Issued by: Family Promise, Inc.
Website: www.familypromise.org
Date: May 13, 2025
Submission Deadline: Friday, May 30, 2025, 1:00 pm (Firm)
Anticipated Award Date: June 6, 2025
—
I. Introduction & Overview
Family Promise is the nation’s foremost organization dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness for families with children, helping them achieve sustainable independence through community-based response. With a presence in nearly every state and a network that serves over a quarter of a million people annually, Family Promise leverages local partnerships, innovative solutions, and the voices of families with lived experience to address the complex crisis of family homelessness
As part of our ongoing commitment to authentic engagement, equity, and sustained impact, Family Promise seeks proposals from qualified organizations or an experienced consultant to support the engagement of individuals with lived experience. This is primarily done in three ways:
- Affiliate Board of Director positions,
- Staff roles,
- And the establishment of Family Advisory Councils (FAC) within our affiliate network, including at Family Promise Union County, and to enhance our current FAC Toolkit.
The goal is to ensure the various toolkits and related deliverables reflect the industry’s best practices, offer practical and accessible resources, and are fully turnkey to implement effectively. This work, including the FAC toolkit and best practice materials, will be used to launch an FAC at Family Promise Union County (NJ) and ensure the affiliate is positioned to engage for families through board and staff positions.
This work will be funded in whole, or in part, through the State of New Jersey FamilyCare Housing Supports Provider Readiness Program (HSPRP), requiring adherence to all relevant administrative, financial, and reporting requirements, including 2 CFR Part 200-Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Award.
—
II. Purpose of Scope & Work
A. Purpose
The purpose of this RFP is to:
- Facilitate the creation of a Family Advisory Council (FAC) for Family Promise Union County, New Jersey that elevates the voices of families with lived experience of homelessness.
- Update and improve the existing Family Promise FAC Toolkit to ensure it reflects best practices, is culturally responsive, and supports meaningful family engagement.
- Advance the recruitment, onboarding, and sustained involvement of board members with lived experience, ensuring their voices are integral to organizational decision-making and governance.
- Advance the recruitment, onboarding, and sustained success of staff members with lived homelessness experience, ensuring their voices are integral to the leadership of the affiliate.
B. Scope of Work
The selected contractor will:
- Equip & Expand Board Governance through Lived Experience
- Develop best practices and guidelines for the transparent and equitable process for seating board members with lived experience, ensuring their meaningful participation organizational governance.
- Develop a comprehensive and replicable training program for board members, focusing on leadership development, trauma-informed practices, organizational governance, and effective advocacy.
- Create a comprehensive and replicable orientation process that prepares board members with lived experience for their roles and responsibilities, fostering an inclusive and supportive environment.
- Provide training and technical assistance to support staff implementation with the board.
- Equip & Expand Staff Leadership through Lived Experience
- Develop best practice and guidelines for the transparent and equitable process for hiring and onboarding staff members with lived experience, ensuring their meaningful participation in organizational operations.
- Develop a comprehensive and replicable training program for staff, focusing on leadership development and trauma-informed practices.
- Create a comprehensive and replicable orientation process that prepares staff with lived experience for their roles and responsibilities, fostering an inclusive and supportive environment.
- Enhance the FAC Toolkit:
- Conduct a thorough review of the existing FAC Toolkit for strengths, gaps, and alignment with current family engagement best practices. and incorporate feedback from current FAC members and staff. The tool kit is available here: Family Advisory Council Toolkit 2024
- Benchmark content against and integrate best practices from national models and recent research, including recommendations for leadership support, stakeholder engagement, and sustainability.
- Ensure accessibility and usability for Affiliates of varying sizes and capacities.
- Provide toolkit in both English and Spanish languages.
- Ensure the toolkit addresses recruitment, onboarding, meeting facilitation, compensation, support for participation (e.g., childcare, transportation), and evaluation.
- Clear step-by-step guides for launching and sustaining a FAC.
- Frameworks to support equitable, inclusive, and trauma-informed engagement.
- Programmatic materials such as recruitment flyers, social media graphics, and agendas in both Spanish and English.
- Support Ongoing Council Operations:
- Offer guidance on sustaining FACs, including leadership development, member retention, and continuous improvement.
- Create templates and resources for agendas, feedback collection, and reporting,
- including practical, ready-to-use tools (e.g., meeting reminders, agenda templates, orientation materials, icebreakers).
- Establish Family Promise Union County Advisory Council:
- Offer guidance on setting up and managing FACs that will ensure cultural competency in the FAC design at FPUC. The Family Promise team will then be able to recruit FAC members from diverse backgrounds, including BIPOC families, single-parent households, and Medicaid enrolled.
- Develop and implement a transparent selection process and orientation for FAC members.
- Provide training and technical assistance to support staff implementation.
—
III. Funding and Compliance Requirements
Family Promise has tentatively allocated a budget of $20,000 for this project, inclusive of all planning, development, and revisions.
Proposers must submit a total all-inclusive “not to exceed” price for the entire scope of services described in this RFP. This not to exceed price shall represent the maximum amount Family Promise will pay for all work performed under the resulting contract and must be inclusive of all direct and indirect costs, including but not limited to labor, materials, travel, administrative expenses, subcontractor fees, and any out-of-pocket or incidental costs. No additional compensation will be provided beyond this amount, and the proposer is responsible for ensuring that all anticipated expenses are accounted for in the submitted price. The not to exceed price provides a financial cap that ensures transparency, accountability, and budgetary control for both parties, in accordance with federal and State of New Jersey funding requirements.
