Request for Proposals: Portland Community College Foundation seeks strategic partner for assessing fundraising campaign readiness and feasibility
Posted by PCC Foundation
Executive Summary
The Portland Community College Foundation (the Foundation) seeks proposals from qualified independent consulting firms interested in becoming a strategic partner for the Foundation’s second comprehensive fundraising campaign. Specifically, the Foundation is seeking a collaborative partner to conduct an internal readiness assessment and an external feasibility study to assess the Foundation’s readiness to launch a major philanthropic campaign. And, if the Foundation is deemed ready, to recommend the appropriate scale, focus, and structure of such a campaign.
The selected consultant will work with Foundation leadership and key stakeholders to assess:
- Philanthropic potential and leadership within the Foundation’s donor community;
- The Foundation’s organizational capacity and readiness for a campaign;
- Potential campaign focus areas and case for support.
Following completion of the feasibility study, the Foundation may elect to proceed with a campaign. The Foundation may invite the selected consulting firm to provide ongoing campaign planning and counsel services. However, the Foundation reserves the right to conduct a separate procurement process.
The Foundation appreciates your consideration of this RFP and looks forward to receiving your proposal.
Background
Portland Community College (PCC) is the largest, most accessible institution of higher education in Oregon. The college serves more than 50,000 students annually, who go on to become our community’s nurses, firefighters, welders, web developers, teachers, and more.
As the only nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting PCC, the Foundation helps students access education by awarding scholarships and building the capacity of PCC to provide vital educational opportunities for our community.
The Foundation serves as a catalyst, optimizing individual, foundation, corporate, and public support to provide scholarships, essential wraparound services, and vital programs for PCC students. The Foundation has set a bold goal that by the year 2072, it will provide for 100% of unmet need for all PCC students.
The Foundation has a team of 16 full-time staff members and four part-time staff members focused on development and operations, including the distribution of scholarships to students. Currently, annual fundraising revenues range between $7-9M. Net assets for the Foundation are more than $45M, and its endowment is at $40M. In its most recent fiscal year, the Foundation provided more than $3.5M in direct aid to 2,100 students.
OUR MISSION: Removing barriers to education at Portland Community College through the power of partnerships.
OUR VISION: A community where anyone can thrive through education.
OUR VALUES: Every person deserves the opportunity and support necessary to achieve their educational goals.
- We actively seek out and invest in prospective and current students, especially those who experience systemic barriers.
- We boldly and creatively respond to address the needs of our students and community.
- We are transparent, fiscally responsible, and ethical in our communication, interactions, and intentions with our collaborators.
Campaign History
In December 2015, the Foundation launched our first comprehensive campaign: The Campaign for Opportunity.
The Campaign for Opportunity started as a seven-year campaign with a $25M fundraising goal. Due to its overwhelming success, raising more than $46M for equitable student success, the campaign was completed in five years. In total, 6,800 unique supporters gave during the campaign, including 3,000 first-time donors. And the Foundation’s endowment grew from $7M to $17M, ensuring access to a PCC education for generations to come. During the campaign, the Foundation was able to double scholarships to students, from $1.1M a year to more than $2.2M a year by the campaign’s close.
Scope of Work
The Foundation is soliciting proposals from qualified firms to conduct an internal campaign readiness assessment and feasibility study to determine if it is ready to embark on its second comprehensive campaign. The focus of this next campaign is to position the Foundation as a premier philanthropic partner in increasing educational and economic opportunity in the region. We anticipate that this campaign’s key themes/priorities will include: 1. expanding access to a PCC education, 2. strengthening supports for students, and 3. igniting the workforce to enhance regional vitality. The campaign will engage a community of partners, including staff, volunteers, and more, and will raise funds for a variety of needs – capturing multiple priorities, creating a strong case for support, and elevating excitement around goals. Additionally, this campaign will lift the profile of the Foundation.
The purpose of this consultancy is to conduct an integrated assessment and strategy process that will enable leadership and governance bodies to make informed decisions regarding a potential comprehensive, multi-year fundraising campaign.
