Five Ways to Get What You Need From Your RFP
Kathleen Welsh Beveridge, Senior Associate
September 2011

“You can’t always get what you want.” The Rolling Stones were right – sometimes we do have to accept limitations and outcomes we can’t control. But when your organization takes the time and trouble to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP), you should be able to get what you want – and what you need.

Consultants are motivated to give you what you want in the RFP process. They are investing considerable effort for no remuneration with the hope of being selected for your project. However, consultants are sometimes hampered by the RFP itself.

When you’re issuing an RFP, you can avoid the disappointing experience of not getting what you want by following these five suggestions:

• Think it Through. If you don’t know what you really want, it’s unlikely you’re going to get it. Instead of saying, “Tell us how you believe you can help us,” take the time to consider where you are today and where you want to be. What will feel like a valuable result for the money you are about to invest? If the grand vision is several steps down the road, map out the route and develop your RFP to address the first step or steps. Timing or cost may make it possible to accomplish only one step, or you may learn that you can accomplish it all.


• Do Your Homework. What kind of consultation is most likely to help you get where you’re going? Ask questions of a trusted consultant, or of a nonprofit organization that is similar to yours and has worked with outside consultants. Understand your options and the typical results. Decide what services you require and tailor your RFP accordingly.


• Be Specific. Be explicit about the deliverables you expect within the project. The more specific you are, the more likely you are to get a response that addresses the costs and timing of what you really want and need. You may not know how long this process could take, but it’s okay to suggest an ideal timeframe in your RFP. Responses will tell you how realistic or unrealistic it is, or if adjustments in the timeframe may make the project more affordable. Share information about who will support the project within your organization and what is expected of your support team. Without this knowledge, the consultant may assume there is no internal support and will budget accordingly.


• Provide Context. Printing your mission statement is not enough. Provide an organizational overview to help the consultant understand your context. Then give an overview of your needs that contains information about your fundraising accomplishments and the specific challenges you face. When you share more, you are likely to receive more valuable and appropriate responses to your RFP. Don’t be afraid to go over one page in length, if you’re providing information that will yield better responses all around.


• Be Transparent. Share how you will evaluate the proposal. A point system enables the consultant to understand what you value most and directs attention to those priority areas in the proposal. Also, be sure to include sufficient opportunity for consultants to ask questions prior to submission. Again, the more they know, the more likely you are to get what you need.

You can’t always get what you want, but if you try these five suggestions when drafting your next RFP, you just might find you’ll get what you need.

Schultz & Williams is a national consulting firm based in Philadelphia providing management, fundraising and marketing consulting for nonprofit organizations, along with full-service direct marketing, database and creative/production services.