Resource

About Smart Growth America (SGA)

Smart Growth America (SGA) is a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, DC, that helps create healthy, prosperous, and resilient places to live for all people through research, advocacy, and direct community support. Our work spans housing and land use, transportation, and economic development to find solutions to communities’ most pressing needs. Through technical assistance, advocacy, and thought
leadership, we support communities in achieving livable places, healthy people, and shared prosperity.

Goals and objectives

SGA seeks an experienced fundraising consultant (either an individual or a small firm) to build and implement a strategy to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of high-capacity individual donors. The selected consultant will work closely with our leadership team to enhance SGA’s long-term fundraising capacity and impact.The primary goals for this engagement include:

• Fundraising Systems Development
• Prospect Identification and Cultivation
• Donor Engagement and Solicitation Support

Fixed-fee scope and deliverables

Scope includes:

• • Assessment of current fundraising efforts and infrastructure
  • Major donor development strategy and tactical implementation plan
  • List of at least 30 potential high-capacity prospects with alignment rationale
  • Coaching and solicitation prep sessions with key staff/board members (at least 3)
  • Draft of donor cultivation and stewardship materials
  • Progress report and final strategy refinement

Deliverables include:

• Plan for Major Donor Development
• Donor Prospecting List with Background Profiles
• Solicitation Coaching Materials
• Donor Communication Templates
• Progress Summary Report (Final)

Budget

SGA has budgeted up to $25,000-$40,000 for this job. SGA will take value and cost into account in assessing proposals.

Additional services: Hourly rate proposal

SGA may seek continued fundraising support beyond the initial scope. Additional services could include:

• Event strategy and implementation (e.g., donor salons, briefings)
• Donor communications and campaign copywriting
• Continued prospect identification
• Research and relationship mapping for new sectors or regions

Submission requirements

Proposals (maximum 10 pages) must include:

• Background and relevant experience, particularly in developing individual major donors
• Description of approach and proposed work plan, including a fundraising goal
• Two (2) references for similar fundraising work
• Fixed-price proposal for the deliverables described above
• Hourly rates for any additional fundraising services

Application process and timeline

Please submit your proposal by August 29, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET via email to Ashley Heckstall, Senior Manager, Events and Development: [email protected]. Subject line should read: Major Donor Fundraising RFP

Estimated project timeline:

• RFP Issued: August 1, 2025
• Proposal Deadline: August 29, 2025
• Finalist Interviews: Week of September 8, 2025
• Consultant Selected: September 19, 2025
• Project Kickoff: September 25, 2025
• Midpoint Check-in: Week of February 23, 2026
• Project Completion: September 24, 2026

Evaluation and selection

SGA is committed to full and open competition and encourages submissions from small, disadvantaged, minority, and women-owned businesses. Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• • Strength of experience and qualifications of key personnel
  • Experience working with nonprofit organizations at SGA’s size
  • Cost competitiveness and value
  • Proposed approach
  • Understanding of and alignment with SGA’s mission

SGA will also consider other benefits associated with the procurement in the selection process including, but not limited to, the opportunity to use small, disadvantaged, and minority and/or woman-owned firms or individual consultants.

SGA would consider extending this contract into additional years, based on the success of the effort. SGA may discontinue this RFP at any time at its discretion and without explanation.