Specifically, the engagement will:
- Evaluate the organization’s internal capacity and readiness to execute a multi-year comprehensive campaign.
- Assess external feasibility in light of a changing funding landscape, including shifts in institutional funding, donor confidence, and philanthropic appetite.
- Develop recommendations for next steps on creating a risk-award campaign strategy and recommend a campaign goal, aligned with current organizational capacity, market conditions, and institutional priorities.
The selected consulting partner will conduct a comprehensive feasibility study that includes the following components.
Internal Capacity and Readiness Assessment
The consultant will conduct a rigorous assessment of the Foundation’s organizational readiness to undertake a multi-year campaign. The assessment should be a review of the Foundation’s fundraising history, donor pipeline, development capacity, and institutional readiness for a campaign. It should include, at a minimum:
- Analysis of donor data quality, giving trends, pipeline strength, and stewardship practices.
- Evaluation of readiness across key leadership bodies and functions, including board and PCC engagement.
- Review of staff capacity; checking if current Foundation staff and leadership have the skills and bandwidth to run a campaign.
- Assessment of communications and brand readiness for campaign-level storytelling and visibility.
- Analysis of data and technology infrastructure: including but not limited to the donor database system.
- Review of financial and legal governance: examining internal accounting procedures, gift acceptance policies, and standard operating processes.
External Feasibility & Funding Landscape Assessment
The consultant will conduct a comprehensive external feasibility analysis that must include:
- Confidential interviews with selected major donors, Board members, campaign-level prospects, and other key stakeholders, testing potential campaign priorities, purposes, financial ambition, and case themes.
- Assessment of donor perceptions of the Foundation and appetite for supporting a multi-year campaign.
- Analysis of data-driven competitive funding landscape, identifying trends, risks, and opportunities specific to the Foundation’s donor mix.
- Critical evaluation of the Foundation’s emerging case for support.
- Identification of campaign leadership: uncovering champions and volunteers.
Deliverables
Provide a written report summarizing:
- Key findings from interviews;
- Donor sentiment and philanthropic potential;
- Organizational readiness assessment;
- Recommended campaign goal range;
- Recommended campaign focus and structure;
- A range of viable campaign approaches or scenarios;
- The implications, risks, and opportunities associated with each option;
- A recommended path forward based on the study findings; and
- Key risks and opportunities.
The consultant will present findings and recommendations to the Foundation within five months, including a range of potential campaign approaches, the implications, risks, and opportunities associated with each option, and a recommended path forward to support informed decision-making.
RFP Timeline
- Requests for Proposals issued: July 1
- Questions due: July 17
- Responses to questions shared: July 24
- Proposals due: August 5
- Interviews conducted with finalists: August 17-20
- Consultant selection: by September 1
- Project kickoff: September
- Findings Presentation: January 2027
Proposal Requirements
Proposals should include:
- Firm overview and relevant experience, including experience with campaign feasibility studies for organizations of similar size, complexity, and mission.
- Bios of key team members, including roles and relevant experience.
- Feasibility study methodology, including approach to stakeholder interviews, donor analysis, and organizational assessment.
- Proposed work plan, timeline, and deliverables, including key phases of the study and expected outputs.
- At least three client references.
- Detailed budget and proposed payment schedule.
- Disclosure of any actual or potential conflicts of interest, including prior or current relationships with the Foundation, PCC, or related stakeholders.
- Description of how findings will be translated into actionable recommendations for campaign strategy and decision-making.
- Description of confidentiality and data security practices, including how the firm will protect sensitive donor and organizational information.
Potential for Future Engagement
The Foundation anticipates that the consulting firm selected to conduct the readiness assessment and the feasibility study may be invited to provide additional campaign planning or counsel services should the campaign proceed. However, the Foundation reserves the right to conduct a separate procurement process.
Submission Instructions
Due: August 5, 2026 at 5 p.m. PT
Email: pccfoundation@pcc.edu
Subject: RFP Submission – PCC Foundation Campaign
Medium: PDF