To whom it may concern,  

Massanutten Regional Library is accepting proposals from qualified firms to provide a Fundraising / Development Assessment in 2025. We invite your firm to submit a proposal to us by March 21, 2025 for consideration.  

Background:  

Founded in 1928, Massanutten Regional Library is a seven-branch system that serves over 162,000 residents in Harrisonburg, Page County, and Rockingham County. As a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization we are funded in partnership with these localities and through the generosity of our patrons. MRL has a total current budget of just over $3.1 million annually and has a fiscal year-end of June 30. Current fundraising totals average approximately $277,000 over the past 3 fiscal years, not counting in-kind contributions. In the most recent complete fiscal year, we had over 600 active donors.  

Mission: Massanutten Regional Library is an engaged community partner providing programs and services that bring people together, foster creativity, and encourage lifelong learning. 

Vision: MRL’s vision is to be the welcoming heart of our community where all come to learn, discover, create, and connect. 

Values: 

• Being a warm, welcoming, and safe space for community members to gather. 
• Being actively engaged in the life of the community. 
• Committing to robust outreach programming that serves underserved populations. 
• Pursuing innovative partnerships that extend MRL resources. 
• Employing a collaborative, creative, and enthusiastic staff committed to outstanding customer service and responsiveness. 
• Ensuring ready, equal, and equitable access to a comprehensive and balanced collection of materials, programs, and technology. 
• Protecting confidentiality of library patron records. 
• Championing everyone’s right to intellectual freedom. 

In FY24, over 237,000 people visited MRL locations and nearly 865,000 items circulated from collections. A record 50,382 people attended library programming in the past year, and MRL saved patrons over $15,000,000* by providing library services. 

*https://ilovelibraries.org/what-libraries-do/calculator/  

Services to Be Performed:  

Your proposal is expected to cover the following services:  

1. Assess strengths, weaknesses, and structure of development team and MRL Board of Trustees. 
2. Tailor development best practices to our needs and current and prospective donors. 
3. Evaluate development communication and messaging and recommend strongest points to strengthen the case for philanthropic support. 
4. Identify potential growth areas of annual fundraising revenue and gaining new donors. 
5. Evaluate and identify best practices in donor relations to retain and increase donor numbers. 
6. Provide insight on how to market and expand our planned giving opportunities.  
7. Evaluate structure, processes and needs for a successful future capital campaign.   

Response to this Request for Proposal: 

In responding to this request, please provide the following information: 

1. Detail your firm’s experience in providing Development and Fundraising consulting services to not-for-profit sector entities, as well as entities of a comparable size to our organization.
2. Describe your firm’s approach to this development assessment and outline any portions that you plan to execute remotely. Please outline what access you may need to MRL systems and applications related to Development.  
3. Outline your fees and ensure that this fee is sufficient to cover the work within this request. Please provide current billing rates and expense policies outlining how incidental costs (travel, mileage, etc.) are billed, where applicable. 

Key Personnel:  

The following is a list of key people you may wish to contact with respect to this request.  

Zachary Elder, Library Director zelder@mrlib.org 540-434-4475 x 128  

Megan Medeiros, Director of Advancement mmedeiros@mrlib.org 540-434-4475 x 135 

Austin Sachs, MRL Board Chair, austin.sachs@gmail.com   

For coordination purposes, we ask that all requests for additional information, visits to our site, review of documents, or appointments to key personnel be directed to the Director of Advancement. 

Evaluation of Proposals  

The Advancement Committee of the Board of Directors of MRL will evaluate proposals on a qualitative basis. This may include a review of the firm’s peer review and related materials, interviews with senior engagement personnel to be assigned to our organization, results of discussions with other clients, and the firm’s completeness and timeliness in its response to us. Proposals will be evaluated based on the consultant’s experience working in similar library or nonprofit settings, methodology, proposed cost, and relevance and thoughtfulness of approach. 

MRL reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids. All material that is submitted in response to this RFP will become the sole property of MRL. MRL expressly reserves the right to use any ideas submitted in the proposals received unless covered by legal patent or proprietary rights, any of which must be clearly indicated in the proposal submitted in response to the RFP. 

Please let us know if you choose not to respond to this RFP. If you choose to respond to this request, please do so by 03/10/2025. 

RFP key dates are as follows:  

• 3/1/2025                              RFP Questions Due 
• 3/21/2025                            Proposals Due to MRL by Email 
• 3/21 - 3/31/2025                 Review of Proposals               
• 4/3/2025                               Decision made by MRL Advancement Committee 

Final Product: 

MRL expects the following key deliverables from the consultant at the conclusion of the project: 

• A written report integrating the elements described in this RFP. 
• A presentation, either virtual or in-person, to the Advancement Committee of the MRL Board of Trustees, Director and other stakeholders to communicate highlights of the document. 

All project deliverables will be provided in printed and electronic formats. All electronic material shall be provided in mutually agreed upon software formats. The final product and all related materials shall be the sole property of the Massanutten Regional Library. 

Payment: 

MRL will make periodic payments, invoiced during the course of the project. Costs specified in the response must remain valid for at least six months from the date of the Proposal being received. 

Questions: 

Please address questions regarding this RFP to Megan Medeiros, Director of Advancement mmedeiros@mrlib.org 540-434-4475 x 135