Grant Assistant

GRANT ASSISTANT

Independent Contractor Position

Development & Communications Team

Vancouver, BC

Fully Remote or Hybrid

Contract Rate: $31–$33 per hour, commensurate with experience

Application Deadline:

June 15, 2026, 5pm

ABOUT WISH

WISH Drop-In Centre Society is the largest sex worker support organization in Canada, located on the unceded, stolen lands of the xʷməθkʷə͵əm (Musqueam), SỸʷX̲ wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations. For 40 years, WISH has been a refuge and essential point of contact for street-based sex workers in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

WISH is a non-judgmental place of compassion and trust. We are committed to decolonizing our work and centring the voices of those most impacted by systemic inequity, criminalization, and gendered violence.

Learn more at wish-vancouver.net

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Grant Assistant supports the Development and Communications team in growing WISH’s grants portfolio. This contract role is well-suited to an emerging development professional who wants to build their grant writing career within a social justice organization. Working under the direction of the Senior Grant Specialist, you will identify funding opportunities, prepare compelling applications, and ensure funder reports are submitted accurately and on time.

This role actively uses AI tools—including Claude (Anthropic)—to support research, drafting, and editing workflows, with a commitment to accuracy, voice, and critical review of all AI-assisted content.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Grant Prospecting

• Research and identify new funding opportunities from community foundations, corporate funders, and government sources aligned with WISH’s mission.
• Maintain an up-to-date prospect list tracking eligibility criteria, priorities, deadlines, and award amounts.
• Monitor the funding landscape for small grant opportunities (typically under $25,000) and bring forward recommendations.
• Use Claude to summarize funder guidelines, research organizational priorities, and assess fit with WISH programs.

Grant Writing & Submission

• Draft clear, compelling, mission-aligned grant applications including cover letters, narratives, budgets, and supporting documentation.
• Use Claude to develop initial drafts of narratives, LOIs, and EOIs; refine in collaboration with the Senior Grant Specialist and program staff.
• Collaborate with program staff to gather accurate data, descriptions, and outcome information.
• Ensure all submissions comply with funder guidelines and are submitted before deadlines.
• Maintain organized electronic files for all applications, correspondence, and funder agreements.

Grant Reporting & Stewardship

• Draft interim and final grant reports in accordance with funder requirements, incorporating program updates, outcome data, and financial summaries.
• Coordinate with program staff and the finance team to gather required reporting information.
• Maintain the grants tracking system to ensure all reporting and renewal deadlines are flagged and met.
• Support acknowledgement and stewardship of funders under the direction of the Senior Grant Specialist.

WHAT YOU BRING

Experience & Skills

• 1–3 years’ experience in grant writing and reporting.
• Demonstrated ability to write clear, persuasive, well-organized prose for varied audiences.
• Experience researching and identifying grant opportunities through databases, funder websites, and other sources.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines simultaneously.
• Experience with grant management tools, spreadsheets, or donor databases (e.g., DonorPerfect) is an asset.

Technical Proficiency

• Microsoft Office 365 (Word, Excel, Outlook, SharePoint).
• Asana or similar project management tools.
• Comfort with AI writing and research tools—specifically Claude (Anthropic)—and ability to critically evaluate and take responsibility for AI-assisted content.
• Virtual collaboration tools (Slack, Teams, Zoom).

Values & Equity

• Alignment with WISH’s mission, vision, and core values.
• Familiarity with sex workers’ rights-based positions and ability to assess alignment of funding opportunities.
• Substantive understanding of systemic barriers rooted in colonization, racism, transphobia, classism, misogyny, ableism, and their impact on sex workers.
• Understanding of harm reduction principles, trauma-informed practice, and gender diversity in the context of sex work.
• Lived expertise in the sex industry is a considerable asset.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit a cover letter and résumé as one document to:

kara.gillies@wishdropincentre.org

We thank all applicants for their interest; only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

WISH is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and strongly encourages applications from people with lived expertise in the sex trade, Indigenous people, Black people, people of colour, and people with disabilities.