Grant Loftesnes

Experience

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  Alliance in Support of the Afghan People (ASAP)

  Feb 2014 - May 2014

  Communications and Research Intern

  - Created ASAP’s first-ever online newsletter on Constant Contact, highlighting five Afghanistan-centered news stories as well as upcoming events each week.- Created content and updated ASAP’s website with current news and upcoming events.- Conducted donor research that managers used to pursue funding.---The Alliance in Support of the Afghan People (ASAP) is a coalition dedicated to protecting and advancing progress made by the Afghan people. As a network, we are non-partisan, non-aligned and apolitical. We seek to amplify Afghan civil society voices in policy discussions and support their aspirations for further political and economic development and the protection of basic human rights.For more information, visit http://www.afghanalliance.org/ Show less

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  United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

  May 2014 - Jul 2014

  Intern

  - Conducted research and drafted one- to two-page memos for senior staffers on topics as varied as North Korean prison camps and Iranian sanctions.- Attended congressional hearings and other events and drafted summaries for senior staffers.- Proofread legislation before it was delivered to the committee.- Provided additional administrative duties and support to organization and staff as needed.---The U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs is one of twenty Senate committees tasked with conducting Senate business related to specialized areas of legislative interest. The Committee plays an integral role in managing legislation that affects the lives of many Americans. These areas of jurisdiction include, but are not limited to: banking, insurance, financial markets, securities, housing, urban development and mass transit, international trade and finance, and economic policy.For more information, visit http://www.banking.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/home Show less

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  The American Center of Research (ACOR)

  Sept 2014 - Dec 2014

  Intern

  - Assisted in the daily operations of ACOR with a culturally and linguistically diverse staff.- Created exit interview questionnaire and used it to interview outgoing archeological research fellows from across the globe and write profiles for publication on the ACOR website.- Updated and maintained the ACOR library’s catalog of journals.---The American Center of Research (ACOR) in Amman, Jordan promotes research and publication across disciplines with a special emphasis on archaeology in the region. ACOR’s main activities include a fellowship program for scholars, archaeological excavation and restoration projects, and other academic programs.For more information, visit http://acorjordan.org/index.php/en/ Show less

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  National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START)

  Sept 2015 - Dec 2015

  Research Intern

  - Evaluated radiological and nuclear architecture in Turkey to identify security gaps.- Performed open source research to produce a written document on Turkey’s nuclear capabilities; the 50-page document formed the basis of a final product delivered to external partners.- Presented findings to supervisors in oral briefings.---The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism—better known as START—is a university-based research and education center comprised of an international network of scholars committed to the scientific study of the causes and human consequences of terrorism in the United States and around the world.For more information, visit http://www.start.umd.edu/ Show less

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  Aschiana Foundation

  Jan 2016 - May 2016

  Communications Intern

  - Organized monthly fundraising events for Aschiana activities in Afghanistan. This included selecting venues in DC, contacting speakers, and collecting donations.- Advertised fundraising events on Aschiana Foundation’s Facebook page and local DC event listings.- Managed the Aschiana Foundation’s Facebook page and updated it with news focused on the organization’s Afghanistan-based work.---The Aschiana Foundation in the United States provides financial assistance to Aschiana in order to help the Afghanistan-based non-government organization provide educational and humanitarian programs that benefit working street children in Afghanistan.For more information, visit http://www.aschiana-foundation.org/ Show less

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  Results for Development

  Aug 2016 - Aug 2018

  - Applied knowledge on USAID procedures and ADS guidance on reporting for contracts and cooperative agreements to help realign R4D’s internal policies to keep consistent with major partners such as USAID and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).- Assisted in the design and execution of an organization-wide knowledge management transition. Participated in an interdepartmental committee to devise conventions and train staff. Worked with IT department to migrate operation team’s files and perform audits for consistency.- Conducted research and drafted deliverables on a project to initiate a global education ministerial network. Deliverables were formatted with proper branding requirements established by respective funders (e.g. BMGF, USAID, World Bank) and shared with program partners such as the World Bank.- Developed schedules and materials to orient new staff and collaborated with project colleagues to mobilize consultants to travel to field offices. Show less

