Responses due by noon, May 19, 2021
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: For a consultant to evaluate and recommend a new, grant database solution to enhance workflow for an economic development foundation.
Responses due by NOON, MAY 19, 2021
Request for Proposals
The Golden LEAF Foundation is seeking proposals from qualified consultants to work with staff to evaluate and recommend a grant management solution (or enterprise management system) that will replace the organization’s existing Blackbaud Grantmaking for Foundations with a different solution, and to recommend enhancements to workflow effectiveness and efficiency within the programs function and between programs and administrative operations. The solution should be secure; flexible; easy to use, configure, and maintain; support the integrity of each step in sequential processes; incorporate some historic data; and, accommodate growth at the Foundation over the next decade. While Golden LEAF does no fundraising, CRM is critical to both our programs and external affairs teams. The solution provider should be financially stable, accessible, and have a record of responsiveness to its customers.
Scope of Work
Golden LEAF expects the evaluation process to include at least the following elements:
- Methodology for evaluation and recommendation process for a grant management solution (“GMS”), including specific criteria to be evaluated, and for programs workflow improvements with opportunities to incorporate suggestions of Golden LEAF staff
- Work session with Golden LEAF staff members to understand programs workflows, processes, and “pain points”
- Evaluation of approximately six (6) GMS/foundation enterprise management solution providers including Fluxx, Salesforce, and Wizehive.
- Work session with Golden LEAF staff to discuss findings and obtain staff feedback
- Preparation of evaluation/recommendation document—including writing, editing, and layout of the document—with an executive summary, description of methodology, evaluation results (including a comparative table of findings), recommendations for a GMS (with the underlying logic for the recommendations) and for workflow improvements, and the supporting documentation for recommendations made (which may include interview summaries or notes from conversation with current or former users of grant database software, company research, etc.)
- Presentation of evaluation and recommendations to Golden LEAF staff members with the opportunity for staff members to ask questions
- Additional or different elements of the evaluation/review process recommended by the consultant and agreed to by Golden LEAF
Qualifications
Golden LEAF seeks a consultant with demonstrated experience successfully evaluating and/or recommending GMS providers for not-for-profit, governmental, and/or philanthropic organizations and familiarity with some or all of Golden LEAF’s programmatic priority areas of economic development, workforce preparedness, and agriculture.
The consultant will also possess the following qualifications:
- Experience gathering and utilizing data to inform GMS product selection and implementation
- Experience in workflow process improvement
- Ability to provide an unbiased evaluation of GMS providers based on an established set of criteria
- Ability to understand and incorporate unique needs of Golden LEAF, especially its programs function, in the assessment of GMS providers and overall recommendations
- Ability to solicit input from individuals with first-hand knowledge of grant management solutions, from developers to users
- Detailed knowledge of the grantmaking lifecycle
- Presence in North Carolina preferred
For the full RFP, click here.