1.0 Summary
The Future Generations Foundation invites proposals from qualified consultants to facilitate, prepare and collaborate closely with its Board and Staff in formulating a new eight-to-ten-year strategic plan spanning 2025-2035. The strategic plan will define a long-term vision for FG Foundation.
The successful consultant must have an in-depth experience in strategic planning along with a strong understanding of Indigenous culture and values. The consultant must be able to facilitate the planning process, actively engage board members, and staff to help create a clear, concise, actionable and measurable strategic plan.
2.0 Background of FG Foundation
The FG Foundation grants approximately $15 M in funding to individuals and charitable organizations for varying education programs and studies every year.
FG Foundation is for First Nations individuals, communities, organizations, and other organizations seeking support for cultural revitalization, education, and community development initiatives, FG Foundation is a trusted funder committed to fostering empowerment and self-determination. As stewards of the IRSSA funds and fundraiser, we ensure efficient allocation of funds to address the harms of residential schools. Our grant funding addresses these challenges, providing financial support for educational pursuits, healing projects, and cultural revitalization efforts, empowering individuals, communities, and organizations to address long-term harms and promote reconciliation. Our First Nation led organization practices First Nations principles and values in our policies and decision-making processes, prioritizing meaningful economic assistance that creates lasting, positive change.
Unlike government-created entities, we offer flexibility in funding types, including scholarships for land-based and cultural teachings, and national representation to fund projects across Turtle Island. This enables us to cater to diverse needs and support initiatives that align with the unique cultural and educational priorities of First Nations communities.
Since 2015, the FG Foundation has awarded $59.7M to 690 Organization Beneficiaries to provide language and cultural revitalization programs, back to the land programs, teaching circles, youth camps, traditional kinship connections, student support, certified training, and scholarship programs. In addition, it has awarded $30.1M in funding for 7,131 First Nation and Métis individuals engaged in cultural learning, post-secondary, or training and certification.
Additional information can be found at www.fgfoundation.ca
3.0 Scope of Work
The selected qualified consultant will work with FG Foundation to:
- Kick off meeting with board, and leadership circle.
- Design and execution of a strategic planning, process, proposing key deliverables and milestones visioning and planning process with a project plan and schedule.
- Environmental scan of FGF internal and external environment using wide range of methodologies and techniques.
- Lead a generative session in Ottawa in December 2024.
- Prepare the draft strategic plan
- Meetings to present and discuss the draft final strategic plan
- Finalize strategic plan
The final version of the strategic plan should clearly reflect FG Foundation strategic vision, goals and activities including key values and guiding principles to assist direction and decision making. The strategic plan should be clear and concise. It should also include a one-page summary that can be shared publicly with the community, funders, staff and other stakeholders.
Close Collaboration
The successful bidder will work closely with the Executive Director and/or members of our Board of Directors, and staff to develop the specific details of the planning process, including the timeline, logistics, and the look and feel of the deliverables.
Proposed Timeline
Clarifying questions to be submitted by: September 1, 2024
RFP Submission deadline: September 6, 2024
Contract awarded: September 30, 2024
Work plan due date: October 24, 2024
Board retreat: December 8-9, 2024
Draft strategic plan completed: March 1, 2024
Strategic plan finalized: May 1, 2025
4.0 Proposal Contents Requirements:
In order to make the evaluation process efficient and obtain maximum comparability, FG Foundation requires that all responses to the RFP be organized in the manner and format described below:
A. Executive Summary
A description of the understanding of the work to be performed including estimated hours, the ability to perform the work within the time frame provided and other pertinent information.
B. Service Approach and Timeline
Description how the Proponent’s firm will approach the proposed services including the type of assistance that will be required from FG Foundation staff. Proposal should also discuss the proponent’s knowledge of Indigenous culture and organizations. Finally, discuss the communication process used by the firm to discuss issues with management including the expected timeline.
C. Professional Experience
A description of the firm’s history, how and why the firm is different from other firms being considered. This should include an explanation of the firm’s philosophy, size, structure and qualifications with serving Indigenous non-profit organizations with a similar size and operations. The consultant must disclose any possible conflicts of interest that may result from the award of the contract or the services provided under the contract and state the firm’s independence with respect to FG Foundation.
D. Team Qualifications
Identification of the specific partners and managers who will be assigned to this engagement if the firm is successful in this RFP.
E. Fees
Fee structure for the full duration of the project including any guarantees given regarding increases in future years. Also, the applicable billing rates and procedures for any further questions that may come up during the year or whether these occasional services are covered in the proposed fee structure.
F. References
A list of the relevant Indigenous and or non-profit, charitable clients the firm has served within the past three years and furnish the names and telephone numbers of any references upon request that FG Foundation can communicate with.
G. Previous Work Product
The proposal should include at least two examples of written work similar to the scope of work requested within this RFP.
5.0 Selection Criteria:
FG Foundation will employ a comprehensive set of criteria to determine the most suitable consultant. Considering the pivotal objectives delineated in this document, the assessment of proposals will be grounded on the following criteria:
A. Demonstrated experience in conducting Strategic Planning exercises, supported by evidence of outcome-based reports and proficiency in measurement techniques.
B. Extensive track record in executing similar projects within the not-for-profit sector; Additional consideration will be given for experience in the Indigenous sector.
C. Proficiency in facilitation skills, particularly in collaborating with boards, staff, and key stakeholders.
D. Transparent and competitive fee structure.
E. Quality and relevance of provided references.
F. Alignment with FG Foundations organizational culture and objectives.
G. Overall excellence in proposal quality.
It is important to note that FG Foundation retains the discretion not to proceed with the engagement of any consultant following this Request for Proposal (RFP) process.
FG Foundation invites providers to submit proposals to perform this project.
6.0 Submission Instructions
Please submit your proposal electronically to Naomi Racette admin@fgfoundation.ca.
The deadline for proposal submission is Friday, September 6, 2024, at 2:00pm EST. Late proposals may not be considered.
Please direct all inquiries via email to:
Naomi Racette, Executive Director
E-mail: admin@fgfoundation.ca
7.0 Rights of the FG Foundation
This is an RFP and not an invitation to tender. The reader is hereby advised that the FG Foundation reserves the right to:
- Accept a proposal without negotiation;
- Negotiate changes to the technical or financial content of the successful proposal;
- Cancel or reissue this RFP at any time;
- Reject any or all proposals received in response to this Request for Proposals;
- Accept any proposal in whole, or in part;
- Cancel and/or re-issue the modified version of a given RFP requirement at any time;
- Award one or more contracts;
- Verify all information provided with respect to a given RFP requirement, including the right to request a confirmation of the bidder’s legal status and signed documentation; and
- Award contracts without competition for follow-up work, if any, to the selected bidder for a given project requirement.
FG Foundation thanks all providers for their interest in this opportunity.
