Hire the Best Grant Writers in North Carolina

$7M+ secured in federal, state/local, and foundation funding & 8+ years of experience SPECIALIZATION: I specialize in writing complex proposals with aligned budgets, building short- and long-term funding strategies, and creating processes and procedures that ensure compliance. FOR-PROFIT & NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS: While I support the full proposal lifecycle, from strategy and development through submission and reporting, the majority of my work with for-profit organizations focuses on navigating federal funding, which includes positioning, compliance, and proposal development. My background also includes extensive experience assisting nonprofit organizations in developing funding strategies, writing competitive proposals, and building the internal structure to sustain grants. PROCESS: When a funding opportunity is complex—especially a government-style RFP/RFA with tight requirements and multiple moving parts—my role is to bring structure to the process and clarity to the story. The work starts by translating guidelines into a clean plan that a team can actually follow, then shaping content to track directly to the evaluation criteria. The result is a clear, data-focused proposal that reads as complete and competitive. In collaboration with organization staff, I help build budgets in parallel with narratives so they are closely aligned. If you prefer the work to be repeatable, internal workflows and documentation can also be put in place to support future submissions and post-award reporting. Work begins with a fast intake to confirm eligibility, constraints, and what success looks like for the submission. From there, the guidelines are translated into a requirements map and writing plan, so drafts move forward with fewer surprises and less rework. Before submission, everything goes through a final compliance and consistency check across the narrative, budget, and attachments. EXPERIENCE: Recent and past submissions include TxDOT, SBIR Phase I & II, IMLS, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, HHS, and the NC Department of Juvenile Justice, among others. GETTING STARTED Projects go best when there’s a defined opportunity (or target list), access to the right internal inputs, and responsiveness during drafting and review cycles. If you’re unsure what you need yet, that’s workable too. We can start with a short introductory call to clarify the path forward. Message me to schedule a 30-minute introductory call to confirm fit, timeline, and next steps. If you’d like deeper guidance or document-level feedback, you can book a 1-hour consultation through my Projects section.

I am a skilled fundraising professional with more than 20 years of experience as a professional grant developer and strategist and more than $40 million raised for universities, nonprofits, and small businesses. I've amassed a huge amount of knowledge on the fundraising and grant development / writing process, and my specialized skill, or super power, is having worked with funders directly for 20 years. I know what they want. I know the secret language of fundraising and grant writing, and I know how to present your project to be successful. My fundraising work has been publicly recognized; in 2013, I was named Fundraising Professional of the Year by Nonprofit Pro (see portfolio link). I have worked at major national organizations such as Adventure Cycling Association and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and regional organizations such as the LA Opera, Dance Resource Center of Greater Los Angeles, and Jacksonville Symphony. As a grant writer, I have successfully raised funds from the National Institutes for Health, National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, UCLA, the Surdna Foundation, the Terra Foundation for American Art, and many more. I have built business partnerships and sponsorships in the finance, banking, bicycling, sales, marketing, health, music, automotive, logistics, publishing, construction, restaurant, convenience, manufacturing, and retail industries. I work with nonprofit organizations and individual researchers/artists in many fields including medical research, healthcare, sustainable transportation, environmental studies, visual and performing arts, k-12 education, higher education, recreation, sports, and more. My skills include major gifts fundraising, developing corporate sponsorships, grant writing, business proposal writing, stewarding planned gifts, managing capital campaigns, leading teams of development professionals, managing volunteer leadership, annual fund development and growth, and direct mail implementation. I provide assistance with project development, evaluation design, strategic planning, marketing and social media marketing. I also provide editorial services for research being prepared for submission to peer-reviewed journals. Disclaimer: using any part of this bio, my copyrighted website, or my resume is fraud and theft of my intellectual property. This is a cease and desist order. I do not assent to any use of my profile language or my website.

I am a meticulous editor, proofreader, researcher, and writer with 20+ years' office management experience. I am a published writer, grant writer, bookkeeper, and previous general contractor. I specialize in non-profit management and public relations. I have written for international magazines and a newspaper.

