Request for Proposals

Search for a Development Consultant

November 8, 2022

Issued by:

New Orleans Workers' Center for Racial Justice

Representative:

LaToya Johnson, Co-Executive Director

ljohnson@nowcrj.org

Contract Term:

Twelve (12) Months

Submission Deadline:

January 31, 2023

Introduction & Background

New Orleans Workers' Center for Racial Justice is a multi-racial membership-based organization dedicated to building the power and participation of poor people to expand democracy and transform the economy. We organize directly affected people and couple their courage with strategic organizing, legal, policy, and communications work to build campaigns that advance racial justice, immigrant rights, and a fair economy. Our members are Black and immigrant workers and families in New Orleans and the Gulf South. Over the last fifteen years, the Center's organizing and policy victories have substantially improved the material conditions for poor people in the South. Together with our allies, we are advancing a movement to fight for dignified work, racial justice, a liberation that transcends borders, and our full participation in every decision that affects our lives.

New Orleans Workers' Center for Racial Justice needs a Development Consultant. Therefore, it is accepting proposals in response to this Request for Proposal ("RFP") to find a qualified source to develop and implement development plans to support administrative operations and activities across all units that support the organization's work.

This Request for Proposal aims to locate a source that will provide the best overall value to NOWCRJ. While the price is a significant factor, other criteria will form the basis of our award decision, as described in the Evaluation Factors section of this Request for Proposal below.

Submission Guidelines & Requirements

The following submission guidelines & requirements apply to this Request for Proposal:

• Only qualified individuals or firms with prior experience on projects such as this should submit proposals in response to this Request for Proposal.
  
• Bidders must list at least three projects substantially similar to this project as part of their response, including references for each.
  
• A price proposal must be provided and should indicate the project's overall fixed price, hourly rates, and an estimated number of hours.
  
• An authorized representative of the bidder's company must sign the proposals.
  
• If you have a standard set of terms and conditions, please submit them with your proposal. All terms and conditions will be subject to negotiation.
  
• Proposals must remain valid for 30 days.
  
• NOWCRJ anticipates selecting at least two individuals or firms to have more in-depth discussions with and will make an award to one of these "down-selected" individuals or firms.
  

Project Description

The description of the project is as follows:

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Develop and Run an Overall Development Strategy for NOWCRJ

• Lead conversations with the executive team and Board of Directors to devise, implement, and evaluate fundraising strategies for the organization
• Work with NOWCRJ's management team to develop a five-year fundraising plan that meets broad goals, including raising 20% of NOWCRJ's budget through donor development
  
• Work with staff to develop and implement strategy around marketing and communications for fundraising
  
• Work with the Director of Finance and Administration to create organizational revenue projections as part of the budgeting process
  

Provide Support in Obtaining Grants and Maintaining Funder Relationships:

• Oversee the organization's funding stream from foundations, including researching grant opportunities, writing and submitting applications, and managing reporting requirements
  
• Oversee research of funding trends, with foresight, to help position NOWCRJ ahead of significant funding changes or trends
  
• Develop and execute all proposals, writing and editing compelling narratives for on-time submission
  
• Support the implementation of a long-term relationship-management approach with current and prospective funders and support the Co-Executive Directors in managing key relationships
  
• Produce timely, compelling, and accurate grant reports, coordinating with the Administrator and other staff to ensure accuracy
  

Provide Support Managing Individual Donor Relationships:

• Manage a portfolio of funding relationships focused on cultivating and soliciting individual donors
  
• Screen and qualify current donors for higher-level giving
  
• Conduct research to facilitate the solicitation of more significant gifts from a variety of sources, including individuals, private/family foundations
  
• Prospect and develop donors, working with members of the Senior Staff and Board to leverage their resources and networks to identify prospective donors
  
• Develop cultivation and solicitation strategies for each prospect, and coordinate the implementation of these strategies
  
• Help inventory and assign critical funding and donor relationships to Co-Executive Directors and other identified relationship managers within the organization
  
• Set multiple appointments each month to conduct electronic and face-to-face meetings to solicit and cultivate existing, new, and prospective donors
  
• Scope new possibilities, building relationships with prospective donors, experts and activists in the field, peer donors, and others to advance individual giving and major donor programs
  
• Ensure management of relationships with multiple donor sources, developing and implementing a stewardship program aimed at cultivating deeper ties with donors
  
• Support in managing all donor information; provide and present statistical analysis to board and senior leaders
  

Support with Managing Systems and Data Information:

• Maintain and regularly evaluate fundraising systems for greater efficiency and effectiveness. Includes grants calendar, grants archive, grant, and individual donor prospect lists, donation tracking, gift recognition system, and others as needed
  
• Monitor campaign progress and account information to create related and valuable data and reports; track, update, analyze, and evaluate data.
  
• Monitor and report regularly on the progress of the development program.
  

Project Scope

A Development Consultant will provide up to 80 hours per month of development support. NOWCRJ will determine the tasks in any given month in conversation with the Development Consultant.

RFP & Project Timelines

The Request for Proposal timeline is as follows:

 Request for Proposal Issuance

November 9, 2022

Selection of Top Bidders/Notification to Unsuccessful Bidders 

February 1, 2023

 Start Negotiation 

February 6, 2023

Contract Award/Notification to Unsuccessful Bidders 

February 10, 2023

Budget

A price proposal must be provided and should indicate the project's overall fixed price, hourly rates, and an estimated number of hours.

Evaluation Factors

NOWCRJ will rate proposals based on the following factors:

• Responsiveness to the requirements outlined in this Request for Proposal
  
• Relevant past performance/experience
  
• Samples of work (writing samples, accurate figures of funds raised, etc.)
  
• Cost, including an assessment of the total cost of ownership
  
• Technical expertise/experience of bidder and bidder's staff
  
• Experience in the pro-Black movements, immigrant rights movements, and labor movements
  

NOWCRJ reserves the right to award to the bidder with the best value as determined solely by NOWCRJ in its absolute discretion.