Who we are:

The Vera Institute of Justice, founded in 1961, is a nonprofit criminal justice organization that strives to build just government institutions and safe communities free from the scourge of racism, white supremacy, profit, and inequity that is pervasive in this country’s legal systems. We are an “inside” lane organization that drives change at scale with ambitious public sector leaders who share our commitment to building anti-racist, reparative systems that deliver justice. We leverage our access to government to transform these systems and work collaboratively with stakeholders across many movements—including advocacy, grassroots, and grasstop organizations. Our role is to pilot solutions that are transformative and achievable, harness the power of evidence to drive effective policy and practice, and use advocacy and communications to change narratives and norms.

Vera has a staff of 300 people and offices in New York City, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and New Orleans. We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity in the workplace. We expect our staff to embody respect, independence, collaboration, commitment, anti-racism, and equity—both in our outward-facing work and the internal culture of our workplace. We value a range of experiences in people’s educational backgrounds and encourage people who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system to apply.

Who you are:

The Development Associate of Institutional Giving will play a critical role in securing funding to advance Vera’s mission and initiatives. Working closely with colleagues on the development team, leadership, and program staff, the Development Associate will prepare proposals, reports, and letters of inquiry for foundations, corporations, government agencies, and other grant-making organizations. The Development Associate will also carry a portfolio of institutional donors and be responsible for developing and implementing cultivation and stewardship strategies in partnership with program staff. Their work will directly contribute to Vera’s ability to carry out essential programs and initiatives, ultimately making a meaningful difference in the lives of those impacted by mass incarceration.   

What you'll do:

Grant Proposal Development: 

  • Collaborate with program managers and staff to gather information and data needed for grant proposals 
  • Write compelling grant proposals and other supporting documents, ensuring they are clear, concise, and tailored to the specific grant-making organization’s guidelines 
  • Develop budgets and financial narratives in coordination with the Finance team and Director of Institutional Giving 
  • Ensure all proposal components, including supporting documents and attachments, are complete and submitted by deadlines 

Grant Reporting and Compliance: 

  • Monitor grant awards and track progress on grant-funded projects 
  • Prepare and submit timely and accurate grant reports as required by funders 
  • Ensure compliance with all grant-related regulations and reporting requirements 
  • Collaborate with program managers to ensure grant funds are used in accordance with grant agreements 
  • Assist in grant-related audits and evaluations as necessary 

Research and Identifying Funding Opportunities: 

  • Collaborate with Prospect Researcher to identify and qualify potential grant opportunities that align with Vera’s mission and programs 
  • Support the tracking of prospective funders in Vera’s CRM 

Relationship Management: 

  • Cultivate and maintain relationships with grant-making organizations, foundation representatives, and other potential funding sources 
  • Attend meetings, conferences, and networking events to expand our grant funding opportunities 

Other duties as assigned by the Director of Institutional Giving 

What qualifications are we looking for?

  • At minimum, 3+ years of successful, progressive experience in grant writing or commensurate institutional giving work 

Preferred: 

  • Bachelor’s degree in field relevant to Vera’s scope of work or development / philanthropy 
  • In lieu of a degree, relevant work experience will be considered

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you'll bring: 

  • Exceptional written communication skills, attention to detail, and ability to work toward deadlines 
  • Demonstrated ability to understand complex programmatic work and communicate verbally with both internal and external stakeholders 
  • A demonstrated commitment to the agency mission and dismantling racism within our institution and the wider community 
  • An understanding of the role that racial inequity plays in our society and in movement building and has demonstrated an ability to effectively communicate and collaborate across differences. 
  • Experience conducting donor research on institutional and other private sector donors 
  • Proficiency with grants databases and prospect research tools 
  • Advanced judgement and interpersonal skills, including the ability to maintain tact, diplomacy, and confidentiality while representing the organization and interfacing with all levels of staff, funders, and vendors 
  • Adept at working both collaboratively and independently 
  • Flexibility to work infrequent events outside of regular business hours as needed 

Technical knowledge we need you prepared to use:

  • Microsoft Office Suite (with an emphasis on Word and Excel) 
  • EveryAction or similar fundraising database 
  • Foundation Directory Online and/or related prospect research databases 

Location:

Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn, NY office. Vera employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule that generally amounts to 10 days per month.

Compensation and Benefits:

The compensation range for this position is $76,000 -- $81,000. Actual salaries will vary depending on factors including but not limited to experience and performance. The salary range listed is just one component of Vera Institute’s total compensation package for employees. As an employer of choice in our field, supporting Vera staff—both personally and professionally—is a priority. To do this, we invest in the well-being of our staff through other rewards including merit pay, generous paid time off, a comprehensive health insurance plan, student loan repayment benefits, professional development training opportunities and up to $2,000 annual for education costs and fees relevant to Vera work, employer-funded retirement plan, and flexible time.  

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People Resources / Development Associate, Institutional Giving
Vera Institute of Justice
34 35th St, Suite 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Fax: (212) 941-9407
Please use only one method (online, mail or fax) of submission.
No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

In order to ensure a healthy and safe work environment, Vera Institute of Justice is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccine before their start date. Employees who cannot receive the vaccine because of a disability/medical contraindication or sincerely-held religious belief may request an accommodation (e.g., an exemption) to this requirement.

Vera is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status. 

Vera works to advance justice, particularly racial justice, in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.

For more information about Vera, please visit www.vera.org

Apply for this Job

* Required
resume chosen  
Dropbox Google Drive
(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)
Cancel
cover_letter chosen  
Dropbox Google Drive
(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)
Cancel
U.S. Standard Demographic Questions We invite applicants to share their demographic background. If you choose to complete this survey, your responses may be used to identify areas of improvement in our hiring process.
How would you describe your gender identity? (mark all that apply)





How would you describe your racial/ethnic background? (mark all that apply)











How would you describe your sexual orientation? (mark all that apply)








Do you identify as transgender? (Select one)




Do you have a disability or chronic condition (physical, visual, auditory, cognitive, mental, emotional, or other) that substantially limits one or more of your major life activities, including mobility, communication (seeing, hearing, speaking), and learning? (Select one)




Are you a veteran or active member of the United States Armed Forces? (Select one)




Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Vera Institute of Justice’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.

Please reach out to our support team via our help center.
Please complete the reCAPTCHA above.