Strategic Communications Consulting Request for Proposals

Issued by: Friends Community School K-8th Grade Quaker School in College Park, MD www.friendscommunityschool.org
Issue Date: June 15, 2026
Proposal Due Date: June 30, 2025
1. Introduction
Friends Community School is seeking proposals from qualified strategic communications consultants to support the development of a comprehensive communications strategy for our small, progressive, Quaker K–8 school. The consultant will partner with school leadership to develop a thoughtful, mission-aligned communications framework that will help the school effectively communicate its new strategic plan, strengthen brand awareness, improve external and internal communications practices, and establish a sustainable social media strategy.
The ideal consultant will have experience working with independent schools, nonprofit organizations, mission-driven institutions, and/or Quaker or progressive educational communities.
2. About the School
Friends Community School (FCS), founded in 1986, is a progressive, co-ed Quaker K-8 day school serving a diverse student body from the greater Washington, D.C. area. FCS’s LEED-certified building is situated on 17 acres surrounded by Greenbelt National Park, nine minutes from the University of Maryland, College Park, and thirty minutes from Washington, D.C. 
Educators at FCS nurture lifelong learners, courageous risk takers, and joyous peacemakers through the expression of our commitments to Quakerism, Progressive Education, equity, and inclusion. Our progressive pedagogical approach emphasizes depth over breadth, creativity and innovation over memorization, and hands-on collaborative projects over rote schoolwork. Our curriculum engages students in the exploration of values rooted in our Quaker Heritage – simplicity, peaceful conflict resolution, integrity, community, equality/equity, and stewardship – from a range of perspectives. 
The school recently completed a strategic planning process and is now preparing to launch and communicate its new strategic plan to key stakeholders, including current families, prospective families, faculty and staff, alumni, donors, and the broader community. 
3. Project Goals
The purpose of this engagement is to:

Develop a comprehensive communications strategy aligned with the school’s mission, values, and strategic priorities
Create a communications plan to support the rollout and ongoing communication of the school’s new strategic plan
Strengthen and clarify the school’s brand identity and messaging
Increase brand awareness and visibility within the local community and among prospective families
Develop a sustainable and mission-aligned social media strategy
Establish communications standards, protocols, and frameworks that can guide school staff moving forward
Improve consistency and effectiveness across internal and external communications
Build staff understanding and capacity around strategic communications best practices

4. Scope of Work
The selected consultant will be expected to collaborate closely with school leadership and key stakeholders to complete work that may include, but is not limited to, the following:
A. Discovery and Assessment

Conduct a review of the school’s current communications practices, materials, and channels
Assess existing brand positioning, messaging, and communications effectiveness
Review current website, social media presence, publications, and marketing collateral
Identify strengths, opportunities, gaps, and areas for improvement

B. Strategic Communications Plan
Develop a comprehensive communications strategy that includes:

Core messaging and brand positioning
Key audience identification and communications objectives
Communications priorities and recommendations
Messaging architecture and storytelling themes
Internal and external communications recommendations
Recommended communications channels and cadence
Crisis communications considerations and/or guiding principles
Recommendations for governance, ownership, and workflows
Metrics and methods for evaluating communications effectiveness

C. Strategic Plan Roll-Out
Develop a communications plan to support the launch and ongoing communication of the school’s new strategic plan, including:

Strategic plan messaging and narrative development
Audience-specific communications recommendations
Rollout timeline and communications sequencing
Sample launch communications and/or templates
Recommendations for engaging families, faculty/staff, trustees, donors, and alumni

D. Brand Awareness and Marketing Recommendations
Provide recommendations to strengthen awareness of the school and its mission within the broader community, including:

Brand differentiation opportunities
Market positioning recommendations
Community engagement and visibility strategies
Enrollment-focused communications recommendations
Public relations and storytelling opportunities

E. Social Media Strategy
Develop a social media strategy that includes:

Platform recommendations
Content themes and content planning guidance
Posting cadence recommendations
Audience engagement strategies
Roles and responsibilities guidance
Best practices for mission-aligned storytelling and community engagement
Recommendations for analytics and performance tracking

