1. Introduction
Indigenous Youth Roots (IYR) is seeking an experienced consultant (the “Consultant”) to support the strategic framing, market analysis, and future direction of the Development Department. This engagement will ensure IYR’s fundraising and partnership work is values-aligned, diversified, and positioned for long-term sustainability.
The Consultant will deliver a two-phase project:
- Phase 1: Funding landscape scan, revenue analysis, funder alignment mapping, and methodologies to support the creation of a youth-led ethical funding due diligence process.
- Phase 2: Comprehensive departmental fundraising strategy with actionable recommendations, resourcing plan, and implementation roadmap.
The work will be grounded in Indigenous-led approaches to relationship-building and partnership development, and will align with IYR’s vision, values, and updated organizational strategic plan.
2. About Us
Indigenous Youth Roots (IYR) is a national Indigenous youth-led organization dedicated to empowering and connecting Indigenous youth as dynamic leaders in vibrant and thriving communities. Our vision is a future where Indigenous youth are supported to create the futures they envision for their communities. Our purpose is to collaborate with communities to provide programs, grants, and opportunities grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and being, designed to strengthen and amplify the voices of Indigenous youth. We have 7 deeply held principles that guide us in our work and in the way in which we relate to each other: Reciprocity, Advocacy, Resurgence, Accountability, Innovation, Reclamation and Solidarity. Through these guiding principles, we are committed to ensuring our development and fundraising approaches reflect our values and strengthen our long-term impact in the communities we serve.
3. Objectives
- Diversify and strengthen IYR’s funding base across multiple streams (corporate, philanthropic, individual donors, government etc).
- Align fundraising priorities with IYR’s vision, strategic goals, and guiding principles
- Map opportunities that maximize partnership impact while respecting Indigenous protocols and ethical funding considerations.
- Equip the Development Department with a clear, implementable 5-year fundraising strategy and operational roadmap.
4. Scope of Work
Phase 1 – Funding Landscape & Alignment Analysis
4.1 Funding Landscape & Market Scan
Conduct a comprehensive landscape scan of philanthropic, corporate, individual, and government funding sources across Canada, alongside any relevant international opportunities. Focus on broader/National scope rather than region specific funding opportunities.
- Include both mainstream and Indigenous-focused funders (community foundations, Indigenous trusts, corporate reconciliation initiatives etc.).
- Identify high-potential funders aligned with IYR’s values and strategic priorities.
- Identify high potential funding opportunities focused on supporting core operations
- Conduct a competitive analysis comparing IYR with peer organizations to identify differentiation opportunities.
- Deliver a concise SWOT/gap analysis to guide strategic positioning.
4.2 Revenue Ratio Assessment
- Identify concentration risks and recommend an optimal revenue mix for the next 3–5 years.
- Provide risk mitigation advice for over-dependence on specific funding categories.
4.3 Funder Fit & Alignment Mapping
- Develop a funder alignment matrix ranking prospects by gift potential, values alignment, and probability of success.
- Provide a one-page priority funder list for internal use.
- Include guidance on relationship-building protocols with Indigenous rights holders and corporate reconciliation policies.
4.4 Ethical Funding Due Diligence Framework
- Provide recommended methodologies, considerations and approaches for the creation of a youthled funding due diligence process that will help IYR establish ethical boundaries for partnership decisions. IYR’s Circle of Directors will review and select the preferred methodology.
- Subsequent work: following the selection of the preferred approach and methodology, to develop the full Standard Operating Procedures and protocols, which may also involve the youth-led advisory committee in the design and drafting process.
Phase 2 – Fundraising Strategy & Implementation Roadmap
4.5 Departmental Strategy Recommendations
- Create a full fundraising strategy for each revenue stream, including:
- Level of effort and strategic priority
- High-level engagement and solicitation strategies
- Resourcing requirements (staff, budget, tools)
- Expected return on investment, both monetary and non-monetary, and timelines
- Ensure recommendations are linked to Phase 1 findings.
