RFP: United Way Seeking Capacity Building Support

TO: Prospective Bidders

FROM: United Way of South Central Michigan

CONTACT: Andrea Meinema-Macklin, Director of Community Impact – Investments and Community Partnerships

RE: Request for Proposal (RFP) to provide capacity building support to nonprofit partners, including group workshops and individual advising

DATE: September 10, 2026

ABOUT UNITED WAY OF SOUTH CENTRAL MICHIGAN

United Way of South Central Michigan (UWSCMI) is a nonprofit organization that brings together the people, ideas and resources to create strong, caring communities where every person is valued, thriving, and connected for the common good. We lift our local communities by reducing racial and economic disparities; addressing the needs of households in financial hardship; and creating opportunities for every person to reach their full potential. 

Our vision: Strong, caring communities where every person is valued, thriving, and connected for the common good.

Our work lifts our local communities by reducing racial and economic disparities; addressing the needs of ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households in youth opportunity, healthy community, financial security, and community resiliency; and, creating opportunities for every person to reach their full potential.

EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

UWSCMI is committed to dismantling systemic inequities that continue to cause harm for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC), Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) people, women, and people with disabilities. We believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do. We strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities. Together, we will continue to build capacity and accountability into our policies, practices, and partnerships.

Full UWSCMI Equity Statement can be read here: https://unitedforscmi.org/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/

Purpose:

UWSCMI is seeking proposals from qualified consultants or firms to provide capacity building support to funded partners, UWSCMI’s nonprofit grantees. Partner agencies range in size from 1 employee to 192 employees, with widely differing budgets and geographic service areas. Support should continue throughout the grant period, ending 9/30/2027. Only Michigan-based firms or consultants need apply. Support should include:

• Virtual group workshops on the following topics:
  • Board Governance
  • Nonprofit Accounting
  • Grant Writing
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Regularly scheduled, bookable office hours for individual advising.

Scope of Work:

The consultant will be responsible for designing and facilitating 4 virtual workshops during the contract period to support capacity building of UWSCMI funded partners. Workshops will be hosted on UWSCMI’s digital community platform (assistance provided by UWSCMI Marketing and Communications team). Virtual workshops must accommodate up to 150 attendees. Workshops should be 2-4 hours in length, allowing enough time to cover the curriculum and answer participant questions.

The consultant will establish weekly or bi-weekly office hours, bookable by individual agencies to obtain tailored advice/consulting or referrals to additional resources.  A minimum of 96 hours should be made available for this service during the contract term. There should be a mix of virtual and in-person hours available.

Accessibility:

Reasonable accommodations must be offered to facilitate attendance for workshops and office hours.

Timeline: To align with the organization’s funding cycle, the following deliverables are expected by or before the following dates:

• By November 7, 2026-booking link for weekly or bi-weekly office hours
• October-December 2026- partner workshop
• January-March 2027- partner workshop
• April-June 2027- partner workshop
• July-September 2027- partner workshop
• October 2027 Final report including number of workshop attendees, number of individual meetings, any key findings or recommendations for future programming.

Reporting: Reports to UWSCMI Director of Community Impact – Investments and Community Partnerships with support from UWSCMI’s Community Impact team.

Proposal Submission Guidelines:

1. Executive Summary: A brief overview of your firm, qualifications, and relevant experience in facilitating relevant training modules. Industry-specific experience supporting nonprofits required. Include areas of subject matter/content expertise for consulting/coaching in groups and individual sessions.
2. Methodology: An outline of the approach you would take to complete the described project, including research-informed curriculum, timeline, framework/tools, and goals and outcomes. Please include how your overall business practices and project approach are aligned with UWSCMI’s values and focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion in service of lifting ALICE households. For more information on UWSCMI’s vision, mission, and values, please review our website here.
3. Relevant Experience: Details of previous projects that demonstrate your expertise in supporting projects of this scope and size and in relevant subject matter.
4. Team Expertise: A summary of the qualifications and experience of the individuals who will be directly involved in the project. Please specifically identify what role each individual in the team will serve to meet the goals of the scope of work.
5. Budget: A detailed budget that includes all costs associated with the project, including consultant fees, travel, accommodation, meeting and workshop costs, and any other relevant expenses. (Not to exceed $30,000)
6. References: Contact information for at least three professional references from clients who can speak to your experience in consulting and facilitation.

Qualified entities shall provide a proposal to UWSCMI via email to communityimpact@uwscmi.org  with the above materials by September 25 at 5PM EST. Questions about the RFP should be directed to Andrea Meinema-Macklin, Director of Community Impact – Investments and Community Partnerships, through the above mentioned e-mail account.