This contract will be administered on a reimbursement basis, with payments made monthly based on actual, documented expenses incurred by the contractor. Each invoice must detail the expenses for the billing period and include appropriate supporting documentation in accordance with federal and state requirements. Only allowable costs directly related to the approved scope of work will be reimbursed; no advance payments will be made.
This project is funded by both federal and State of New Jersey sources. All work must comply with:
- 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance):
- Procurement standards, cost principles, and audit requirements must be followed.
- Allowable costs include staff time, training, materials, participant stipends, and reasonable support services (e.g., childcare, transportation).
- The successful awardee must maintain documentation for all expenditures and submit detailed invoices with documentation for the work performed in a timely manner and/or upon demand.
- State of New Jersey HSPRP Requirements:
- Adhere to state-specific contracting, reporting, and audit protocols.
—
IV. Deliverables
| Deliverable | Description (To be fully informed by Scope of Work above.) | Proposed Due Date |
| Equip & Expand Board Governance through Lived Experience | Develop best practices and guidelines to support the transparent and equitable hiring, seating, and meaningful participation of board members with lived experience. These resources will focus on leadership development, trauma- informed practices, effective advocacy, and fostering an inclusive, supportive environment for all board members. | Not to exceed Month 4 |
| Equip & Expand Staff Leadership through Lived Experience | Develop comprehensive, replicable training and an orientation program to support the transparent and equitable hiring, seating, and meaningful participation of staff members with lived experience. These resources will focus on leadership development, trauma-informed practices, and fostering an inclusive, supportive environment for all board members. | Not to exceed Month 4 |
| Revised FAC Toolkit | Annotated version of existing toolkit with suggested improvements. Updated and enhanced toolkit reflecting best practices and stakeholder input (WORD or Google Docs format required). A brief user guide to help Affiliates adapt and implement the toolkit (PowerPoint version required; additional document in WORD or Google Docs format required). | Not to exceed Month 4 |
| FAC Establishment Plan | Strategy for recruiting, onboarding, and supporting diverse FAC members, including subsections specific to Family Promise Union County, NJ. | Not to exceed Month 2 |
| Ongoing Council Operations Plan | Guidance/recommendation document on sustaining FACs, including leadership development, member retention, and continuous improvement. Provide policy recommendations and samples in WORD or Google Docs. Practical templates and plug-and-play tools. | Not to exceed Month 5 |
| Training Materials | Curriculum recommendations and resources for FAC member and staff training. | Not to exceed Month 7 |
| Final Project Report | Summary of outcomes, lessons learned, and recommendations. All deliverables met/in-hand. | End of project Month 8, January 31, 2026 |
—
V. Proposal Submission Requirements
Interested consultants should submit:
- Technical Proposal:
- Cover letter summarizing interest and total all-inclusive “not to exceed” price for the entire scope of services described in this RFP, signed by an authorized organizational representative (AOR) or executive official, affirming the accuracy of the proposal and the organization’s commitment to fulfilling all requirements outlined in this RFP.
- Organizational qualifications and relevant experience.
- Approach to engaging individuals with lived experience including board roles, staff roles, and family advisory councils.
- Work plan and timeline (All work, including receipt of final deliverables, must be completed and invoiced by January 31, 2026.)
- Demonstration of capacity and background to do this work. This may include providing key staff resumes and a minimum of two references (not to exceed 4).
- Budget Proposal:
- Detailed line-item budget.
- Budget narrative justifying costs.
- A total all-inclusive “not to exceed” price for the entire scope of services described in this RFP.
- This not to exceed price shall represent the maximum amount Family Promise will pay for all work performed under the resulting contract and must be inclusive of all direct and indirect costs, including but not limited to labor, materials, travel, administrative expenses, subcontractor fees, and any out-of-pocket or incidental costs.
- No additional compensation will be provided beyond this amount, and the proposer is responsible for ensuring that all anticipated expenses are accounted for in the submitted price.
- The not to exceed price provides a financial cap that ensures transparency, accountability, and budgetary control for both parties, in accordance with federal and State of New Jersey funding requirements.
- Compliance Attachments:
- SAM.gov debarment check documentation
- W-9
—
VI. Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated based on:
- Demonstrated experience with, and understanding of, family engagement, advisory councils, and community-led structures
- Quality and practicality of past work
- Creativity and clarity of proposed approach
- Quality and feasibility of work plan and timeline
- Experience working with nonprofits or federated networks
- Cost-effectiveness and value
—
VII. Submission Instructions
Submit proposals electronically to:
Carolyn Gordon, Chief Program Officer, at cgordon@familypromise.org
Subject line: “FAC RFP Submission – [Your Organization Name]”
Deadline: Friday, May 30, 2025, 1:00 pm EST (Firm)
Questions, to be received by 5:00 pm EST Wednesday, May 21, 2025, may be directed in writing to cgordon@familypromise.org.
—
VIII. About Family Promise
Family Promise is committed to empowering families, fostering community-based solutions, and driving systemic change to end family homelessness. We value the lived experiences of families and seek partners who share our commitment to equity, innovation, and authentic engagement.
Family Promise is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from individuals with lived experience of homelessness and those from historically marginalized communities.
References to toolkit
Family Advisory Council Toolkit 2024 have been integrated throughout the Scope of Work and Deliverables.