Jobs, RFPs, & Internships

Download Request For Proposals: Strategic Fundraising Consultant

Introduction of Purpose

This RFP is being issued in response to the need for a diverse funding base for the Rhode Island Food Policy Council in order to ensure the fi nancial sustainability needed to achieve our objectives and pursue our purpose: to create a more just and resilient local food system.

About the Rhode Island Food Policy Council

The Rhode Island Food Policy Council (RIFPC) is an independent statewide network established in 2011 with a mission to promote a more equitable, accessible, economically vibrant, and environmentally sustainable food system. RIFPC is the only food policy council in Rhode Island. We convene, educate, and foster community-based advocacy that drives good food policy forward in order to achieve a just and resilient food system for all Rhode Islanders. We coordinate a statewide network of stakeholders representing all stages of the food chain – production, harvesting, processing, distribution, consumption, and waste management who catalyze high-impact partnerships, projects, and programs that address systemic and structural inequities. Our work centers equity and supports civic engagement, a critical component of a healthy democracy.

We operate with a small, collaborative professional staff, a broad network of engaged and diverse council members, and hundreds of stakeholders from across the Ocean State. More information about RIFPC can be found at www.rifoodcouncil.org.

Scope of Work

RIFPC seeks proposals of $15,000-$20,000 to prepare a roadmap for accessing new funding opportunities including, but not limited to, assessment of the potential of the following funding pathways:

• An endowment fund
• An individual giving campaign
• A Donor Advised Fund (DAF) campaign
• A corporate giving program
• Additional private foundation prospects

The selected contractor will work closely with RIFPC’s Executive Director, Board Fundraising Committee, and other RIFPC staff to: research and analyze outcomes of their assessment, create a multi-year fundraising strategy, and report on outcomes of their work via a written report and a verbal presentation.

The contractor will help inform and organize RIFPC fundraising tools and documents and ensure that they are well-coordinated with the organization’s communication strategy and tools. They will share their fi ndings with the full RIFPC staff and board. The scope of work will start in September 2025 and end in March 2026. Scope of work and/or contract length may be expanded if additional funds become available.

Requirements:

• Highly organized with experience leading fundraising research and strategy development.
• Experienced in assessing the feasibility of a wide range of potential funding pathways and creation of fundraising strategies for clients.
• Skilled in developing compelling pitch decks and narratives.

Proposals will be evaluated based on quality of the following required elements:

• Demonstration/description of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated capacity to organize and execute projects of similar scale.
• Anticipated schedule, work fl ow and time dedication for the period of October 2025 to March 2026.
• Detailed budget description including any travel-related expenses.

Submit proposals by October 7th, 2025 via email to:

Nessa Richman, Executive Director
Rhode Island Food Policy Council
nessa@rifoodcouncil.org

Please use subject line: Strategic Fundraising Consultant proposal – [your name]

Please reach out to the above contact with any questions about scope, schedule or budget

Download Request For Proposals: Strategic Policy Advocacy & Communications Consultant

Introduction of Purpose

This RFP is being issued in response to the need to align RIFPC’s communications to best position the organization for impact following changes in the federal landscape.

About the Rhode Island Food Policy Council

The Rhode Island Food Policy Council (RIFPC) is an independent statewide network established in 2011 with a mission to promote a more equitable, accessible, economically vibrant, and environmentally sustainable food system. RIFPC is the only food policy council in Rhode Island. We convene, educate, and foster community-based advocacy that drives good food policy forward in order to achieve a just and resilient food system for all Rhode Islanders. We coordinate a statewide network of stakeholders representing all stages of the food chain – production, harvesting, processing, distribution, consumption, and waste management who catalyze high-impact partnerships, projects, and programs that address systemic and structural inequities. Our work centers equity and supports civic engagement, a critical component of a healthy democracy.

We operate with a small, collaborative professional staff, a broad network of engaged and diverse council members, and hundreds of stakeholders from across the Ocean State. More information about RIFPC can be found at www.rifoodcouncil.org.

Scope of Work

RIFPC seeks proposals of $30,000-$40,000 for strategic communications planning.

The selected contractor, guided by the Executive Director and Associate Director for Network, will provide strategic communication plans, advising, and key documents for use in outreach to the general public and key policy decision makers:

• General public
  • Work to create an informed 2-year strategic communications plan with clear goals, objectives, analysis of target audiences, specifi c and consistent key messages, and evaluation plan.
  • Implement and/or support implementation of the plan using existing tools such as the website, newsletter, listservs, and social media channels.
  • Recommend potential new tools and avenues to gain earned media for key events (e.g., the Annual Retreat, the Compost Conference) and deliverables (e.g., the Food System Factbook, targeted research reports).
• Policy decision makers
  • Create an informed 2-year strategic communications plan to advance RIFPC’s Good Food Policy Platform.
  • Support three Work Groups in developing strategies to advance state policy priorities including engagement with partners, potential coalition members, legislative champions, key committees, and the Governor’s Office.
  • Advise on branding and web presence of products related to the Good Food Policy Platform and the three work groups’ policy priorities

Requirements:

• High level of strategic communications experience
• High level of experience developing and implementing strategic communications plans
• High level of experience supporting organizations to achieve advocacy/policy goals
• Comfortable working with/presenting to diverse stakeholders
• Ability to comfortably solicit and incorporate feedback from diverse stakeholders
• Previous work with Rhode Island nonprofi t organizations and members of the press is a plus
• Previous work with Rhode Island policy makers and/or advocates is a plus
• Fluency in Google workspace tools is necessary
• Familiarity with Basecamp is a plus

Proposals will be evaluated based on quality of the following required elements:

• Demonstration/description of relevant project and/or event management experience
• Demonstrated capacity to organize and execute projects of similar scale
• Anticipated schedule, work fl ow and time dedication for the period of October 2025 to March 2026
• Detailed budget description, exclusive of printing costs, materials, supplies, food and other event expenses to be incurred by RIFPC directly

Submit proposals by October 7th, 2025 via email to:

Rachel Newman Greene, Associate Director for Network
Rhode Island Food Policy Council
rachel@rifoodcouncil.org

Please use subject line: Strategic Fundraising Consultant proposal – [your name]

Please reach out to the above contact with any questions about scope, schedule or budget