RFP: Strategic Sustainability Planning for IE Funders Alliance 2025

Date Issued: July 1, 2025 | Proposal Due Date: July 27, 2025

1. Introduction

The Inland Empire Funders Alliance (IEFA, www.iefunders.org) seeks a qualified consultant or firm to facilitate a comprehensive strategic sustainability planning process from July to December 2025. IEFA is a collaborative network of organizations with significant grantmaking activities in the Inland Empire region of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, working together to increase communication, coordination, and collaboration.

• Mission: The mission of the Inland Empire Funders Alliance is to advance equity, advocacy, and systemic change in the Inland Empire by uplifting the region’s assets and opportunities, and leveraging resources for impact.

• Current Strategies: The IEFA pursues this purpose through three core strategies:

  • • Link & Learn: With bimonthly member convenings and special programs, we support grantmakers in the region to build relationships, share information, learn together, and make their funding strategies more responsive and intentional.
  • • Leverage: We seek to increase the quantity and impact of funding to the region by facilitating collaborative grantmaking initiatives on cross-cutting regional issues, including co-funding or pooled funding efforts aimed at fostering a broader ecosystem for belonging and civic engagement.
  • • Lead: We advance collective impact by elevating regional needs, assets, and solutions for more bold, strategic, and generative action, and by advocating for and modeling philanthropic practices that are trust-based, systemic, equitable, and engaged.
 

• The Inland Empire: IEFA serves Southern California’s Inland Empire (San Bernardino and Riverside counties), one of the fastest-growing population centers in the United States. Located 40 miles east of Los Angeles, the IE is rich in diversity, culture, history, and economic opportunity. The region is home to 11,000 innovative, resourceful, mission-driven nonprofit organizations working to transform lives, communities, and the region as a whole.

 

2. Background

The Funders Alliance was founded in 2009 as an informal peer network advocating for increased funding and capacity building for the region’s nonprofits. IEFA has since developed into a more formalized membership organization with 28 dues-paying institutional members including private foundations, corporate foundations, tribal government charitable giving programs, intermediary grantmakers, governmental agencies, and others.

IEFA has also engaged in significant convening and intermediary grantmaking activities focused on building ecosystem-level capacity for civic engagement and belonging. Fiscally sponsored by Southern California Grantmakers, IEFA is led by an Advisory Board with a contracted Project Director and support staff.

As the organization has grown and its environment has rapidly changed, IEFA recognizes the need to refine its strategic focus and address its long-term sustainability. This planning process is intended to strengthen member engagement and value, enhance organizational capacity for impact and sustainability, and solidify IEFA’s unique role within the region’s philanthropic, nonprofit, and civic ecosystems.

With ongoing attacks on vulnerable communities and the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, it is more important than ever for IEFA to become focused on its core priorities, value proposition, and infrastructure for sustained impact.

 

3. Scope of Services

The consultant will facilitate a planning process to assess and enhance IEFA’s effectiveness, capacity, and sustainability. This includes, but is not limited to, developing recommendations around the following areas:

  • • Strategic Direction and Positioning:
    • – In what ways do we need to update and clarify IEFA’s overall strategic priorities and intended impacts in light of the current social and political landscape?
    • – What strategic position and role should IEFA play within the regional philanthropic and stakeholder ecosystem?
    • – What specific priorities and activities should we focus on? What can we reduce or abandon?
  • • Member Service and Engagement:
    • – What is our core member value proposition as we serve institutions with a wide range of priorities and limitations?
    • – How can we develop our membership, including service to current members and opportunities for expansion?
    • – How can we optimize the value of member meetings, convenings, and learning programs?
  • • Organizational Capacity and Governance:
    • – How can we right-size sustainable governance structures and processes?
    • – How can we better manage volunteer leader development and succession?
    • – What are workable structures and processes for member engagement?
  • • Financial Sustainability and Operational Capacity:
    • – What staffing model and structure will best serve the next phase of IEFA’s life?
    • – How can we build capacity in core functional areas (e.g. admin, finance, communications)?
    • – Will our resource model support long-term financial sustainability and scalability?
    • – What capacity is needed to support core programs like events and partnerships?
    • – Is it feasible to transition to an independent 501(c)(3) or remain fiscally sponsored?
  • • Deliverables & Timeline:
    • – A comprehensive strategic sustainability plan with recommendations and implementation strategies.
    • – A feasibility report regarding transition to independent 501(c)(3) status.
    • – A presentation summarizing key findings and recommendations to IEFA leadership.
    • – A final report documenting the planning process and outcomes.
     

    Consultants should include time for technical assistance to support early implementation steps.

    Planning begins mid-late August 2025, to be completed by February 2026. An all-day Advisory Board retreat is scheduled for September 12, which the consultant will be expected to facilitate.

     

    4. Consultant Qualifications

    Proposals will be evaluated based on:

    • • Responsiveness to IEFA’s needs and outcomes.
    • • Experience with strategic planning in philanthropy-focused organizations.
    • • Expertise in organizational development, sustainability, and governance.
    • • Understanding of the Inland Empire or similar regional dynamics.
    • • Strong facilitation, communication, and project management skills.
    • • Knowledge of transitions from fiscal sponsorship to 501(c)(3) status.
     

    5. Proposal Requirements

    Submit the following:

    • • Executive Summary: Overview of your understanding of IEFA’s needs and proposed solution.
    • • Approach: Your methodology and orientation to the planning process.
    • • Scope of Services: How you would conduct the process, including phases and engagement strategies.
    • • Budget: Proposed budget, hourly rates, and estimated expenses.
    • • Portfolio: Examples of past strategic or sustainability plans.
    • • Qualifications: Relevant experience, project examples, and 3 client references (contacted if finalist).
     

    6. Submission Instructions

    Interested applicants may attend an informational call on July 8, 1:30–3:00 p.m. (Register: https://bit.ly/iefaconsultant2025). The call will be recorded and shared.

    Submit your proposal by July 27, 2025 via email to: info@iefunders.org

    Selection Timeline:

      • Submission deadline: July 27
      • Finalists notified: by August 6
      • Finalist interviews: August 8 or 11
      • Project start date: August 19
     

    7. Contact Information

    For questions, contact:

    Max Freund, Project Director
    max@iefunders.org
    (909) 575-7906