Writing a Nonprofit RFP – Why It Matters & How to Improve Yours

What is an RFP?

RFP: “A request for proposal” – a solicitation, often made through a bidding process, by an agency or company interested in procurement of a commodity, service or valuable asset, to potential suppliers to submit business proposals.

Why is writing a nonprofit RFP necessary?

If you’ve ever taken part in redesigning your nonprofit’s site through a third-party, you’ve probably dealt with writing an RFP or in the least, a project brief. It is often a challenge to figure out all of what your site needs, let alone figure out how to prioritize your wish list.

Regardless of the difficulty, it is often necessary. For starters, it provides a space on which to map out your goals and allows an agency to view the scope of the project.

That’s why we’re here to help. Here are the first five things to think about as you approach this vital step.

Things to think about as you start…

1. Goals 

This seems obvious, but recognize the importance of having clear goals and a purpose for the redesign. Not just a list of 10 things you need to fix NOW, but really decide what you’d like out of your web presence. What does your site do well now and where can it be improved? Use past analytics and talk to real users of your website rather than playing a guessing game. Once you have a clear understanding of your site’s current performance, it will be easier to set AND prioritize clear goals.

P.S. Keep in mind that your website wish list will be much longer than your budget allows. If you are able to prioritize the functionality needed, you can phase out the website over time. This will also keep you from conducting a big redesign every few years and having a stagnant site in the meantime. Read more on this type of approach with “The Benefits of Growth-Driven Design.”

2. Budget’s limits

How much are you willing to spend on this project? Having a firm budget or at least providing a range allows the agency to tell you their offerings within those parameters. It will be a waste of not only your time, but also the agency’s, if you aren’t clear on this number. If they can’t design or build what you need within your budget, perhaps it’s not a good fit or the scope needs to be adjusted.

What influences budget?

• Number of page layouts (i.e. homepage, interior, gallery, donation, etc.) The more custom page layouts, the more it costs.
• Functionality – such as dynamic content, integrations needed, custom code vs. plug-ins
• Design and content – do you have high quality images, video and content? If not, you will probably need this quoted out.

3. Candidates

You don’t have to send this out to every agency you find. Research which agencies that nonprofits you admire work with, maybe focusing only on agencies that work specifically in the nonprofit realm. We recommend sending your RFP to 3-5 agencies that seem like a good fit. That way you can spend less time corresponding and negotiating with several agencies and more time really getting to know the handful that have a higher potential of actually working out.

Some agencies may use RFP Software to make sure they don’t miss any requirements and submit a thorough RFP.

4. Preliminary phone calls

Similar to our last point, actually getting to know the agencies before sending them your RFP can help you. In speaking with an actual person at the agency, you can quickly figure out if they meet base qualifications and would be interested in the project.

5. Leaving room for creativity

Just because you’re defining your priorities, does not mean you have to define every piece of the puzzle you need. There’s a reason you’re seeking out an agency’s expertise. Especially if they work mainly with nonprofits, they’ll have ideas you’ll want to hear and you’ll want to leave room for this creativity. The preliminary phone call we pointed to may help you see if their ideas appeal to you and can help you determine how specific you have to get with your RFP.

If you want to talk to an agency as we mentioned above, call ArcStone at 612.455.7200. Also, take a peek at “What we learned from designing 5 nonprofit sites.”