improve internal filing systems; administer the Foundation's digital storage systems; coordinate compliance requirements for internal and external obligations.
- Office Operations: Purchase and track supplies; manage vendor and building-management relationships; maintain and update the Foundation website, including the current grantee slate; support media review compilation and volunteer opportunity communications.
Grant Administration
Manages the operational and compliance aspects of the Foundation's grantmaking processes across the full grant cycle.
- Grant Cycle Operations: Administer all grant cycle operations — receive and route applications, prepare and track award letters and payments, and update records.
- Cycle Tracking & Workflow Coordination: Maintain the grant cycle calendar and site visit schedules; coordinate grantmaking timelines and related workflows to ensure accurate tracking.
- Records & Compliance: Maintain accurate and timely records of all grantmaking activity; ensure submitted documentation meets Foundation and legal requirements; develop and maintain SOPs; provide notary services for grant-related documents (pending certification).
- Reporting & Data: Generate reports and data from the grant management system and other sources to support Foundation reporting requirements; maintain the annual grants master workbook in coordination with the Program Manager.
- Systems Administration & Training: Administer grant management system access, templates, and configurations; train staff on grants management software; continuously improve the efficiency of the grants management system and Google Drive.
- Due Diligence & Research: Assist with research relevant to grant due diligence, ongoing review, and close-out analyses; apply current best practices in grant administration.
Special Initiatives
Provides operational support for the Foundation's initiatives and special projects, as directed.
- Land Bank: Complete initial site scorecards for prospective land acquisitions; provide notary services for purchase transactions; manage post-close land administration including coordination of insurance, landscape, and contractor relationships on held properties.
- Support special projects and perform other duties as assigned by the Managing Director or President.
Job Requirements and Qualifications
Behavioral and Personal Traits
- Attention to Detail & Accuracy: Produces polished work across all responsibilities — from Board materials and grantee records to compliance filings and correspondence.
- Numerical Accuracy & Financial Comfort: Handles financial data — grant payments, transaction records, and tracking workbooks — with the same precision applied to all work products. Comfortable working with numbers as a routine part of this role.
- Initiative & Follow-Through: Does not wait to be directed. Identifies what needs to be done, takes ownership from start to finish, and closes the loop — consistently and completely.
- Work Ethic & Reliability: Shows up prepared, meets deadlines, and holds themselves to a high standard. Dependable in varied conditions.
- Adaptability & Flexibility: Manages shifting priorities without losing accuracy or composure. Comfortable moving between detailed administrative work and broader organizational needs within the same day.
- Team Coordination & Project Management: Keeps the team aligned around shared timelines, deliverables, and responsibilities. Anticipates upcoming needs across concurrent workstreams — grantmaking cycles, Board activities, reporting, and special initiatives — and ensures critical processes move forward without losing momentum in a collaborative environment.
- Integrity & Discretion: Exercises sound judgment with sensitive information; upholds the Foundation's values and maintains confidentiality in all interactions.
- AI & Efficiency Tools: Actively uses AI tools to streamline internal workflows — drafting, summarizing, researching, and documenting — and continuously looks for opportunities to reduce manual effort without sacrificing accuracy or quality.
- Emotional Intelligence: Builds trust across diverse stakeholders — Board members, grantees, vendors, and community partners — with professionalism and warmth.
- Mission Commitment & Curiosity: Deeply engaged with the Foundation's work; continuously learns, asks good questions, and looks for ways to increase the quality and impact of their contribution.
Preferred Qualifications
- Associate's or Bachelor's degree.
- 2+ years of work experience in nonprofit, philanthropic, or private sectors.
- Familiarity with grants management systems (e.g., Foundant/GLM or similar) strongly preferred.
- High proficiency in Microsoft and Google products (word processing, presentation, spreadsheets, chat/spaces, AI tools); experience with database management and strong internet research skills.
- Notary Public commission or willingness to obtain.
Work Environment
- Full-time, in-person position based in Uptown Charlotte, NC.
- Occasional local travel required for meetings.
- Reports to the Managing Director, Operations & Philanthropy, and works directly with the Program Manager and Foundation President.
Compensation and Benefits
Salary commensurate with experience.Benefits include:
- QSEHRA healthcare reimbursement
- 401(k) retirement plan with matching contributions
- Charitable gift matching
- Sick, holiday, and vacation pay
- Company-paid parking
- Professional development opportunities
How to Apply
To apply, submit your resume and cover letter to careers@merancas.org by August 1, 2026.