  • Operations Coordinator

    Feb 2017 - Aug 2018

  • Receptionist

    Aug 2016 - Feb 2017
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  Carnegie Mellon University

  Aug 2018 - Mar 2021

  - Activated the Carnegie Mellon University Washington Semester Program (CMU/WSP) alumni network to create CMU/WSP’s first-ever Alumni Mentorship Program as part of a larger alumni engagement strategy. The Mentorship Program pairs volunteer mentors with current undergraduate students to provide personalized professional development guidance and connections to students.- Developed and implemented the CMU/WSP’s first-ever emergency communications policy. The policy identifies emergency situations and provides tools for CMU/WSP staff to contact all participating students simultaneously in the event of an emergency. - Organized and managed all logistics for an annual, multi-day networking trip for the Institute for Politics and Strategy's (IPS) graduate students. Designed to expose students to various career fields, this trip sees IPS’ five to seven graduate students travel from Pittsburgh to Washington for site visits and networking at think thanks, research institutions, government agencies, and nongovernmental organizations.- Led orientation sessions for new and prospective CMU/WSP students in Washington and Pittsburgh, including information sessions, pre-departure orientations, and tabling activities.- Negotiated contracts totaling approximately $150,000 per year. Show less - Created a department-wide communications strategy that lead to a 30% increase in Instagram followers in four months. Strategy was developed after conducting an analysis of IPS’ existing social media presence to determine audiences, successful posts, and gaps in content.- Redeveloped and distributed a weekly newsletter to over 1,000 subscribers, highlighting events and professional development opportunities for students and alumni.- Managed daily activities of the Washington Semester Program office, including planning events for students, processing honorarium payments and purchase orders, and regularly communicating with faculty and students. Show less

  • Project Administrator

    Jan 2020 - Mar 2021

  • Administrative Coordinator

    Aug 2018 - Jan 2020
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  Mission Squared

  Mar 2021 - now

  - Develop fundraising strategies and work alongside select nonprofit clients to execute fundraising goals. Fundraising strategies often include determining an overall goal, breaking that goal down by stream, researching prospective donors within each stream, and strategizing individual approaches for outreach. Execution of fundraising goals involves working directly alongside client staff to follow up on client outreach in an effort to secure donations, build collateral to share with prospects, organize files into an accessible library, build a CRM portal and train client staff on its use, and more.- Own project management and execute communications strategies to guide the change management process. Updating organizational charts typically includes interviewing teams to understand roles and programs, suggesting more efficient reporting lines and team structures, suggesting team meeting rhythms, and working with the client to refine the product. Communications strategies require a deep understanding of existing company culture and team dynamics to create a strategy that clearly communicates upcoming change while allowing room for questions and understanding across the organization.- Manage stakeholders to ensure effective collaboration by holding regular check-ins to share progress, explain strategies, and assign tasks to client staff and leaders when appropriate. Often this process includes managing up to client leadership to ensure projects stay on track and managing other client staff to ensure task completion.- Serve as a thought partner for the Mission Squared founder for new business and existing client opportunities aligning to Mission Squared’s strategy. Show less - Created months-long project plans and managed clients to ensure execution. Project plans included detailed task lists, owners, time allocations, and resources. Tasks were then communicated to and completed alongside colleagues and client partners to meet overall engagement objectives.- Collaborated with a larger consulting team to develop a five-year strategic plan for an international school network. The plan included a five-year budget, organizational chart, implementation plans, and more. It was unanimously approved by the client’s board of directors. - Built internal systems and processes to ensure organizational efficiency. Developed processes for invoice tracking, payroll, client satisfaction surveys, after action reports, etc. as Mission Squared’s first full-time employee.- Facilitate learning capture seminars to ensure Mission Squared learns from client engagements and strengthens its offerings over time. Show less

  • Engagement Manager

    Sept 2023 - now

  • Program Manager

    Mar 2021 - Sept 2023