The Position
The Scholarships & Grants Associate (SGA) plays a vital role in advancing the Foundation’s mission by providing accurate, timely, and community-focused support for our philanthropic programs — with a primary emphasis on the scholarship program, which annually awards approximately $500,000 to more than 100 graduating high school seniors and continuing college (or post-secondary career technical education) students. This position serves as the lead point of contact for scholarship applicants, recipients, partner schools, and nonprofit organizations, ensuring clear communication, coordinated outreach, and an excellent stakeholder experience. The SGA also supports the processing and administration of 300 to 500 other grant distributions made by various charitable Funds at the Foundation each year, which requires periodic phone and email contact with Foundation fundholders.
Scholarship Program
- Serve as the primary point of contact for scholarship applicants, recipients, schools, and nonprofit partners.
- Respond to scholarship inquiries promptly and professionally via phone, email, and in-person meetings.
- Coordinate outreach efforts to promote scholarship opportunities, collaborating with the Senior Director of Communications and Marketing to attract applicants for new and existing awards.
- Maintain accurate scholarship records, including applicant data, recipient lists, and follow-up documentation.
- Prepare materials for Scholarship Committees and coordinate related logistics.
- Track recipient follow-up requirements in the CRM and ensure compliance.
- Collaborate with colleagues to support the planning of a future alumni network for scholarship recipients.
Grants Administration
- Assist with weekly grant approval process, including entering grant requests into database.
- Assemble, process, and distribute weekly grant letters to recipients; report distributions to the finance department with a high degree of accuracy.
- Maintain accurate records in the CRM, including donor, nonprofit, grant, and scholarship data; identify and merge or deactivate duplicate entries.
- Generate timely and accurate reports for staff related to grants, scholarships, programs, and other Foundation activities as needed.
- Assist with event preparation, including invitation list generation, RSVP coordination, guest check-in, and event flow support.
- Support the administrative needs of philanthropic and program staff across departments.
- Perform other duties as assigned to advance the mission of the Foundation.
Qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalent required; post-secondary certificate or BA degree preferred.
- At least 2 years relevant experience in program administration, program coordination, and/or customer service, preferably in a nonprofit setting.
- Experience managing stakeholder relationships, preferably with students, educators, or nonprofit partners.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to draft clear, professional correspondence and speak confidently with individuals and groups.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, mail merge); experience with email platforms like MailChimp helpful.
- Experience with relational databases and/or CRM systems.
- Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy; comfort with multi-step, precision-driven tasks.
- Strong organizational skills, problem-solving skills, and ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
- Customer-service mindset with the ability to engage with people from diverse backgrounds.
- Self-starter with a proactive approach, eager to learn, and motivated by community impact.
- Ability to take constructive feedback and adapt quickly.
- Bilingual Spanish-speaker strongly preferred (due to community demographics).
- Willingness to attend occasional evening or weekend events, and travel locally to schools or community partners as needed.
Compensation
Starting at $26.00 to $27.50 per hour, depending on the skills and experience of the applicant. The role is a full-time, non-exempt position and includes a comprehensive employee benefits package.
Napa Valley Community Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should email the following application materials by September 19, 2025 to Julia DeNatale at julia@napavalleycf.org with the subject line “Scholarships & Grants Associate Application”:
- A current résumé
- A one-page cover letter that addresses your specific skills and experiences, and explains why they make you a strong candidate for this position
Incomplete applications, or cover letters that do not directly address the qualifications and responsibilities outlined in this posting, will not be considered.
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About Napa Valley Community Foundation (NVCF)
Napa Valley Community Foundation works side-by-side with local donors and nonprofits to tackle the most important challenges the Valley faces. Now celebrating more than 30 years of service to the community, the Foundation has distributed more than $115 million in grants and scholarships to improve the quality of life for residents of the region, and currently serves as the philanthropic partner to thousands of individuals, families, nonprofit agencies, and corporations in Napa Valley and beyond. To learn more, visit napavalleycf.org.