Request for Proposal: Western North Carolina Recovery and Resiliency Fund process evaluation

The following are the definitions CDP uses for key terminology relevant to this RFP and the project.  

Disaster – A disaster is a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or society at any scale due to hazardous events interacting with conditions of exposure, vulnerability and capacity, leading to one or more of the following: human, material, economic and environmental losses and impacts. 

Disaster Recovery – The process of improving individual, family and community resiliency after the occurrence of a disaster. Recovery is not only about the restoration of structures, systems and services – although they are critical. A successful recovery is also about addressing sources of inequitable and unjust outcomes, and individuals and families being able to rebound from their losses and sustain their physical, social, economic, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. 

Funders – Philanthropic groups that provide financial support to charitable organizations. For CDP, funders include public, private, family, corporate and community foundations (or similar donor structures) and high-wealth donors (individually or through donor-advised fund management companies). Philanthropic-serving organizations are also part of CDP’s primary funder audience.

Process Evaluation – An evaluation that focuses mainly on internal project or program issues. They are intended to provide information, findings and recommendations that can help to improve the management of a project or program.  

Question: The budget for this project will start at $30,000. Could you clarify whether this is intended to be a floor or a ceiling for the budget of the activities?

Answer: The $30,000 figure is shared as a baseline. We aim to stay within this budget, but will review proposals with higher costs to better understand the proposed activities, scope of work and value added. One of the criteria we will use to assess RFPs is cost effectiveness.

Question: Is the budget in the RFP inclusive of expenses?

            Answer: Yes.

Question: Are there any unallowable costs?

Answer: The consultancy would be structured as a flat fee for services rendered on a deliverable basis; therefore, we would not need to track granular costs and thus have any costs deemed unallowable.

Question: Is there an expected minimum number of interviews, surveys, etc. that CDP would like completed in the primary data collection phase?

Answer: The number and types of stakeholders to be engaged and the methods used will be determined with the selected consultant. We encourage proposals to include as much information as possible about the proposed methodologies and activities.

Question: Is there a target number of interviews or types of stakeholders you expect to be included?

Answer: The number and types of stakeholders will be determined with the selected consultant. We encourage proposals to include as much information as possible about the proposed methodologies and activities. For this project, we anticipate that the desk review will be the primary methodology.

Question: Are there specific methodologies you would prefer the consultant employ for data collection and analysis (e.g., specific types of interviews, surveys, literature review approaches)?

Answer: Rather than prescribing a methodology, we encourage proposals to include a proposed methodology as part of the thumbnail scope and project approach.

Question: Are there any specific equity-focused frameworks or lenses CDP expects the consultant to apply throughout the evaluation?

Answer: No, but we welcome such frameworks or lenses applied to the project and referenced in the proposal. Here is CDP’s statement on Racial and Intersectional Equity.

Question: Could you please note any internal consent or anonymity protocols that CDP expects the consultant to follow during any primary data collection?

Answer: We take consent and maintaining anonymity seriously as requested and when required. Such protocols will be developed and agreed upon when the project begins with the selected consultant.

Question: Are there preferred formats for the report and other deliverables (e.g., length, design guidelines)?

Answer: CDP will share branding guidelines when the proposal is chosen. We encourage proposals to include information and proposed ideas about the deliverables. More specifics will be determined in consultation with the selected consultant.

Question: Will the sensemaking workshop or any presentations be held virtually or in-person, and are there any details available about the format, including the expected run of show and level of engagement?

Answer: CDP is a fully remote team. The sensemaking workshop or presentation will be expected to be delivered virtually. Details will be up to the consultant with input from CDP’s project staff at that time. It is not anticipated that travel will be necessary for this project.

Question: What are your expectations for the deliverables in terms of electronic vs. hard copies? Would you want any printed materials created as opposed to a format such as print-ready documents?

Answer: We are only looking for electronic deliverables; print-ready (such as a PDF) may be useful in some instances, but we do not expect to print any materials professionally.

Question: Are supplemental materials exempt from the three-page limit specified for the proposal?

            Answer: Yes.

Question: Can you share more about the evaluation criteria being used to select a proposal submitted for this scope of work?

Answer: Submitted proposals will be assessed against criteria including CDP value alignment, the extent to which the proposal is equity-informed, the strength of qualifications, the depth of understanding of relevant sectors, the quality and feasibility of the proposed workplan, and cost-effectiveness. 

Question: What type of relationship and partnership would CDP like to have with its selected consultant(s)?

            Answer: We aspire to partner in ways that inspire trust, creativity, learning and care.

Question: What are the expectations of CDP participation in the project?

Answer: In terms of engaging CDP, we anticipate that the consultant(s) will consult more intensively with the CDP project staff at the beginning of Phases 1 to ensure alignment before proceeding with evaluation activities. We expect (a) to be involved in the decision of who and how to invite for any primary data collection, (b) to review a project plan from the beginning and any data collection tools in advance, (c) that updates will be provided to the CDP point of contacts throughout the project, including communication about progress and any issues that may arise, (d) to participate in discussions about what the deliverables will look like, and (e) to have the opportunity to review and provide feedback on the deliverables before finalization. Please factor in meetings, as needed and mutually agreed upon, with CDP staff throughout the phases outlined above.

Question: Could you confirm whether there are any expectations or preferences regarding time zones or working hours for key engagements with CDP staff throughout the project?

Answer: The CDP key points of contact for this project are located in several time zones across the U.S. While there is no preference for the consultant to overlap with these working hours, we expect a commitment to find a mutually agreeable time for check-ins as necessary.

Question: Are there any special events or milestones (e.g., board meetings, stakeholder events) that interested consultancies should account for in the project timeline?

Answer: No. However, as described in this RFP, we would like to receive the deliverables no later than the end of Q3 2026.

Question: Who from CDP will be the day-to-day point of contact for the project?

Answer: Austin Snowbarger (austin.snowbarger@disasterphilanthropy.org) and Bailey Fohr (bailey.fohr@disasterphilanthropy.org). Staff from the Fund will also be engaged.

Question: Are you open to receiving submissions from both organizations and individual consultants?

            Answer: Yes.

Question: Are you open to receiving submissions from organizations and individuals based outside the United States?

Answer: This depends on the specific project and scope of work. For this project, familiarity with grantmaking, the role of intermediaries in the philanthropic ecosystem and knowledge of disaster recovery in the U.S. is critical. We will accept submissions from organizations and individuals based outside the U.S., but they must demonstrate alignment with the background and characteristics in this RFP.

Question: I have led projects on many different subject areas, but not specifically philanthropic ecosystems. Is that a major requirement, or will proposals be considered if the skill sets match?

Answer: Proposals will be accepted from individuals or groups not as familiar with philanthropy. However, depth of understanding of relevant sectors, including philanthropy, will be one of the criteria used to assess proposals.

Question: Have you invited any organizations/individuals to submit a proposal?

            Answer: We shared the RFP with the Colorado Evaluation Network.

Question: Have you engaged in work like this before? If so, did you do it internally or use a consultant?

Answer: CDP does have experience commissioning and working with outside partners on evaluation work. We completed an evaluation of our Hurricane Harvey Fund in 2021 and hired an external consultant for that evaluation. In 2025, CDP completed our second Grantee Perception Report with the Center for Effective Philanthropy. Also in 2025, we hired an external consultant to evaluate our Midwest Early Recovery Fund.

Question: Do you have preferences for any types of meeting or productivity tools, such as Zoom, Teams, Slack, etc.?

Answer: We use Zoom and Slack, as well as Microsoft products and Dropbox internally, but are willing to work in other platforms as well for the purposes of the project, as agreed with the chosen consultant.