Grassroots Fundraising Capacity Building, Training, and Consulting – RFP

1. Background and Purpose

The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Quaker faith-based organization that promotes lasting peace with justice, as a practical expression of faith in action with programs around the globe. Drawing on continuing spiritual insights and working with people of many backgrounds, we nurture the seeds of change and respect for human life that transform social relations and systems.

AFSC is seeking to grow its grassroots fundraising program over the course of the next four years. ASFSC has 21 U.S. based programs of varying size and budget who do local community organizing work while also working to impact national policy changes in the issue areas of Just Migration, Just Economies, and Just Peace.

Specifically, we seek to increase the capacity of our programs to adopt and integrate digital tools towards:

• Doubling the number of our grassroots donors in the U.S.
• Doubling total dollars raised from grassroots support.
• Growing the number of individuals who are “taking action,” especially online.

Qualifications and Competencies

We seek a consultant with proven experience:

• Working with grassroots and community organizers, preferably across the U.S.
• Working as trainers and organizational capacity builders.
• Working with organizations and individuals to grow their constituencies and fundraising potential, with a proven track record of growth.
• Familiarity with the full scope of digital fundraising strategies and tools available for use. Strong preference for facility with EveryAction.
  
  2. Scope of work and Responsibilities:

To help us reach these goals, we seek a consultant who can accomplish at least the following three objectives in coordination with our fundraising and communications team:

• Conduct some light assessment of fundraising capacity for AFSC’s 21 U.S. programs.
• Help develop a fundraising training plan for U.S. staff at various levels of skill, time, and capacity.
• Train and educate our U.S. staff on grassroots fundraising strategies and tactics.

AFSC does already have robust fundraising and communications departments and experienced staff, including an annual giving team and a major gifts team. We are seeking to be in partnership with a consultant who can provide expertise in grassroots fundraising. This consultant will help ensure that the various ideas of AFSC management and key staff are incorporated into a final plan that is aligned with our values and approach. They will also help us position the plan for success.

For context, some of the tools that AFSC uses in the grassroots context include Salesforce, EveryAction, Mobilize, and Donor Drive. Other possible new platforms could be integrated into our program, but these are the ones we are most familiar with.

Conducting a light assessment of capacity likely includes some elements of the following:

Conduct stakeholder interviews with:

• Regional leadership and a small number of focus group meetings with staff representing different levels of fundraising skill and experience.
• A core team of donor marketing and communications staff from our central office.

• Working with advancement staff, provide guidance on available systems to pull reports and review data showing historical list building, engagement, and digital fundraising performance across channels for 21 programs.
• Provide an initial written assessment that addresses key opportunities for improvement for programs at different stages of building out a digital program.
• Present regular findings both verbally, in meetings with key staff, and in short written form. Adapt and adjust the program as needed.

Developing a grassroots fundraising training plan includes:

• Identifying specific topics and skills most necessary for growth.
• Developing a proposed timeline of workshops or other learning opportunities (curriculum) for program staff to participate in.
• Sharing a budget for proposed training program.

Providing training includes:

• Conducting digital training and coaching for up to three cohorts at different levels of ability over the span of up to one year.
• Developing and sharing relevant supporting materials.
  
  4. Proposal Submission Requirements

All proposals must be received by 5:00 pm ET on October 15, 2026. Send a transmittal letter and proposal to Theresa Kirby, Managing Director of Marketing and Communications tkirby@afsc.org and Edith Sargon, Associate Regional Director, West Region esargon@afsc.org as an Adobe PDF file. 

Proposals should be no more than six pages in length, must address the complete scope of work and deliverables, and include the following sections:

        a. Organization/Consultant Background

State the name of the organization and/or evaluator. If an organization, please describe the general nature of its work and name who will be conducting the work.  Describe the education, skills, and experiences that uniquely qualify the evaluator for this work.  Please include two examples of related work completed with contact information for the organizations served.

       b. Statement of Proposed Work

State in succinct terms an understanding of the work to be completed.  Describe the approach proposed, including a timetable for completion of specific tasks, the personnel needed to complete tasks, and expectations for support and assistance from AFSC.

      c. Budget

Please articulate a provisional budget of no more than $100,000, in clearly segmented categories or areas, and in the case of activities that need further elaboration, share a range of costs, a day rate, or similar.