Request For Proposals From Strategic Planning Consultants

PURPOSE

Boston Children's Chorus (BCC) is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit bids from qualified strategic planning consultants to facilitate the development of a three-year strategic plan for FY27–FY29 for the organization. This plan will guide BCC’s market assessment, consumer research, programmatic growth, and sustainability while ensuring alignment with organizational mission and values.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a deep impact on enrollment for BCC. Ever since, BCC has approached recruitment as a pivotal area of our business requiring dedicated resources. Following five years of diversified recruitment efforts, data collection, and yield analysis, we seek to consolidate our learnings, with a keen eye towards improving recruitment and retention outcomes for the teen population. In order to be effective, we need an innovative approach driven by a clear understanding of the market while improving organizational agility surrounding product design and refinement.

BCC seeks a consultant to assess its current positioning, identify strategic opportunities, and create a clear roadmap for growth, impact measurement, and organizational effectiveness. The strategic planning process will address the following objectives:

  • Update BCC’s differentiated product design to meet the needs of more youth in the Greater Boston area.
  • Analyze demographic shifts and consumer trends impacting the population BCC seeks to serve.
  • Refine BCC’s messaging to better articulate its appeal, impact, and direction.
  • Evaluate BCC’s operational structure, staffing model, and internal workflows, and optimizing these items for growth.
  • Establish key performance metrics and anticipated outcomes that reinforce accountability to stakeholders, funders, and the communities BCC serves.

ABOUT BCC

Boston Children's Chorus (BCC) is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that harnesses the power of music to inspire social change by investing in young people’s curiosity and empathy. Each year, BCC engages over 3,000 young people through a diverse set of programs and community-based initiatives, developing musical & leadership skills, empathy, and connection across differences. We provide high-quality music education while empowering youth to use their voices for the betterment of their communities. Through strategic partnerships with public, charter, and private schools, higher education institutions, arts organizations, community-based nonprofits, and corporate sponsors, BCC creates spaces where young people can express themselves musically, connect with others, and contribute to a more just and inclusive society.

Our team includes a dedicated staff of educators, creative professionals, and administrators. In FY25 we ended the year with 30 PTE and 13 FTE. Our Board of Directors is comprised of 15 dedicated volunteers. Between FY21 and FY26, our budget has grown incrementally from 1.6M to 3M.

CORE STRATEGIC PLANNING AREAS

BCC has identified key focus areas to be addressed in the strategic planning process:

  • Market Assessment & Consumer Research: Understanding trends impacting current and prospective program participants.
  • Brand & Messaging Strategy: Refining BCC’s assets to ensure relevance and clarity.
  • Program Expansion: Expand BCC’s reach through programmatic growth.
  • Product Design & Improvement: Refining our current offerings to deepen our impact and reach more youth in the region. Explore market adjacencies that bolster our bottom line, improve the acquisition and retention of program participants, deepen impact for youth, and/or expand our reach and reputation.
  • Operational Effectiveness & Structural Alignment: Optimizing structures, staffing models, and workflows for improved efficiency and agility.
  • Revenue Growth & Financial Sustainability: Diversifying revenue streams, strengthening fundraising strategies, and improving long-term financial stability.
  • Change Management & Organizational Resilience: Crafting strategies to support organizational change and stakeholder buy-in.

SCOPE OF WORK

Pre-Planning & Organizational Assessment

  • Review prior strategic plans, financial data, and operational reports.
  • Benchmark staffing, board, programming, and revenue streams against industry leaders to identify performance gaps and potential areas for improvement.
  • Conduct a SWOT analysis.
  • Gather qualitative and quantitative data from key stakeholders (staff, board, choristers, parents, alums, and funders) through surveys, focus groups, and interviews.

Consumer Research and Market Assessment

  • Examine the competitive landscape for consumers aged 7-18, focusing on market sizing and growth potential. Conduct a pricing study of available offerings in our region.
  • Gather and analyze qualitative and quantitative data from current and prospective program participants through surveys, focus groups, and interviews, focusing on both current and new offerings, to understand consumer satisfaction and interest.

