Looking for an education based grant writer for Houston nonprofit

Outrounds Speech & Debate is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Houston, Texas that expands access to competitive speech, debate, and interpretation for students facing financial and structural barriers to participation. We partner with eleven Alief ISD campuses, including five high schools and middle schools across the district. Our four programs cover coaching, tournament access, professional attire, and workshops. We hold Candid's Platinum Seal of Transparency. We are early-stage and growing fast. Our annual gala is in June 2026, our sponsor pipeline is active, and we are now ready to build out a serious grant strategy. We have done some initial scanning of Houston-area funders and a few national education foundations, but we have not yet committed to a target list. Part of what we are hiring for is the strategic judgment to tell us where to focus, in what sequence, and what we need to build internally before certain funders will take us seriously. What we are looking for We are hiring a grant writer to join us on an ongoing retainer as a strategic partner, not just a drafter. You will own the grant pipeline end to end. That includes funder research and prioritization, application drafting, building the foundational documents we currently lack (logic model, program budget, narrative library), and managing reporting and stewardship after awards are received. You will recommend the funder strategy. We are open to whichever sequencing makes sense given our infrastructure stage, whether that means starting with community foundations, layering in corporate foundations from our existing sponsor relationships, or pursuing government and large family foundations once we have the prerequisites in place. Responsibilities - Research, prioritize, and maintain a rolling funder pipeline matched to our programs and stage - Draft full applications, including narrative, budget alignment, logic model integration, and supporting attachments - Build foundational grant infrastructure with us, including a logic model, theory of change, program budgets, and reusable narrative library - Manage submission deadlines and tracking - Coordinate post-award reporting, impact metrics collection, and funder stewardship communications - Recommend and adjust funder strategy as our infrastructure matures - Flag gaps where additional documentation or data collection is needed before we can credibly apply to a given funder Required qualifications - Portfolio of funded grants with named foundations and dollar amounts awarded (please include this in your proposal) - Direct experience writing for education and youth-serving nonprofits - Experience working with early-stage 501(c)(3) organizations that do not yet have audited financials, multi-year financial statements, or extensive historical impact data - Demonstrated ability to build logic models and program budgets from scratch alongside an executive director Nice to have - Familiarity with Texas and Houston-area funders - Experience with Candid Gold and Platinum metrics frameworks - Familiarity with literacy, workforce readiness, or youth development funder language - Experience advancing organizations from community foundation funding into larger corporate and government grant cycles Apply tot his job Apply To this Job