Mass Cultural Council
seeks several nonprofit organization content experts to support the Agency in
delivering services to assist nonprofit organizations responding to the unique
challenges of operating and programming during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
The Mass Cultural Council
has been deeply engaged in candid conversations with grantees and other Massachusetts-based
nonprofit organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. These conversations have
surfaced numerous areas of assistance that organizations have identified as critical
to their business models and mission effectiveness.
The content areas in this
RFP are far-reaching and rely on the expertise of content experts in various
nonprofit organization specialty areas. Therefore, it is not expected that a single
content expert will deliver all the services listed in this RFP. Applicants to
this RFP will have the opportunity to submit separate proposals for the content
areas for which they would like consideration. RFP
not to exceed $155,000 in the aggregate.
Project Goals: Mass Cultural Council’s
operating support program, the Cultural Investment Portfolio, is a partnership
grant program. The Mass Cultural Council assists organizations through
strategic planning, capacity building, advisory services and consultancies, in
addition to direct grant making.
To that end, the Agency
seeks to support Massachusetts nonprofit organizations in responding to the
unique challenges of operating and programming during the COVID-19 pandemic.
These services will occur throughout the Council’s FY21, until June 30, 2021. Successful
respondents will be subject to Council approval at the next occurring Council
Meeting (which has not scheduled yet) prior to being retained.
Based on hundreds of
candid conversations between Mass Cultural Council and nonprofit leaders,
specific focus areas have been developed as critical to the field’s
sustainability and effectiveness. To support these focus areas, Mass Cultural
Council will present a series of webinars throughout FY21. The target audience
for this work is small to mid-size nonprofit cultural organizations (roughly defined
as organizations ranging from small budget, all-volunteer organizations, to
professionally staffed organizations with up to $3 million in annual expenses),
however, all services will be available to any Massachusetts nonprofit cultural
organization.
Content experts may submit
proposals to provide services in one or more of the content areas below.
Content Areas:
Below are specific content
areas identified by nonprofit cultural organizations as being critical to their
business model and mission effectiveness.
It is to be noted that
additional services in support of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access, virtual
programming, public health, and trauma-informed care are being completed at the
agency level, and thus, this list is not inclusive of all the topics critical
to organizations.
1. Human Resources
Content areas (5): Work
from home best practices; employee self-care in support of mental health during
times of stress; support and executive coaching for Executive Directors and
similar leaders in balancing multiple stressors; basics of employment law,
legal requirements of hiring, layoffs, furloughs; unemployment obligations.
2. Board/Governance
Content areas (4): The role of an effective board during times
of stress; how to motivate and support board members remotely; successful board
recruitment/retainment process in times of stress; the basics of risk
assessment important to board members.
3. Leadership/Management
Content areas (8): Effectively motivating teams, including staff
and volunteers, remotely; best practices in collaborative technology tools; overview
of nonprofit closure and mergers; state and federal arts advocacy basics; how
to conduct strategic planning during COVID-19; essential ingredients and
process of effective collaborations and partnerships; how to effectively transition
a business model; best practices of leadership transitions during COVID-19.
4. Financial Management
Content areas (3): Treatment of liabilities particularly
important during COVID-19, including deferred revenue, lines of credit and the
PPP; financial scenario planning, benchmarking, and communication necessary to
rebuild staff, benefits, and compensation that may have been cut or eliminated
due to closure or programmatic interruptions; understanding program economics.
5. Digital Programming
Content areas (5): Navigating royalties, rights, subsequent use,
and unions in a digital programming environment; strategies on how to monetize digital
programming; best practices in audience engagement and retention; how to
compete in a new digital programmatic landscape; digital program evaluation
methods.
6. Marketing/Development
Content areas (5): How to
market digital programming to wide audiences; best practices in digital
fundraisers; how to steward donors when programming is suspended or not
delivered in ‘traditional’ ways; how to make the fundraising case for arts and
culture during COVID-19; conducting a successful capital campaign during times
of stress.