Strategic Plan Development

  • Define strategic priorities and develop a structured plan with measurable goals.
  • Identify pathways for program expansion, equitable youth engagement, revenue growth, and increased brand recognition.
  • Align recommendations with BCC’s mission, vision, and financial sustainability objectives.

Implementation Strategy & Evaluation Framework

  • Create an implementation roadmap with timelines, milestones, and accountability measures.

DELIVERABLES

The consultant will be responsible for producing the following:

  1. A three-year comprehensive strategic plan.
  2. An organizational growth implementation roadmap with performance indicators.
  3. A financial sustainability plan.
  4. A stakeholder engagement report summarizing findings.
  5. A plan for measuring and evaluating progress.
  6. Follow-up support for plan implementation.

PROJECT TIMELINE

RFP Issued:    Friday, October 3, 2025
Deadline for RFP Questions:    Friday, October 10, 2025
Proposal Submission Deadline:    Friday, October 17, 2025 by 5:00 PM (EST)
Possible Consultant Finalist Interviews: October 28-30, 2025*
Consultant Selection & Notification:    November 3-5, 2025
Project Start Date:    December 1, 2025
Draft Strategic Plan Completion:    Monday, June 1, 2026
Final Strategic Plan Submission:    Monday, June 15, 2026

PROJECT BUDGET

We expect proposals to range from $35,000 to $50,000 for this RFP.

ELIGIBILITY TO RESPOND

BCC seeks proposals from consultants or firms with extensive experience in nonprofit strategic planning, particularly with Creative Youth Development (CYD) organizations. The successful consultant will demonstrate the following:

  • A proven commitment to DEI in methodology and implementation.
  • A deep understanding of nonprofit growth, governance, and sustainability.
  • Prior projects studying youth behavior and interests, preferably in Greater Boston.
  •  Expertise in data-driven strategic planning and impact measurement.
  • Ability to analyze large data sets and provide actionable analytic insights.
  • Expertise in market research, consumer trends, and focus groups.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Proposals should be submitted as PDF documents and emailed to Sara Honeywell, Chief of Staff, at shoneywell@bostonchildrenschorus.org. The subject line should read: "BCC Strategic Plan Proposal – [Consultant/Firm Name]."

Required Proposal Components:

  • Cover Letter
  • Proposal Summary
  • Work Plan & Timeline
  • Key Staff Biographies (Broken down by Scope of Work Areas)
  • Budget & Cost Breakdown (By Scope of Work Areas)
  • Relevant Experience
  • Work Samples
  • References

SELECTION CRITERIA

Proposals will be evaluated by a selection committee based on:

  • Consultant Qualifications (35%) – Experience in nonprofit strategic planning.
  • Quality of Proposal (25%) – Clarity and feasibility of the proposed work plan.
  • Budget & Cost Effectiveness (25%) – Alignment with project goals and available funding.
  • Project Timeline (15%) – Ability to meet deadlines and key milestones.

Shortlisted candidates may be invited for interviews before final selection. Please ensure your team’s availability for the interview dates listed in the project timeline.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

  • Non-Discrimination: BCC does not discriminate based on race, gender, national origin, disability, or other protected categories.
  • Confidentiality: All intellectual property and proprietary information developed will remain BCC's property.
  • Right to Modify or Cancel: BCC reserves the right to amend or withdraw this RFP.
  • Proposal Costs: The consultant is responsible for all costs associated with proposal preparation and submission.
  • Public Record: Proposals are subject to applicable public record laws.
  • Ownership of Work: All final deliverables will be owned by BCC and cannot be used or distributed without BCC’s written consent.

SUBMISSION DETAILS

Proposal Deadline:    Friday, October 17, 2025 by 5:00 PM (EST)
Submission Email:    shoneywell@bostonchildrenschorus.org
Inquiries:        Direct questions to Sara Honeywell, Chief of Staff, shoneywell@bostonchildrenschorus.org

BCC looks forward to partnering with a consultant to shape the future of our organization. Thank you for your interest!