Request for Proposals - Grant Writing Services

Purpose of Consultant

We seek to contract a grant writer and researcher to work with us to raise new private grant funds to allow us to hire a third full-time staff member, ideally an experienced attorney, in 2025.  A third staff member will not only allow PLAN to improve and expand our legal services but also give our Executive Director (currently also our only attorney) the time she needs to build relationships, fundraise, and develop organizational infrastructure to move us toward our larger vision for the future.  We estimate our total annual budget with the new position will be $425,000.  We seek a grant writer and researcher who can help us meet this fundraising goal by obtaining new and ideally multi-year and/or renewable private grant funds over the next year.

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Scope of Work

The grant writer’s scope of work may include, but is not limited to:

• Identifying new, aligned sources of funding for which PLAN is eligible, especially funding sources outside of Arizona to fund our three main areas of work: free legal services for non-detained undocumented immigrants, immigrant storytelling and art to change the narrative on immigration, and building power in solidarity with local immigrant-led organizations.
• Introducing PLAN to aligned funders and supporting us in cultivating those relationships.
• Developing a grants calendar and submitting customized grant proposals to potential funders in accordance with the grants calendar.
• Reviewing and providing feedback on grant materials prepared by our Executive Director.  
• Reviewing, improving, and creating grant proposal template materials including letters of inquiry, budget narratives, program narratives,program outcomes & impacts etc.
• Identifying documentary and/or infrastructure gaps that prevent PLAN from accessing other funding sources and creating a checklist to help us fill these gaps moving forward.
• Solicit and, when provided, incorporate funder feedback into grant proposal template materials.

Budget

$20,000-$30,000 over a period of 9-12 months with monthly evaluations of progress and the opportunity for either party to terminate or modify the contract.  If you do not believe this budget is adequate to achieve our goals, please let us know in your proposal and propose an appropriate budget and/or smaller scope of work.  Please keep in mind our small staff size and annual revenue when preparing your proposal.

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Applicants for this grant writing services contract should possess a recent track record of securing grant funding, especially private grant funding.

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Ideal candidates will have experience successfully obtaining grant funding for organizations of comparable size and/or scope (e.g. small/start-up nonprofits, nonprofits serving undocumented immigrants, and/or non-profits engaged in narrative change or legal services work).  

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Proposal Deadline: March 8, 2024, and thereafter on rolling basis until the ideal candidate contracted.  Proposals should be submitted by email to info@planphx.org with the subject line “Grant Writing Services Proposal.”

Proposal Review:  Mid-March. First round of proposal review.  If no submitted proposal meets our needs, we will continue reviewing proposals on a rolling basis.

Meeting: Late March.  Top candidates will be invited to meet with PLAN staff and/or board members in late March for 30-45 min. to get to know each other better and to discuss the details of the proposal and scope of work.

Decision: April.  Finalize contract.  Work to start in April 2024.

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Proposal Requirements

Applicants for this grant writing services contract should possess a recent track record of securing grant funding, especially private grant funding.  Ideal candidates will have experience successfully obtaining grant funding for organizations of comparable size and/or scope (e.g. small/start-up nonprofits, nonprofits serving undocumented immigrants, and/or non-profits engaged in narrative change or legal services work).  

Proposals should be submitted by email to info@planphx.org with the subject line “Grant Writing Services Proposal” and should include the following items:

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1. CV/Resume

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2. Letter of interest which:

• Discusses your interest in providing grant writing services to PLAN and/or to support our work reimagining immigrant justice in Arizona.  If applicable, please share any prior experience (lived or professional experience) working with immigrant-led organizations and/or immigrant communities.
• Explains your track record of recent, successful grant funding (need not include specific names, but must include specific details such as type of organization (size and scope), type funder (public/private), amount requested, amount awarded etc.). Highlights prior experience, if any, specifically seeking funding for undocumented immigrants, legal services, narrative change work,and/or community education and power building. If applying as a firm, rather than as an individual consultant, also provide this information for the individual grant writer(s)who will be assigned to work with PLAN.
• Outlines deliverables during the contract period e.g.estimate of number of proposals to be submitted, number of funders to connect with PLAN, etc. that demonstrates a clear understanding of the scope of work.
• Describes your process for working with non-profits to ensure you understand its work, impact, and values to ensure future funder alignment and accurate and successful grant proposals.

3. Budget: Proposed budget and details of proposed fee structure (whether hourly or on project-basis). This can also be included in the letter of interest if more convenient.

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4. References: Provide at least two references for clients or employers for whom you have provided similar services.  Include name of contact, affiliation, capacity in which worked them, email address, and direct phone number.

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5. Writing Sample: Attach one successful (fully or partially funded) grant proposal sample. A sample proposal for a private foundation is strongly preferred.