Request for Proposals

 

Request for Proposals

Issued: January 10, 2022

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) seeks proposals for a brand and websites audit and refresh. This work could lead to additional, longer-term opportunities to continue shaping and growing NACSA’s brand and creative collateral. We would like to develop a partnership with a dynamic and strategic firm, or a team made up of communications and creative professionals, who share our values.

 

BACKGROUND

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) advances and strengthens the ideas and practices of public charter school authorizing so students and communities—especially those who are historically under-resourced—thrive.

NACSA, with a staff of 18 and several consultants, is an independent voice for thoughtful charter authorizing practices and policies that lead to more great schools. Our research, advocacy, and direct support to authorizers advance more high-quality educational opportunities for students through performance management and oversight.

If NACSA and our key partners are successful with our current strategic plan, authorizing will lead the way in creating sustainable, equitable, innovative, high-quality educational opportunities through:

  • A new infrastructure for listening to, and acting from, community aspirations;
  • Opportunities for more people of color and those with deep ties to the lived experiences of under-resourced students to lead and thrive in education;
  • A broader shared commitment to quality and equity in and beyond the charter sector and across a range of stakeholders.

Authorizers are the roughly 1,000 organizations (nearly all of them school districts) that provide big-picture oversight of charter schools: they decide who can start a new school, set academic and operational expectations, oversee school performance, and decide which schools should continue to serve students or not. Every charter school has an authorizer and, because of that, NACSA has the ability to have a significant impact on the entire educational community. Today, that community includes more than 7,500 public charter schools serving more than 3.3 million students.

NACSA is a trusted leader that works with authorizers and other community stakeholders to create more and better educational opportunities for students. Students and communities have aspirations and needs that require different and bolder approaches to schooling. Authorizing must be connected to these aspirations and needs of communities in order to be a positive force for educational transformation.

THE PROJECT

NACSA has entered a new era with the leadership of M. Karega Rausch—NACSA’s first new CEO since it was founded in 2004, and first Black CEO—and with the new, aforementioned strategic plan. NACSA’s structure and staffing have shifted to reflect the organization’s priorities.

NACSA is ready for a thoughtful audit of our branding as well as various communications tools. Then, we need a smart refresh that maintains NACSA’s identity while communicating new and exciting opportunities, in consistent, widely understood ways.

Currently, our primary tools are:

  • Main website (including the blog and learning management platform AuthoRISE): org
  • Microsite launched in early 2021, org, as a precursor to the strategic plan
  • Microsite that promotes and houses content for our annual NACSA Leadership Conference
  • Social media presences on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn
  • Branding (we plan to keep our logo and core elements of our current brand) – current brand standards are attached

SCOPE OF WORK

NACSA seeks a qualified vendor to:

  • Conduct audit of brand, brand guidelines, and creative assets, with recommendations that include naming and branding conventions for future projects
  • Conduct audit of website(s) and social media, with recommendations
  • Refresh brand; create new brand guidelines and a suite of creative assets, based on approved recommendations
  • Refresh websites and social media, based on approved recommendations

The vendor is expected to be in contact with NACSA staff through all phases of project execution, meeting as needed, and providing written progress updates.

PROJECT TIMELINE & KEY DELIVERABLES

Any approved brand and websites/social refresh must be completed no later than 06/30/2022. The vendor will be expected to provide timeline, including audit completion and other milestones.

PROPOSALS

Vendors choosing to respond to this RFP should include:

  • Introduction summarizing your background, resources, and relevant experience
  • Examples, samples, and references for past projects, preferably of a similar size and scope
  • Proposed budget (with suggested workplan and a breakdown of fees for professional services and hours)­­­­
  • Proposed schedule for the project, including project stages, milestones, and payments
  • Company point of contact for the project, including name, title, phone, and email

PROPOSAL TIMELINE & SUBMISSION

Deadline for submission to NACSA is 01/31/2022. It is anticipated that the selection will be completed by 02/15/2022. Please submit proposal and any related materials to Courtney Hughley, Vice President, Communications at [email protected] by 11:59 p.m. on 01/31/2022.