Interactive Dashboard Developer

Request for Proposal: Interactive Dashboard Developer

Project: New Hanover County State of the Nonprofit Sector Microsite

Date Issued: 7/27/26

Proposals Due: 8/7/26

Project Overview

Cape Fear Collective is seeking a frontend developer to build and polish a public-facing microsite visualizing nonprofit sector data for New Hanover County. This interactive dashboard will serve as the primary digital interface for a report releasing in January 2027.

How This Engagement Works

This is not a build-from-scratch project. By the time you start, our internal team will have:

1. A working prototype built alongside AI coding tools (Claude) using plain HTML, CSS, and Chart.js — with working charts, filters, and navigation already in place.
2. A finalized dataset served via static JSON files. No database work or API integration required.
3. A visual style guide from our contracted graphic designer defining the color palette, typography, and accessibility standards.
4. Hosting already configured on Netlify or GitHub Pages with deployment from our GitHub repository.

The codebase is organized as a multi-page HTML site with shared CSS and modular per-chart JavaScript files. Each chart lives in its own .js file; shared utilities (formatters, color helpers) live in a single utils.js. This structure was chosen intentionally to keep the codebase readable and maintainable by non-developers after handoff.

Your job is to make the prototype look and feel professional: clean up the code, apply the style guide, fix what's broken on mobile, and ensure the site is fast and accessible. Think of this as an editorial pass on a solid rough draft — not a rewrite.

Important Timeline Note: We are selecting a partner during Q3 2026 to lock in availability for the production phase in Q4 2026 (Oct–Dec).

Our Commitments to You

We understand that a fixed budget requires a disciplined client. To ensure this engagement remains profitable and efficient for you, we commit to:

• A Working, Deployed Starting Point: You will not receive a napkin sketch. You will receive a functional, already-deployed microsite application with working charts, filters, and navigation. Hosting and CI/CD will already be configured.
• Locked Data: The underlying dataset will be finalized and served as static JSON files before your engagement begins. No data cleaning, no database work, no moving targets.
• Consolidated Feedback: All feedback will be consolidated by the Project Lead into single, actionable punch lists for each review round. You will not receive stray emails from multiple stakeholders.
• Design Assets in Hand: The visual style guide (color palette, typography, accessibility specs) will be completed by our graphic designer before your production window begins.

Recommended Tech Stack

This project uses a deliberately lightweight stack, chosen to keep the codebase approachable for non-developers after handoff.

• Markup: Plain HTML5 (multi-page site, no framework)
• Styling: Tailwind/Plain CSS with a single shared stylesheet
• Charts: Chart.js (open to alternatives — see below)
• Data: Static JSON files, loaded directly in the browser. No database or API work required.
• Hosting: Netlify or GitHub Pages (static deployment, already configured)

A note on charts: we won’t have more than 10 visualizations across the site. Each chart lives in its own JavaScript file (e.g. chart-employment.js, chart-revenue.js) and is loaded only on the page that needs it. Shared helpers — number formatters, color palette, tooltip defaults — live in a single utils.js. We welcome your recommendation on a charting library if you have a strong preference, but proposals should demonstrate experience building custom, production-quality charts in a plain JS environment without a component framework.

The microsite will live at a subdomain, separate from our WordPress site.

Scope of Work

A. Code Cleanup & Refactoring

• Review the AI-Generated Codebase: Identify structural issues, redundant code, and anti-patterns. AI-generated code works but tends toward repetition and inconsistent patterns.
• Refactor for Maintainability: Clean up component structure so our internal team can make minor updates (copy changes, data file swaps) without breaking things.

B. Visual Polish

• Apply the Style Guide: Implement our graphic designer's color palette, typography, and visual hierarchy across the site. The prototype will have placeholder styling; your job is to make it cohesive and professional.
• Mobile Responsiveness: Ensure charts, filters, and navigation work cleanly on phones and tablets. We don't need a native-app experience — just nothing broken.
• Quick UX Flags: If you see navigation or layout decisions that would confuse a non-technical user, flag them. We value your eye but aren't asking for a full UX audit.

C. Performance & Accessibility

• Basic Optimization: Ensure the site loads fast on a standard connection. Optimize bundle size and image handling where obvious.
• Accessibility Review: Check for major accessibility issues — keyboard navigation, color contrast, alt text on charts. We'll handle the foundational structure in the prototype; we're asking you to catch what we missed.

D. Handoff

• Code Committed: All work committed to our GitHub repo with clear commit messages.
• Review Our Documentation: We will draft a maintenance guide. We ask that you review it for accuracy and flag anything we got wrong.

1. Deliverables

• Production-Ready Source Code: Clean, well-commented code committed to the CFC GitHub repository.
• Polished Microsite: Visual style guide applied, mobile-responsive, fast-loading, and free of major accessibility issues.
• Documentation Review: Written confirmation that our internal maintenance guide is accurate, with any corrections noted.

Timeline

We are securing a partner now to guarantee capacity during our critical production window.

• Proposals Due: 8/7/2026
• Vendor Selection: 8/21/26
• Contract Signing: 8/28/26
• Project Kickoff & Prototype Handoff: September 2026
• Active Development Window: October 1 – November 30, 2026
• QA & Testing: December 1 – December 15, 2026
• CFC Offices Closed for Holidays (2 weeks)
• Final Delivery: January 5, 2027

Budget

Total Fixed Fee: $3,000 – $4,000 USD

Payment Schedule:

• 50% upon Contract Signing
• 50% upon Final Delivery

1. Submission Requirements

Please submit a brief proposal (2–3 pages max) containing:

• Portfolio: Links to 2–3 deployed web applications or dashboards demonstrating your frontend and design skills. We're looking for clean, modern work — not default templates.
• Technical Approach: Briefly describe how you would approach cleaning up an AI-generated codebase. What do you typically look for? What's your process for going from "it works" to "it looks and feels professional"?
• Stack Familiarity: Confirm your experience with HTML, Tailwind CSS, and modern charting libraries (Chart.js, D3, or similar).
• Project Management: How do you prefer to manage feedback rounds during a short engagement?
• Availability: Confirmation of capacity during the Oct 2026 – Jan 2027 window.
• Cost: Proposed fixed fee within the stated range.

Evaluation Criteria

• Design Quality: Demonstrated ability to make web interfaces look polished and professional.
• Refactoring Chops: Experience cleaning up existing codebases — not just building from scratch.
• Code Quality: Clean, readable practices. Bonus if we can see public repos.
• Communication: Clarity and efficiency. This is a short engagement; we need someone who's responsive and direct.
• Cost Effectiveness: Alignment with the budget and scope.

How to Submit

Please email your proposal to acasey@capefearcollective.org with the subject line: "Proposal: SoNP Dashboard Developer" by August 7th, 2026.

Fluent in English