Chicago Center for Arts & Technology (CHICAT)
Where Creativity Fuels Enterprise
Location: Hybrid (onsite at 1701 W. 13th Street, Chicago, plus remote)
Status: Full-time
Compensation: $65,000 to $80,000 annually, commensurate with years and breadth of experience
Come write for a mission you can see and feelAt CHICAT, art and technology meet to ignite hope and open real pathways to opportunity for underserved youth and adults across Chicago, with a focus on residents from North Lawndale, Little Village, and Pilsen. Picture a light-filled, renovated historic warehouse south of the Illinois Medical District where middle schoolers 3D-print their first designs, high schoolers build AR and VR worlds, and adults launch businesses and master the tools of a tech-driven economy. Every program is free, and the results speak for themselves: 450+ individuals served in 2025, 78% of participants from the 25 lowest-income zip codes in Chicago, and a 92% retention rate in our youth programs.
We are looking for a talented, mission-driven Grant Writer who wants their words to translate directly into brighter futures and more opportunities for low-income youth and adults. If you love telling a great story that impacts real people, this one is yours to tell.
What you’ll doThe Grant Writer will support fundraising strategies, cultivate relationships with grant-making organizations, and contributing to broader development communications as needed.
As our Grant Writer, you’ll be a key storyteller and revenue partner for CHICAT’s development team. You will:
- Research and identify grant opportunities from foundations, corporations, and government sources that align with CHICAT’s mission and programs through monitoring key websites, listservs, social media sites, and the news to ensure we capture all opportunities to secure funding
- Write compelling letters of inquiry, proposals, and applications that bring our impact to life
- Build and manage a grants calendar so deadlines and reporting requirements never sneak up on us
- Prepare timely, accurate grant reports while strengthening relationships with funders like the MacArthur Foundation, Joyce Foundation, Julian Grace Foundation, and the Illinois Arts Council
- Partner with program and finance staff to gather the data, budgets, and stories that make a proposal sing
- Lead the administrative aspects of stewardship efforts by ensuring all gifts are properly acknowledged and recorded in our Donor Perfect database, while also maintaining the confidentiality of donor information and records
- Keep clear records of submissions, awards, and outcomes in our database
- Knowledge of community-based organizations, workforce development, education, or arts programming is highly beneficial.
- Commitment to serving communities facing socioeconomic barriers, with the ability to collaborate respectfully across a variety of groups.
What you bring- Strong writing skills with a gift for turning mission, data, and human stories into persuasive, fundable narratives
- Experience in grant writing, fundraising, or development (nonprofit experience is a plus)
- A self-starter who manages deadlines and details with care
- Comfort working with budgets and program data
- A demonstrated connection to CHICAT’s mission of equity, creativity, and opportunity
- Flexibility, agility, and a “can-do” attitude
- Someone who thrives in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment that operates with urgency and excellence
- Bonus: familiarity with the Chicago philanthropic landscape
Why CHICAT- Your work funds free, life-changing programs for people who deserve every opportunity
- A fast-paced, mission-driven team that operates with urgency and excellence, and does whatever it takes to deliver
- A creative, welcoming team in a beautiful space that’s convenient to public transit and offers free parking
- Hybrid schedule, including fully remote Fridays
CHICAT is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, and we are committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve. Applicants needing accommodations are encouraged to reach out.
Learn more about our work at chicat.org
