UC ANR_RFP_Campaign Readiness & Philanthropic Capacity Building_004065

UC ANR_RFP_Campaign Readiness & Philanthropic Capacity Building_004065
Scope of Work:
Campaign Readiness and Philanthropic Capacity Building
1. Project Overview
The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) is seeking a
qualified consulting partner to provide strategic advisory services and a comprehensive
training program to prepare the organization for a major fundraising campaign. The term of
this engagement will run from January 2027 through June 2028, culminating in the
organization's full readiness for a public campaign launch.
UC ANR is a distributed organization with a powerful statewide footprint and deep local
trust. The goal of this engagement is to transition the organization from a grant-reliant
model to a sustainable "culture of philanthropy," aligning senior leadership and equipping
staff and volunteers to execute a bold, collaborative campaign.
2. Objectives
The selected partner will guide UC ANR through the following primary objectives:
* Leadership Alignment: Ensure senior leadership is aligned on the campaign's
vision, guiding principles, and the shared "North Star" for success.
* Organizational Readiness: Assess internal capacities, identify structural barriers
(such as silos or scarcity mindsets), and develop a roadmap to overcome them.
* Capacity Building: Implement a tiered training strategy to build fundraising literacy
and confidence across diverse stakeholder groups.
* Strategic Infrastructure: Provide expert counsel on the development of campaign
content, including the case for support, concept papers, and donor stewardship
systems.
* Sustainability: Establish a "train-the-trainer" model to ensure philanthropic
capabilities remain within UC ANR after the consultancy ends.
UC ANR_RFP_Campaign Readiness & Philanthropic Capacity Building_004065
September 2026

3. Scope of Services
The consultant shall provide services across the following four functional areas:
A. Strategic Leadership Facilitation & Assessment
* Facilitate high-level retreats and working sessions to align senior leadership on
campaign goals.
* Conduct a comprehensive organizational readiness assessment (e.g., SWOT
analysis) to identify strengths to leverage and threats to mitigate.
* Utilize a validated leadership or behavioral assessment tool to help the leadership
team understand their dynamics under pressure and optimize their collaborative
approach to a campaign.
B. Tiered Training & Professional Development. The partner will design and deliver
customized training for the following cohorts:
* Senior Academic/Administrative Leadership: Focus on strategic alignment and
championing the campaign.
* Development Professionals: Advanced training in portfolio management,
predictive donor profiling, and major gift solicitation.
* Program and Area Directors: Foundational fundraising literacy and "how to
support" training for those in the field.
* Governing and Advisory Boards: Training on the role of board members in a
modern campaign.
* Volunteer Networks: Equipping ambassadors to share impact stories and identify
potential prospects.
* Internal Trainers: A "train-the-trainer" program to create internal sustainability.
C. Customized Campaign Counseling (Advisory)
* Provide on-demand, asynchronous strategic counsel to the Vice President and
Chief Development Officer.
* Provide expert review and "stress-testing" of campaign concept papers and donor-
facing materials.
* Offer troubleshooting support for high-level donor conversations and sequencing
strategies.
UC ANR_RFP_Campaign Readiness & Philanthropic Capacity Building_004065
September 2026

D. Campaign Infrastructure Support. Support the UC ANR team in the creation of:
* Credible Proof Points: Translating scientific impact into compelling storytelling and
concept papers.
* People Infrastructure: Strategies for mobilizing a distributed volunteer network.
* Stewardship Systems: Designing a systematic approach to capture donor impact
stories and maintain long-term relationships.
4. Expected Deliverables
The selected vendor will be responsible for providing:
* Assessment Reports: Detailed debriefs of leadership sessions and organizational
readiness.
* Training Curriculum: Customized materials and evaluation reports for each trained
cohort.
* Roadmap to Readiness: A phased timeline of milestones specifically mapped from
January 2027 through June 2028.
* Sustainability Plan: A framework for the internal "train-the-trainer" model to be
implemented by the end of the contract period.
5. Vendor Qualifications
* Proposals will be evaluated based on the following:
* Firm Qualifications
* Project Approach
* Prior Projects
* Sustainability factors
* Pricing
The evaluation committee will consider those and a combination of the following where
applicable:
Higher Education Expertise: Proven track record of preparing large, complex higher
education or research institutions for major campaigns.
* Distributed Organization Experience: Experience working with organizations that
have a wide geographic footprint and a decentralized structure.
UC ANR_RFP_Campaign Readiness & Philanthropic Capacity Building_004065
September 2026

* Behavioral Expertise: Ability to integrate leadership development and
organizational psychology into fundraising strategy.
* SBE/DVBE/MBE/WBE: All are strongly urged to respond. There may be a preference
applied for SBE/DVBE depending upon the number and classification of responding
firms. UC Small Business 1st program.
6. Budget
The budget for this project should not exceed $250,000.
UC ANR_RFP_Campaign Readiness & Philanthropic Capacity Building_004065
September 2026