2021 RFP: Development & Fundraising Consultant
Special Citizens is searching for a seasoned professional in the nonprofit consulting field to partner with us, and to help us build upon our mission to empower those with autism, developmental disabilities, and intellectual disabilities.
Please read full project description below before applying.
Special Citizens Development & Fundraising Consultant RFP
Special Citizens Futures Unlimited (SCFU) is seeking a highly experienced consultant to create a development and fundraising strategy that will assist us in meeting our fundraising goals for our growing organization. Successful candidates will demonstrate the capacity and expertise to grow our mailing, emailing, and donor lists, as well as conceive a communications strategy that expands our reach and ultimately results in meeting fundraising goals. Critical to candidate proposals will also be the development of strategies and planning that overcomes the inherent hurdles of a very geographically localized and niche organizational mission in the space of non-profit work that is centered in human services for individuals with autism, developmental, and intellectual disabilities; while also addressing the anticipated continuing impacts of COVID-19 on fundraising and philanthropic efforts.
About the Work
Since 1976, Special Citizens has been a resource for parents, families, and advocates of people living with autism, developmental, and intellectual disabilities. We provide a place to call home to members of our community who have aged out of school-based programs, and provide respite to parents and caretakers primarily in the Bronx and Westchester. Our three core services are:
1. Day Services: Special Citizens operates (2) Day Services locations in the Bronx and Westchester. Operating Monday – Friday, our Day Services programs work to reinforce the everyday skills necessary to successfully function in the world around us. We focus intensively on ensuring all program participants spend time in their local communities learning life skills, functional academics, and experiencing volunteerism, along with a variety of sports and recreational activities.
2. Residential: Our residential locations span the Bronx, Westchester, and Manhattan, and they include 24-hour supervised Group Homes & Supported Independent Living Apartments. Beyond giving residents a place to call home, our Residential Services are designed to reinforce the skills that are developed at our Day Services programs. Through it all, we encourage every Special Citizens resident to interact with their surrounding communities, as we provide support every step of the way.
3. Community Habilitation/Respite: For the people we support in our Community Habilitation efforts, from age five and up, our person-centered programs are structured around their needs, wants, and ideas. We deliver a wide variety of services including enhancement of daily living activities, socialization skills, travel training, community inclusion, money management, and more.
While the work and its impacts are substantial, compared to other non-profit organizations our efforts are extremely localized, often stymying our ability to extend our donor/supporter-base much further beyond family and select community members who know our work directly. One of the main issues you will focus on is overcoming this roadblock and enabling us to exceed our current average, annual donor-based fundraising totals of $50,000-$75,000 ($25,000-$30,000 is generally raised at our annual event, and an equal amount of funds is typically donated over the year, from individual donors. More than 90% of our funding is from government aid & sources).
Role of the Consultant
Our fundraising consultant will help us refine our goals and strategies and implement a fundraising plan that accomplishes the following:
- Outline and demonstrate a clear strategy on how you will grow our mailing, email, and donor lists.
- Describe in as much detail as possible and/or as necessary what your plan will entail insofar as timeline, benchmarks, and deliverables.
- Develop additional innovative fundraising strategies.
- Write outlines and/or templates for outreaches and appeals, and if possible and/or applicable for funding applications.
- Support SCFU staff and key stakeholders in the implementation of the fundraising plan, including coaching staff; help in identifying and connecting with new donors, tracking progress; and development of materials, copy, scripts & other related support materials.
Proposed Timeline
We anticipate the initial phase of the project to run approximately 16 weeks, as outlined below, but we are open to recommendations from responding consultants for extending and/or altering this timeline.
- Weeks 1-3: Consultant and SCFU work to establish a clear schedule of strategy implementation, based upon consultant’s proposal and any preceding/ensuing discussions.
- Week 3-4: Completion of initial fundraising plan.
- Week 4: Begin support of SCFU staff in plan implementation.
- Weeks 5 to 15: Provide support and consultation, and any applicable analysis and/or feedback.
- Week 16: End initial exploratory phase & assess potential for continued consultancy.
Desired Qualifications
- Experience coordinating fundraising campaigns greater than $250,000.
- Broad knowledge and demonstrated record of fundraising strategies/campaigns, as well as an expertise in philanthropy (including institutional philanthropy, major individual donors, family foundations, donor advised funds, and experience particularly with human services philanthropy and new high net worth donors).
- Strong ability to develop compelling copy and fundraising collateral.
- Ability to identify and strategize on connecting SCFU with potential new funding sources.
- Commitment to autism acceptance, as well as social, racial, gender, and economic justice.
- Knowledge of the autism, developmental/intellectual disability communities is a plus but not required.
Compensation
Please include a budgetary schedule of your requested compensation for the 16-week initial project phase in as much detail as needed. We also encourage respondents to include an extended budget beyond the 16-week period, i.e. monthly/annual fee structures.
How to Apply
Applicants should send proposal to SCFU including:
- Detailed description of qualifications including description of similar past projects.
- A preliminary outline of how you would approach this project.
- A proposed fee structure.
- At least two client references.
Please send proposals to development@specialcitizens.org by June 30, 2021.
About Special Citizens
In 1976, a group of parents came together to create ongoing adult programs for their children with autism, intellectual disabilities, and/or developmental disabilities, who had aged out of Special Education services in their community schools. With the help of a three-year grant, Special Citizens Futures Unlimited was born.
A few years later, in December of 1981, we opened our first group home in Westchester and haven’t looked back. Today, with the generosity of our incredible community, we have a staff of 200+ caregivers who support 300 people in multiple Residential Locations, Group Homes and (2) Day Habilitation programs across New York City, the Bronx, and Westchester.
Our dedicated team provides a wide array of services, including:
- Specialized Residential Programs
- Day-Services
- Community-Habilitation
- Respite
- Life Skills Programs
- Recreation