F. Communications Framework and Tools
Provide practical tools and frameworks for school staff to use moving forward, which may include:

Communications guidelines and standards
Messaging guide and/or style guide
Editorial calendar templates
Communications workflows and approval processes
Social media guidelines
Staff training and/or workshop sessions
Recommendations for staffing structure and capacity
Other, as determined by the communications strategy

5. Deliverables
At a minimum, the consultant should provide:

Discovery and assessment summary
Strategic plan communications rollout plan
Comprehensive communications strategy document
Brand messaging recommendations
Social media strategy document
Communications framework and/or toolkit for staff
Collateral, as agreed upon after development of the communications strategy
Review of internally developed communications to ensure alignment with communications strategy, including appropriate voice, branding, and connection to strategic plan
Final presentation to school leadership

Consultants are encouraged to recommend additional deliverables they believe would support the school’s goals.
6. Project Timeline
This is a 12-month project, which begins July 1, 2026 and runs through June 30, 2027. Deliverables are concentrated more heavily in the summer and fall, with ongoing support scheduled through the remainder of the school year.  Deliverables over the course of the year are roughly segmented as follows:

July – September 2026: 

Discovery and assessment summary
Strategic plan communications rollout plan
Brand messaging recommendations

October – December 2026: 

Comprehensive communications strategy document
Social media strategy document
Communications framework and/or toolkit for staff

January – March 2027:

Fine tuning strategies
Building evergreen editorial calendar templates
Staff training/workshops 
Review of internally developed communications
Support/thought partnership for school leadership

April – June 2027:

Staff training/workshops 
Review of internally developed communications
Support/thought partnership for school leadership
Final presentation to school leadership

The school welcomes proposed timeline recommendations from respondents.
7. Budget
Compensation for this role is budgeted at approximately $45,000 for the academic year, commensurate with experience and scope of services.
Please provide a proposed fee structure, including:

Total project fee
Hourly rates (if applicable)
Estimated hours
Description of included services and deliverables
Any anticipated additional expenses

8. Proposal Requirements
Please include the following in your proposal:
A. Firm/Consultant Overview

Background and history of the firm or consultant
Relevant experience with independent schools, nonprofits, and/or mission-driven organizations
Experience with strategic communications, branding, and social media strategy
Experience working with progressive and/or Quaker organizations (if applicable)

B. Project Understanding and Approach

Understanding of the project goals and scope
Proposed approach and methodology
Proposed deliverables and timeline

C. Project Team

Names and roles of individuals who would work on the project
Relevant qualifications and experience

D. Relevant Work Samples
Please provide examples of similar projects and/or deliverables.
E. References
Provide at least three professional references, preferably from schools or nonprofit organizations.
F. Pricing Proposal
Provide detailed pricing information as described above.
9. Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated based on:

Demonstrated understanding of the project and school environment
Relevant experience and qualifications
Quality and practicality of proposed approach
Experience with independent schools and/or mission-driven organizations
Alignment with the school’s values and culture
Strength of references and work samples
Cost and overall value

10. Proposal Submission Instructions
Please submit proposals electronically in PDF format to:
Rachel Kane, Head of School, at [email protected] . 
Proposals are due by June 30, 2026.
11. Additional Information
The school reserves the right to:

Reject any or all proposals
Request additional information from respondents
Modify the scope of work during the selection process
Negotiate final terms and deliverables with the selected consultant
Select the proposal deemed to be in the best interest of the school, not necessarily the lowest cost proposal

12. Desired Consultant Qualities
The school seeks a consultant who:

Understands the culture and dynamics of independent schools
Demonstrates sensitivity to mission-driven and values-based communities
Can balance strategic thinking with practical implementation
Communicates clearly and collaboratively
Understands the nuances of enrollment-related communications and community engagement
Can help the school establish sustainable systems and practices rather than overly complex processes

We welcome proposals from consultants that value equity, inclusion, authentic storytelling, and relationship-centered communications.