OVERVIEW:
At the National Organization for Arts in Health (NOAH), we provide transformational leadership to bring the field of arts in health together, and to move the field forward. Grounded in extensive research and practice related to the role of the arts in health, our focus is on building and supporting the future of arts, culture, health, and wellbeing; and creating tangible, enduring impacts.
Founded in 2016, NOAH is a small organization with 1.75 staff members and an 18-member volunteer board. We have seen healthy growth and increased our membership by 17% in 2023. As of January 2024, we have 536 members. More organizations, communities, and individuals are beginning to understand the impacts the arts and culture can have on health and well-being. Our mission is to unite, advance, and serve the field of arts in health, and we are passionate about supporting our members with resources, especially in this time of massive industry advancement.
GOALS:
We are at an inflection point in terms of the growth of the organization and the industry. We are interested in “smart growth” and aligning our resource management with NOAH’s mission. We also want to implement a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in all we do. NOAH is thus in need of a strategic plan (SP) that will help us hone our priorities and move forward with attainable and sustainable goals and objectives. Previous work allowed NOAH to identify 3 major areas of focus that will be central to our strategic planning process. These three areas include:
- Grow the Organization: Establish, promote, and grow organizational infrastructure through diversified income streams, concrete and repeatable processes and procedures, and hiring necessary personnel to support the growth of the organization.
- Advocate for the Field: Promote awareness of the benefits of arts and health to educators, clinicians, and arts councils through the annual conference as well as through the promotion of NOAH’s Core Curriculum and the NOAH Essentials of Arts in Health certificate of completion.
- Promote Diversity in the Field: Proactively generate opportunities for the recognition and inclusion of diverse disciplines, ages, abilities, genders, regions, and individuals or institutions among Arts in Health professionals and forums through membership forums, scholarships to the annual conference, and partnerships with strategic organizations.
PROJECT SCOPE:
Consultant will support NOAH to develop a Strategic Plan that will help us hone our priorities and move forward with attainable and sustainable goals and objectives.
Expectations:
- Consultant will facilitate meetings with NOAH’s board and planning committee.
- Consultant will support a current state analysis to understand collected data, and evaluate current and possible future programs.
- Consultant may utilize additional data collection methods (e.g., focus groups, surveys) to obtain needed information and feedback from NOAH members, board, and staff.
- Consultant will have access to NOAH documents, board and staff throughout the process for support in developing the strategic planning deliverables.
Deliverables:
- Values Framework: Consultant will clarify NOAH’s mission, vision, and values to support alignment in decision-making and resource management.
- Strategic Plan: Consultant will create a plan that concretely addresses the three focus areas delineated above. This plan will include clear SMART goals, a timeline, and practical recommendations for implementation based on NOAH’s available resources.
- Decision-Making Tree: Consultant will create a process for evaluating new projects.
PROJECT BUDGET:
$10,000
PROJECT TIMELINE:
- RFP Closes February 9th
- All candidates will be notified by February 23rd on the status of your application.
- Deliverables complete by June 2024 (Timing flexibility based on consultation with the NOAH planning committee)
Required Consultant Experience:
- Experience with arts services organizations
- DEIA experience
- Resource planning and development experience
Preferred Consultant Experience:
- Visionary approach to strategic planning
- Experience in the field of arts in health and/or experience working with membership organizations, is a plus
Proposals should be submitted HERE.
- Cover letter OR a video cover letter (feel free to record a 1-minute video introducing yourself)
- Resume including qualifications/prior experience of the Consultant, including specific experience related to non-profit strategic planning
- An example of a strategic plan the consultant developed (can be sent as a pdf, doc, or website link)
This RFP will be open until February 9th. Candidates will be contacted by February 23rd at the latest on the status of your application. If you have any questions, please email [email protected]. Thank you for your interest!