LGBTQ+ Alliance Fund RFP – DEI Consultant

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Queer (LGBTQ+) Alliance Fund, a fund of the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, seeks a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Consultant for the year ahead.

INTRODUCTION: The LGBTQ+ Alliance Fund connects donors with projects that benefit the LGBTQ+ community in Southern Arizona through annual competitive grant rounds. In its 23-year history, the Fund has awarded 208 grants, totaling $1,025,897, to more than 65 local organizations. In 2021, the organization’s volunteer Advisory Board—thanks to the generosity of our loyal donors– distributed $82,500 to 14 grantees.

SCOPE OF WORK: As our organization grows and our grantmaking increases, the Fund is in a unique position to challenge the status quo and be an example of a philanthropic organization committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) internally and externally. More specifically, as the region’s only philanthropic fund for queer programs and initiatives, we believe that our volunteer leaders and staff will be better equipped when we tackle structural/systemic racism, and racial and economic inequalities head-on.

CONSULTANT OBJECTIVES:

  • Organizational DEI assessment, including Board and staff survey collection, completed no later than Spring 2022.
  • Develop a strategy to integrate DEI into AF organizational objectives, systems, and processes during 2022-2023 and beyond.
  • Provide DEI knowledge, awareness, and skills to Advisory Board Members and staff for a minimum of 1 Spring retreat and 3 trainings in 2022.
  • Ensure that organization leaders can openly and meaningfully address DEI in group settings, particularly when diversity in opinion has the potential to lead to disagreement and conflict.

CONSULTANT EXPERIENCE: The Consultant should have in-depth knowledge and training in DEI principles with prior experience in non-profit/philanthropic assessment and implementation. We seek a strong communicator with facilitation experience that will ensure psychological safety and trauma-informed approaches during group decision-making and dialogue.

APPLICATION PROCESS: The Consultant should send a letter of interest (in PDF format) no more than 2 pages summarizing prior experience and ability to support the organization on retainer throughout the 2022 calendar year. Proposals must include cost estimates for provided consultant objectives and be in the range of $5,000-$8,500. A resume/CV is also requested.

DEADLINE: All proposals should be submitted electronically by e-mail to the Director of the Alliance Fund no later than 5 p.m. MST on Friday, March 4, 2022. The organization will conduct interviews following submission and will select the consultant by mid-March.

Organization Info & Contact: Andrés Cano, LGBTQ+ Alliance Fund Director, Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, 5049 E. Broadway Boulevard, Tucson, Arizona 85711 – 520-301-6162, acano@cfsaz.org.