Request for Proposals - Fundraising Consultant

Purpose of Consultant

PLAN seeks to contract afundraiser with a proven track record for excellence in developing fundraisingplans and a small nonprofit’s fundraising capacity.  PLAN aims to hire a third staff member in2025 and increase our annual budget to $425,000.  To reach this goal and sustain a third staffmember, PLAN must grow its individual and corporate giving.  

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Scope of Work

The fundraiser’s scope ofwork may include, but is not limited to:

• Developing a 1- to 3-year fundraising plan:
  • Conduct an audit of our current fundraising and donor/sponsorcommunication strategies.  Identifystrengths and weakness of existing fundraising efforts and infrastructure todetermine areas of opportunity, improvement, and development.
  • Propose fundraising strategies with high return oninvestment (ROI) that can be implemented with our existing resources.
  • Develop solicitation strategies especially for smallerdonors (0-$1000) that can be implemented with our existing staff, resources,and board members to increase total number of individual donors, retain currentdonors, and seek increases from our current donors.
  • Make recommendations for donor/prospect development andstewardship for high dollar donors (individual and corporate): who are our mostaligned potential donors (top five categories) and how do we reach them?

• Strengthening our team’s fundraising capacity:
  • Prepare and motivate PLAN staff and board members fordonor calls/meetings.
  • Cultivate staff and board members’ giftstewardship practices to increase donor retention and current and future donor givinglevels.

Budget

$8,000-12,000 over a periodof approximately 3-6 months with possibility of extension.  Will include monthly evaluations of progress and the opportunityfor either party to terminate or modify the contract.   If you do not believe this budget isadequate to achieve our goals, please let us know in your proposal and proposean appropriate budget and/or smaller scope of work.  Please keep in mind our small staff size andannual revenue when preparing your proposal.

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Applicants for this fundraising contract shouldpossess a recent track record of individual and corporate giving.  It is most important to us that theconsultant have experience successfully fundraising in Arizona and for small,start-up nonprofits.

We also value candidates with experience fundraisingfor nonprofits serving undocumented immigrants and/or non-profits engaged innarrative change or legal services work.

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Proposal Requirements

Interest candidates should submit a proposal by email to info@planphx.org with the subject line “Fundraising Proposal.” The proposal should includethe following items:

• CV/Resume:
• Letter of interest and proposed scope which:
  • Discusses your interest in providing fundraising servicesto PLAN and/or to support our work reimagining immigrant justice inArizona.  
  • Explains your track record of recent, successfulindividual and corporate giving – particularly in Arizona and with small,start-up nonprofits. This need not include specific names but must includespecific details such as type of organization (size and scope), how you helpedimprove fundraising, and on what time frame).
  • Outlines deliverables during the contract period thatdemonstrates a clear understanding of what we’re seeking to accomplish.
  • Describes your process for working with a non-profit toensure you understand its work, impact, and values to ensure future donoralignment and accurate solicitation and communication strategies.
  • If applying as a firm, rather than as an individualconsultant, also provide this information for the individual fundraiser(s) whowill be assigned to work with PLAN.
• Budget: Consultant’s proposed budget and details of proposed feestructure (whether hourly or onproject-basis). Thiscan also be included in the letter of interest if more convenient.
• References: Provide at least two references for clients or employersfor whom the consultant has provided similar services.  Include name of contact, affiliation,capacity in which worked them, email address, and direct phone number. We willonly contact references for final candidates, after we meet with them inAugust.

 Anticipated Timeline

Proposal Deadline: July 26, 2024, andthereafter on rolling basis until the ideal candidate contracted.  Proposals should be submitted by email to info@planphx.org with the subject line “FundraisingProposal.”

Proposal Review:  Late July/early August. First round ofproposal review.  If no submittedproposal meets our needs, we will continue reviewing proposals on a rollingbasis.

Meeting: Early August.  Top candidates will be invited to meet withPLAN staff and/or board members in early August for 30-40 min. to get to knoweach other better and to discuss the details of the proposal and scope of work.

Decision: August.  Finalize contract.  Work to start mid/late August 2024.