Are you looking for a skilled Grant Writer, Business Plan Expert, or Funding Consultant who understands exactly what banks, investors, and grant funders want to see? My name is Ajayi Stephen, a Top Rated professional writer and consultant with over 10 years of experience helping startups, nonprofits, entrepreneurs, and growing businesses secure funding, improve strategy, and launch successfully. I have completed 1,000+ successful projects both on Upwork and offline, delivering high quality work that gets results. I do not deliver generic templates. Every project is customized, research driven, professional, and tailored to your goals. What I Help Clients With Funding & Business Growth Services • Investor Ready Business Plans • SBA Loan Business Plans • Grant Writing & Grant Applications • Nonprofit Grants & Government Funding • Pitch Deck Writing & Investor Presentations • Financial Projections & Forecasting • Market Research & Competitor Analysis • Startup Strategy & Growth Planning • Funding Readiness Review • RFP, RFQ, and RFI Proposal Writing Additional Professional Services • Academic Research Assistance • Business Consultation • Editing & Proofreading • Proposal Review & Refinement • Strategic Planning Why Clients Hire Me • Top Rated Professional on Upwork • Fast Response Time • High Quality Work • Attention to Detail • Strong Business Knowledge • Confidential and Professional Service • Clear Communication • On Time Delivery • Client Satisfaction Focused Results Driven Approach I turn ideas into clear, persuasive, investor ready, and fundable documents that decision makers trust. Whether you need funding, a winning business plan, or expert guidance to grow your business, I am ready to help. Let’s Work Together Send me a message today and let us discuss your project goals. Keywords Grant Writer, Grant Writing, Business Plan Writer, SBA Business Plan, Loan Business Plan, Startup Consultant, Financial Projections, Pitch Deck Writer, Nonprofit Grants, Government Grants, Proposal Writer, RFP Writer, Market Research, Academic Research, Business Consultant, Funding Consultant

Strong writer with academic research skills. Areas of particular strength include education, sociology, philosophy, psychology, and counseling. Exceptional editing/proofreading skills with strong knowledge of APA ed 7 style. Working as a college professor teaching sociology, psychology, and philosophy with a number of colleges and universities, taught me the importance of knowing your audience. It also provided me the opportunity to perfect my ability to explain complex information in engaging and obtainable ways. Working within nonprofits afforded me the opportunity to enhance my knowledge of grant writing, research, and grant fulfillment skills. Understanding your intention and audience is the first step in helping you develop a meaningful message. Whether you need a proofreader/editor to help you perfect an existing project, a ghostwriter to help you mold your message, or a writer to create content to engage your audience, I would welcome the opportunity to talk with you about your project.

I help nonprofits build the operational backbone they need to grow—clearer systems, stronger infrastructure, and the kind of internal systems funders, partners, and boards expect to see. I'm a nonprofit consultant with 25+ years of experience across the sector, including 13 years as a founding executive director, 7+ years of consulting, technical assistance, and federal grant review service for the U.S. Department of Education. I've built a nonprofit from the ground up, increased annual revenue 24x, managed multi-million-dollar funding portfolios, and designed grant and program operations systems for a national multi-site education network. Most nonprofit leaders I work with don't need more advice. They need clarity, structure, and someone who can translate what they're already doing into something organized, repeatable, and credible. I WORK BEST WITH NONPROFITS THAT ARE: • Growing faster than their internal systems can keep up • Early-stage or rebuilding and in need of foundational structure • Preparing for funding, partnerships, or organizational growth • Operating without clear SOPs, workflows, or documentation • Stretched thin and looking for someone to bring order to operations • Pursuing a fundraising strategy, not just a grant writer • Strengthening board, governance, or programmatic infrastructure WHAT I OFFER ON UPWORK: Nonprofit Operations & Systems • Workflow, SOP, and documentation development • Operational audits and process improvement • Internal systems design (tracking, reporting, project management tools) • Grant operations infrastructure—compliance, tracking, reporting • Vendor, contractor, and cross-functional coordination support Organizational Strategy & Infrastructure • Organizational assessments and capacity-building plans • Board development, recruitment, and governance support • Policy and procedure development • Program design, implementation, and evaluation support • Technical assistance and training for nonprofit teams Fundraising Strategy & Coaching • Fundraising strategy development across individual giving, events, corporate, and peer-to-peer channels • Donor engagement, stewardship, and retention planning • CRM cleanup, donor segmentation, and data strategy • Fundraising campaign content and copy support (appeals, stewardship messaging, sponsorship outreach) • Coaching for executive directors and development leads Funding Readiness • Grant readiness audits and snapshots • Funding strategy and prospect alignment • Organizational narrative review • 30-Day Funding Readiness Roadmaps WHAT I DON'T TAKE ON: To protect your time and mine, I do not offer: • Last-minute proposal turnarounds • Open-ended coaching without clear scope or deliverables If you're looking for someone who can take a holistic view of what your organization actually needs, let's talk. Note: While my consulting practice is primarily focused on nonprofit operations, I also take on selected projects in adjacent areas, including database setup, editorial work, website design, and systems design, for small businesses and mission-driven ventures.