Proposal Writer

Proposal Writer

CCS Fundraising is an international strategic fundraising firm that partners with nonprofits for transformational change. Since 1947, CCS has empowered many of the world's leading organizations across sectors to advance some of the most important causes in history. We plan, manage, and implement programs and initiatives that achieve fundraising goals and mission impact. This year, we were named one of Forbes' America's Best Management Consulting Firms 2026, based on recommendations from clients and consulting peers.

CCS provides tailored support to more than 700 nonprofit organizations annually. Headquartered in New York, the firm has over 600 professionals and 18 offices throughout the United States and Europe. Our people are our greatest strength. At CCS, you will join a diverse team of smart, passionate, and resourceful professionals who are driven by purpose and committed to performance.

We are seeking a motivated, deadline-driven Proposal Writer to work with a Chicago-based team. The successful candidate will work closely with our Executive team, managing new leads from ideation to contract and ensuring that all team Executives have the materials and preparation they need to conduct successful business development and sales meetings. A critical component of this role is to produce compelling, consistent, creative, and professional proposals, RFPs, and presentations that differentiate CCS from our competitors. Please note that this is not a sales or lead generating position.

Ideal candidates will possess excellent writing, communication, research, and design skills to contribute to the development of sales materials and resources. We are looking for a confident, creative, and highly motivated professional who thrives in a fast-paced, executive-facing environment. The ideal candidate is proactive, exceptionally responsive, and comfortable working directly with senior leadership, balancing competing priorities and tight deadlines with a strong sense of ownership and urgency. Prior experience with RFPs, proposals, and client relationship management databases are a plus. Experience with research, data visualization, and professional writing is key. Familiarity with AI tools and an interest in leveraging emerging technologies to enhance quality, creativity, and efficiency are also valued. This is an excellent opportunity to join a growing team in a role that has room to grow and evolve.

Responsibilities include:

• Write and design customized sales proposals, presentations, and supporting materials in close coordination with the Executive Team
• Participate in sales meetings to understand client needs and inform proposal strategy
• Develop tailored content based on the specific needs, scope, and interests of each prospective client
• Partner with Team Executives to define key elements of each proposal, including scope of work, pricing, and service structure
• Establish and manage internal timelines to guide daily work and ensure on-time delivery of materials
• Collaborate with the Executive Team to identify strategic next steps for active leads in the sales pipeline
• Support final editing, formatting, and distribution of proposals and other materials
• Print and ship sales materials when needed/requested
• Draft and send emails with sales materials on behalf of Executives when needed/requested
• Complete research on potential leads and complete other sales materials in advance of sales meetings to ensure Team Executives are prepared in a timely manner
• Proactively anticipate Executive needs, communicate responsively, and take ownership of deliverables to ensure high-quality materials are developed under tight deadlines
• Maintain and update proposal templates; customize templates as needed for specific proposals, decks, one-pagers, etc.
• Assist other proposal writers in securing client case studies and references for proposals
• Draft thank-you and follow-up correspondence for Team Executives
• Work with team database coordinator and make direct database updates (as applicable) to ensure lead information is up-to-date
• Liaise with proposal writers across the team and firm to understand trends and continually enhance materials
• Leverage AI tools, as appropriate, to support research, content development, and workflow efficiency while maintaining strong editorial judgment, accuracy, and quality
• Participate in Proposal Team strategic planning and spearhead assigned strategic projects, as appropriate
• Additional tasks as needed to support the sales process, including maintaining organized records of all proposal drafts, final submissions, and supporting documentation for future reference and compliance

Qualifications include:

• Bachelor's degree required
• 5+ years professional experience with proven writing and project management track record
• Exceptional ability to manage multiple projects and competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Highly proactive, ambitious, and adaptable, with a strong sense of urgency, exceptional responsiveness, and a drive to exceed expectations
• Excellent writing and visualization skills, with a keen eye for detail
• Thorough proofreading skills
• Excellent time management and organizational abilities; capable of independently structuring time and tasks to meet deadlines
• Demonstrated resourcefulness and initiative in problem-solving and adapting to changing needs
• Advanced knowledge of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
• Strong presentation design skills, including an understanding of visual hierarchy, layout, and effective data visualization; Creative presentation design experience with PowerPoint, Canva, and other graphic design programs a plus but not required
• Familiarity with generative AI tools (ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot preferred) and an interest in applying AI thoughtfully to writing, research, and workflow improvement
• CRM (HubSpot preferred) and SharePoint experience a plus but not required
• Comfortable working both independently and collaboratively within a team setting

CCS offers competitive benefits, a dynamic training program, resources, career advancement, mentoring, and networking opportunities. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and strongly encourage a diverse pool of candidates to apply.

CCS is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the hiring process and during employment, consistent with applicable law. If you require an accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, please contact us so we can discuss your needs.