About this opportunity
AI summaryThe Haven Project seeks an experienced independent consultant, consultant team, or firm to guide a participatory strategic planning process running from January or February 2027 through June 2027. The selected partner must develop a five-year strategic plan, a practical three-year roadmap, and specific first-year priorities while meaningfully engaging staff, board members, and young adults with lived experience of housing instability. Eligible applicants must demonstrate successful nonprofit strategic planning experience alongside required Massachusetts experience in human services, youth development, or homelessness. The anticipated consulting budget ranges from $15,000 to $25,000. Applicants must submit questions by October 30, 2026, and deliver electronic PDF proposals by November 13, 2026. The buyer will evaluate submissions on fit, proposed approach, relevant facilitation experience, context familiarity, stakeholder engagement, connection of strategy to fundraising, and price.
Buyer and opportunity details
- Client
- The Haven Project
Scope of work
- Five-Year Strategic Plan with Three-Year Roadmap
- Organizational Model and Strategic Direction definition
- Logic Model / Theory of Change and Key Outcomes
- One-Page External Strategic Overview
- Final Board Presentation Materials
How proposals are evaluated
| Criterion | Weight / scoring |
|---|---|
| Fit with Haven | Not specified |
| Quality, feasibility, and clarity of the proposed approach | Not specified |
| Relevant strategic planning and facilitation experience | Not specified |
| Massachusetts and Lynn/North Shore knowledge | Not specified |
| Understanding of youth homelessness or closely related systems | Not specified |
| Ability to engage stakeholders and young adults with lived experience | Not specified |
| Ability to connect strategy with sustainability and fundraising | Not specified |
| Overall value | Not specified |
Minimum qualifications
- Nonprofit strategic planning and facilitation experience with organizations of similar size or complexity
- Required Massachusetts experience working with nonprofit, human-services, homelessness, housing-instability, or related systems
- Strong familiarity with Lynn's landscape and understanding of Salem and the broader North Shore
- Meaningful experience with youth homelessness, housing instability, or a closely related youth or human-services field
- Strong facilitation, listening, research, synthesis, and written communication skills
- Ability to meaningfully engage young adults with lived experience
- Ability to connect strategic direction with organizational identity, sustainability, resource needs, and fundraising
Documents to include with your response
- Statement of suitability and relevant experience, including personnel performing work
- Recommended approach to the engagement
- High-level timeline showing completion no later than June 2027
- Proposed fee and major assumptions, including anticipated expenses
- Two recent references from comparable nonprofit strategic planning engagements
- Resumes or bios
- Optional: one sample strategic plan or comparable deliverable
Key dates
- RFP issued
- October 19, 2026
- Questions due
- October 30, 2026
- Proposals due
- November 13, 2026
- Finalist interviews
- December 1–8, 2026
- Selection announced
- December 11, 2026
- Final strategic plan
- No later than June 2027
- Final Board presentation
- August 12, 2027
How to submit
- Method
- Instructions
- Submit one electronic PDF proposal with the subject line 'Strategic Planning RFP Response' no later than November 13, 2026. Proposals should be concise and generally 3–5 pages, excluding resumes, bios, references, detailed budget information, and optional work samples.
Contract details
- Term
- Beginning in January or February 2027 and concluding no later than June 2027, with final Board presentation on August 12, 2027
- Estimated value
- $15,000–$25,000
- Place of performance
- Lynn, Massachusetts and the North Shore