CCVO Request for Proposals: Mapping the Field in the Nonprofit Sector
CCVO seeks proposals to create a database of nonprofits in Alberta, and administer a survey on the impact of the global pandemic and economic recession on the nonprofit sector.
Date of RFP closing: March 5, 2021
Value of contract: To be determined
Page limit of response: 5 pages
PROJECT OVERVIEW
CCVO (Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations) is a member-based charitable organization that was established in 2004 to strengthen Calgary’s vibrant nonprofit sector, and address sector-related public policy issues in Alberta. The high quality of life enjoyed in Alberta communities is built on many of the programs, activities, and services run by more than 26,000 nonprofits and charities that make up Alberta’s nonprofit sector. CCVO supports these organizations through sector research, advocacy, and informed convening and programming activities.
Alberta’s nonprofit sector has an important role to play in creating a healthier and more just society. Recent analysis and reporting on the sector show that many organizations are facing a number of challenges (e.g., funding, new ways of working) due to the uncertainties in our operating landscape as a result of the global pandemic and global economic downturn.
CCVO has identified a need to gather some fundamental data about the impacts of the pandemic on the nonprofit sector as a whole so that we may better understand which nonprofits are facing significant challenges, what those challenges are, and which nonprofits are faring well or perhaps even better than they were pre-pandemic.
Your firm will help CCVO understand the impacts - positive and negative - of COVID-19 on the nonprofit sector. This is a project in several parts including: (1) working with CCVO and our partner organizations to create a database of nonprofits that includes contact information, and categorizes nonprofits by theme, budget size and staff size; (2) creating and disseminating a quantified and representative survey, and (3) reporting on its results.
A significant part of this work will involve troubleshooting the challenges of quantifying the nonprofit sector in Alberta and obtaining contact information. There does not appear to be a central public database that tracks and organizes nonprofits according to theme, budget size and staff size, or that collects contact information. We have included relevant sources of data in Appendix 1 (located in RFP PDF file). Proposing methodology to develop a themed database of Alberta nonprofits is an integral part of this work.
The survey should capture a cross-section of organizations counted among Alberta’s nonprofit sector, and help CCVO understand how the pandemic and global recession have impacted them. As such, it should include background information not already collected by the database (or confirming what was collected through the database) such as: type of nonprofit organization, charitable status, budget size, staff size, theme, sources of funds. It should also gauge the effect of the pandemic on budget, staffing, capacity to fulfill organizational mission, overtime, unpaid time, and mental health.
Please note: awarding this work is conditional upon receiving additional funds from a partnering grantor. Your RFP submission will form part of the proposal for these funds that CCVO has been invited to submit to the grantor.
PROJECT DELIVERABLES
A real-time updating, searchable database of Alberta non-profits, categorized by theme, budget, and staff size and other data points to be determined with the chosen firm.
Survey distribution and collection using database
A report quantifying the impacts of the global pandemic and economic recession on the operation of Alberta non-profits.
RFP REQUIREMENTS
Your proposal must be submitted by March 5, 2021, and be no longer than 5 pages. It should include:
Project understanding (issues, challenges and opportunities)
Proposed methodology (including high-level timeline, anticipated contents, quality control methods, key software tools) and key items to achieve project success
Project team experience + relevant past projects demonstrating related expertise
In addition to your 5-page proposal, please provide:
Project Team CVs (no more than 2 pages each) and/or overview of your firm and bios of key staff that will be assigned to this project.
Fee schedule (Appendix 2, located in RFP PDF file)
We understand that consultants could go to varying lengths to meet the requirements of the proposed project, alongside vastly different budgets. As such, we are happy to accept up to two different fee schedules for this project, representing a high and low estimate for different ‘levels of service’.
TIMETABLE
Your proposal is due March 5, 2021. We will interview shortlisted firms, and select and notify the winning firm on March 26, 2021. This contract is conditional upon additional funds from a partnering funder to whom we (CCVO) will submit a proposal, based on the winning proposal, on April 30, 2021.
ASSESSMENT
Qualified firms will be competitively assessed based on demonstrated ability to deliver timely, complete, user-friendly and cost-effective products.
All submissions will be assessed against the following 6 criteria (refer to Appendix 3 for more information, located in RFP PDF file):
adherence to RFP instructions;
company information;
demonstration of project understanding;
demonstrated capacity to fulfill project requirements;
viability and history of methodology; and
fee summary (Appendix 2, located in RFP PDF file).
CONDITIONS OF AWARDING CONTRACT
Awarding this work is conditional upon receiving additional funds from a partnering grantor. Your RFP submission will help us flesh out the proposal for these funds.
RESPONSE
Interested firms should respond to The Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations (CCVO) no later than March 5, 2021. Please send your response should be sent via email, with a PDF file that includes all RFP requirements to:
Alexa Briggs
Director, Policy and Research, CCVO
Email: abriggs@calgarycvo.org
Phone: 403.910.5871
cc: kball@calgarycvo.org