Application Guide
How to Apply for Grant Writer - Independent Contractor (5-10 hours/week)
at Vivery Community
🏢 About Vivery Community
Vivery Community is a Chicago-based nonprofit founded in 2021 that has quickly become a leading food equity organization, delivering over 365,000 meals to households across Chicago's South and West Sides. They partner with healthcare providers, community organizations, and government agencies to address food insecurity, making a tangible impact in 24 communities. Working here means contributing to a mission-driven team that directly fights hunger and its root causes.
About This Role
As a Grant Writer, you'll be the primary writer for foundation, corporate, and government grant proposals, reports, and letters of inquiry. You'll work from established messaging and program information to tailor materials to each funder's requirements, ensuring submissions are compelling and accurate. This role is crucial for securing the funding that sustains and expands Vivery's meal delivery and food equity programs.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve researching potential foundation funders, drafting a letter of inquiry for a new corporate partner, and revising a grant report for an existing government grant. You'll collaborate with program staff to gather data and stories, then craft narratives that resonate with funders. With 5-10 hours a week, you'll manage your own schedule to meet submission deadlines, ensuring each application is polished and submitted on time.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Vivery Community Is Looking For
- Proven experience writing successful grant proposals for nonprofit organizations, preferably in food security, health equity, or social services.
- Excellent research skills to identify funding opportunities and understand funder priorities, with the ability to synthesize program information into persuasive narratives.
- Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple deadlines independently, as this is a remote contract role with minimal supervision.
- Familiarity with Chicago's South and West Side communities and the systemic issues surrounding food insecurity is a plus.
📝 Tips for Applying to Vivery Community
Highlight specific grant writing successes: quantify the amount of funding secured and the types of funders (foundation, corporate, government).
Tailor your cover letter to Vivery's mission: show genuine passion for food equity and mention how your writing can amplify their impact in Chicago.
Include writing samples that demonstrate your ability to adapt tone and content for different audiences (e.g., a foundation proposal vs. a government report).
Address the independent contractor nature: emphasize your ability to work remotely, manage your own schedule, and deliver high-quality work with minimal oversight.
Research Vivery's current programs and funders to mention specific alignment in your application, showing you've done your homework.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
Emphasize your track record in securing grants for food security or related causes, your ability to translate program data into compelling stories, your familiarity with Chicago's nonprofit landscape, and your self-motivation as a remote contractor. Also, express a personal connection to Vivery's mission of ensuring everyone has access to nutritious food.
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Explore Vivery Community's website, annual reports, and social media to understand their programs, impact metrics, and recent achievements.
- → Research their key partners (healthcare providers, community organizations) and funders to understand the collaborative ecosystem they operate in.
- → Learn about food insecurity in Chicago's South and West Sides, including demographic data and systemic challenges, to contextualize your writing.
- → Review common grant applications from major funders in the food security space (e.g., Feeding America, local foundations) to anticipate proposal requirements.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using generic language about 'helping people' without connecting to Vivery's specific approach to food equity and community partnership.
- Failing to demonstrate grant writing experience with concrete examples of secured funding or successful proposals.
- Ignoring the independent contractor aspect by implying you need close supervision or a structured office environment.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Vivery Community!