Overview
Conservation Voters of PA (CVPA) and PennFuture are requesting proposals from qualified consultants to conduct a far-reaching and inclusive analysis of the organizations’ “strategic alignment” in order to determine whether to continue the partnership for the remainder of our strategic plan period (2024-2028), and if continued, how to adjust and improve it.
The selected consultant will be responsible for analyzing the “strategic alignment” between these two organizations, including reviewing the alignment’s progress, success, and challenges over the last ten years. The process should include both internal and external stakeholder interviews and outcomes should include recommendations for the future and assistance in implementing those recommendations.
About CVPA and PennFuture
Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture) was created in 1998 as a statewide environmental advocacy organization. Our mission is to lead the transition to a clean energy economy in Pennsylvania and beyond; protect our air, water, and land; and empower citizens to build sustainable communities for future generations. Since our founding, we have achieved significant legal and policy victories that reduce pollution and protect the environment. With offices in Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Mt. Pocono, and Erie, our team litigates cases in local, state, and federal courts and before administrative tribunals; advances legislative and regulatory action on a state and federal level; provides public education; assists citizens in public advocacy; and encourages Pennsylvanians to engage in the democratic process.
CVPA is the statewide political voice for the environment. We elect environmentally responsible candidates to state and local offices, advocate for strong environmental policies, and hold our elected officials accountable to safeguard the health of our communities, the beauty of our state, and the strength of our economy. CVPA was launched in 2009 as a state affiliate of the League of Conservation Voters.
Starting in 2016, PennFuture and CVPA formed a “strategic alignment”. Based on the shared goal of building a stronger environmental movement, both organizations crafted a Memorandum of Understanding and a Cost Share Agreement that governs the ability to share staff and expenses in order to do more good work with less resources. Over the last 10 years, the alignment has resulted in two fully joint staff teams: Civic Engagement and Government Affairs. Additional teams and staff at CVPA and PennFuture coordinate to varying levels.
Scope of Requested Work
We anticipate this work will include the following:
- Conversations with both organization's leadership teams and other high impact stakeholders about the efficacy of the alignment and the role it plays in the broader community;
- Research on other models of organizational alignments or quasi-mergers in the country;
- An assessment of the current status of the strategic alignment with a particular focus on its efficacy, progress towards deeper collaboration, and role in eliminating redundancies in the movement.
Our desired outcome is a robust assessment of the status of the alignment, recommendations for how to move forward, and support in executing those recommendations. The ideal product will give both organizations a deep understanding of whether continuing the alignment is strategic and how to proceed. The successful proposer will work directly with the Executive Director of CVPA and the President and CEO of PennFuture to ensure all activities in this project are completed.
Budget
Please propose a budget that reflects what you believe is reasonable, based on experience, for the work you propose.
Proposal Submission Requirements
The following schedule applies to this RFP, but may change in accordance with our needs or unforeseen circumstances:
Issuance of RFP March 23, 2026
Technical Questions/Inquiries Due April 27, 2026, 5:00 P.M. EST
Proposals and Work Samples Due May 8, 2026, 5:00 P.M. EST
Phone interviews with Finalists May 18-21, 2026
Estimated Date of Selection Notification May 29, 2026
Questions related to this RFP should be emailed to hillary@conservationpa.org no later than 5:00 PM ET on April 27, 2026. All questions and the responses will be emailed to RFP respondents on May 1, 2026. If you would like to receive responses to all questions posed, please send an email to hillary@conservationpa.org.
All proposals must be received by 5:00 pm EST on May 8, 2026. Proposals received after this deadline will not be given primary consideration. A transmittal letter and proposal should be sent to hillary@conservationpa.org as a PDF. The subject line should be Strategic Alignment Analysis Proposal. Other formats will not be accepted. Proposals will be accepted from both firms and individual consultants. Consultants selected for further consideration must be available for a telephone interview during the timeframe of May 18-21, 2026.
The proposal itself should be no more than six pages in length and should address the complete scope of work and deliverable. Work samples may be submitted as links or as appendices, and are not counted in the page limit.
Proposals should include the following sections:
- Cover Letter
- The cover letter should include:
- Point of contact address, telephone number, email address, and website
- Any exceptions to the outlined scope of work
- Whether your firm is a BIPOC or woman-owned business
- The cover letter should include:
- Organization/Consultant Background
- The proposal should describe the consultant’s qualifications to conduct the scope of work as well as your expertise, knowledge, and experience.
- Experience should include examples of conducting similar or related work; working with environmental nonprofits; and any specific qualifications related to organizational alignments or mergers.
- Statement of Proposed Work
- This statement of proposed work should outline your methodology and work plan, including whether activities will take place virtually or in person, and should include the following information:
- Planning
- Information gathering
- Proposed timeline
- Methods for ensuring equity and inclusion are incorporated into the process and outcomes
- Proposed plan for internal and external stakeholder interviews
- Analysis and recommendation development
- Implementation
- Documentation and communication
- This statement of proposed work should outline your methodology and work plan, including whether activities will take place virtually or in person, and should include the following information:
- Budget
- The budget proposal should include total costs for performing all tasks proposed in the work plan. Please break the budget out by major task and planned deliverable(s) and if billed based on hours should include proposed labor categories, their hourly rates, and number of hours.
- Any other expected costs, such as travel, etc. should also be provided. The price proposal should describe all underlying budget assumptions and include a payment schedule tied to project milestones and/or deliverables.
- Previous Work Product
- The proposal should include at least two examples of work similar to the scope of work requested within this RFP (i.e., strategic plan, merger analysis or recommendations, or program analysis).
- We also encourage but do not require a list of similar work or clients in the last five years.
- References
- The proposal should include at least three references of individuals who can speak to their experience with the consultant in conducting projects of similar scope. Information regarding each reference should include the individual’s name, address, telephone number, and email address.
- Submitting the references and proposal indicate consent for CVPA and PennFuture to contact the references.
Service Period
The period of performance for this work will begin no later than April 1, 2026 and end by April 1, 2027.
Qualifications
Consultants should be experienced in evaluating nonprofit partnerships and have a robust understanding of the different roles of C4 and C3 organizations. In addition, experience working with environmental, advocacy, policy and/or Pennsylvania statewide organizations is preferred.
We believe the consultant should possess the following qualifications to be successful:
- Experience successfully developing analysis and recommendations regarding organizational partnerships
- Experience gathering, analyzing and using data to inform decision-making
- Knowledge of the key differences and roles of C3 and C4 organizations
- Understanding of the roles of advocacy, policy, and electoral organizations
- Strong facilitation and listening skills and experience creating a neutral and productive environment to successfully solicit input from individuals from various stakeholder groups
- Experience with change management and project management
Proposal Evaluation Criteria
The evaluation of each response will be based on demonstrated competence, compliance, format, and organization:
- Approach, thoroughness, and completeness of the proposal (30%)
- References and past performance with political, policy and/or environmental organizations (25%)
- Expertise in participatory processes, including (effectively engaging stakeholders, and employing planning techniques that prioritize equity and inclusion (30%)
- Price (10%)
- Minority or women-owned business (5%)
Inquiries
Questions that help clarify the work to be completed can be submitted to hillary@conservationpa.org. Inquiries by email are preferred; telephone calls can be arranged via email as necessary.
CVPA and PennFuture reserve the right to adjust these criteria at any time. We reserve the right to determine which respondents have met the base requirements of this RFP. CVPA and PennFuture reserve the right to award the contract in accordance with our best interest and will not be required to accept the lowest-priced proposal.