Grant Writer Contractor

About DataKind: DataKind is a premier, globally recognized high-impact non-profit innovator dedicated to bridging the gap between cutting-edge data science, public benefit artificial intelligence, and the civic technology sectors. By bringing together top-tier data scientists, researchers, and programmatic operators alongside leading philanthropic foundations and corporate giving institutions, DataKind structuralizes tech-driven responses to complex humanitarian challenges. Operating across distributed global hubs, DataKind shapes intuitive data assets, coordinates community-centric analytics initiatives, and scales multi-disciplinary platforms to optimize operational reliability and drive lasting positive outcomes worldwide.

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly analytical, systems-minded Grant Writer Contractor to join our expanding Growth & Development team in a full-time contract capacity. In this high-visibility technical writing seat, you will claim end-to-end accountability for building, managing, and securing our philanthropic funding pipelines, focusing primarily on DataKind’s US Communities portfolio. Moving far beyond boilerplate editing, you will specialize in synthesizing deeply technical concepts—including advanced data models, predictive algorithms, and civic infrastructure systems—into accessible, high-conversion proposals tailored to diverse donor personas. This role demands a self-directed professional who can translate data science initiatives into scalable donor capital, manage multi-layered RFP timelines, and collaborate cross-functionally to satisfiy strict reporting baselines.

Key Responsibilities

• Grant Proposal Architecture: Write, edit, and finalize sophisticated grant proposals, strategic letters of inquiry, and auxiliary compliance materials to an exceptional technical standard.
• Technical Narrative Translation: Synthesize multi-layered machine learning, civic tech, and programmatic data arrays into intuitive, compelling business cases optimized for non-technical foundation officers.
• Philanthropic Pipeline Sourcing: Perform continuous prospect research, profiling foundation assets, matching institutional parameters, and recommending high-value grant opportunities.
• Cross-Functional Data Gathering: Partner closely with project managers, software engineers, and financial compliance cells to harvest accurate program metrics and structured operational budgets.
• RFP Timeline Governance: Claim end-to-end management over competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) timelines, ensuring submissions satisfy explicit funder data residency and compliance guidelines.
• Fundraising Collateral Design: Assist in drafting high-impact investor one-pagers, presentation pitch decks, and descriptive content modules to scale donor engagement pipelines.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• 5+ years of verified professional history running grant writing pipelines, technical copywriting tracks, or corporate foundation fundraising within the non-profit or technology sectors.
• Demonstrated commercial success independently securing major funding blocks from competitive philanthropic sources, including a verified track record of capturing multi-year awards valued at $500,000 or greater.
• Master-tier technical writing, editing, and qualitative synthesis skills, with an expert capacity to explain complex AI configurations or database layouts smoothly.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication mechanics, with a proven history of managing high-level stakeholder conversations.
• Location Context: Full-time contract parameters providing qualified contractors with the absolute flexibility to operate remotely from home anywhere within the United States.
• Asynchronous Coordination: Readiness to structure individual schedules independently while maintaining standard online availability to interface with core teams primarily operating across Eastern Time (EST) hours.

Preferred Strategic Indicators (Nice to Have)

• Prior experience writing technical proposals or managing programmatic data requests for platforms operating in data equity, algorithmic accountability, or public sector data science.
• Practical familiarity creating structured marketing or fundraising collateral inside contemporary collaborative workspace configurations.
• Availability for scheduled virtual sync sessions during the baseline block of 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET / 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM PT.

What We Offer

• Premium Hourly Contract Framework: An attractive contract wage scaling between $60.00 – $72.00 USD per hour, calibrated transparently to match your technical background, writing portfolio, and domain experience.
• The exceptional professional runway to program, design, and secure the philanthropic funding infrastructure backing world-shaping data science for social good initiatives.
• Profound work-from-home remote parameters offering high personal lifestyle autonomy, complete geographic independence, and an open-door developer workspace.
• A mission-driven, feedback-rich workplace culture dedicated to driving systemic positive transformation through artificial intelligence innovation.