- Recommendations for Impact-grounded storytelling.
4.6 Change Management & Integration
- Recommend training and capacity-building approaches for staff.
4.7 Five-Year Revenue Development Plan
Based on Phase 1 findings, provide high-level guidance for rolling out a five-year plan covering all priority revenue streams (e.g., corporate partnerships, major gifts, foundation grants, individual giving).
For each revenue stream, recommend:
- Strategic priority level
- Sequencing of development over five years
- Associated investment requirements (staffing resources and suggested staffing structure, tools, marketing)
- Projected revenue potential and anticipated return on investment (monetary and non-monetary)
Within the overall plan, include a dedicated five-year growth strategy for individual/private donor giving, including:
- Targets for major gifts, annual giving, and donor retention rates
- Recommended donor acquisition strategies
- Stewardship activities embedded into annual work plans to deepen long-term relationships
- Include specific recommendations for developing a legacy and planned giving stream, integrated into the broader revenue development strategy.
- Identify areas where IYR is best positioned to be competitive, and outline where best to invest to maximize impact.
5. Deliverables
Phase 1 Deliverables:
- Agreed upon kick-off workplan with timelines, milestones, and check-in schedule.
- Stakeholder engagement plan for staff & youth advisory
- Monthly progress reports summarizing activities, emerging findings, and risks.
- Draft and final Funding Landscape & Revenue Analysis Report, including SWOT/gap assessment
- Funder alignment matrix and one-page priority funder list.
- Ethical Funding Due Diligence recommendations document.
- Presentation deck summarizing findings for internal audiences.
- Mid Phase progress presentation for validation and feedback from Directors
Phase 2 Deliverables:
- Draft and Final Fundraising Strategy & Implementation Roadmap, including:
- Recommended strategies for each revenue stream.
- Resourcing requirements (staffing, budget, tools).
- Expected return on investment (monetary and non-monetary).
- Sequencing of activities over five years.
- Five-Year Revenue Development Plan covering all high-priority revenue streams (corporate, foundation, major gifts, individual giving), including:
- Strategic priority level.
- Sequencing over 5 years.
- Associated investment requirements.
- Projected revenue potential.
- Private Donor Engagement Plan including:
- Strategies
- Priority prospect list
- Communications calendar
- Stewardship tools
- Measurable activity targets.
- Change management and integration plan:
- Staff training including training on private donor engagement, corporate and granting sectors
- Capacity-building recommendations.
- Any templates and usable resources.
- Decision-support tools:
- Editable funder matrix.
- Due diligence checklist/toolkit.
- Final Phase 2 presentation to the Director Circle, youth advisory, and relevant staff.
- Community-facing summary (max 8–10 pages) with accessible language and infographics for sharing with external audiences.
6. Project Timeline
• RFP Release: Monday, February 9th, 2026
• RFP Closing Date: March 9th, 2026
• Candidates will be contacted early April 2026
• Anticipated Project Start: May 2026
The organization anticipates an engagement of approximately six (6) months. The final project timeline, including phases, milestones, and completion dates, will be co-developed with the selected consultant during onboarding to ensure alignment with scope, capacity, and organizational priorities. Timelines for Phase 1 and 2 as outlined in this call for proposals will be confirmed collaboratively with the Consultant. A detailed timeline with deliverables and review periods is required as part of the
proposal.
7. Consultant Qualifications
- Proven record in Ethical and Indigenous-led fundraising and values-aligned partnership development.
- Experience conducting funding landscape analyses and competitive benchmarking in the Indigenous sector.
- Strong writing skills with the ability to produce clear and accessible documents for diverse audiences.
- Knowledge of OCAP® principles and rights-based frameworks in research, fundraising, and partnership engagement.
- Demonstrated cultural competence, with deep understanding of Indigenous protocols, youth engagement, and data sovereignty.
8. Proposal Requirements
Proposals must include:
- Cover Letter outlining understanding of the project, availability, and relevant qualifications.
- Proposed Methodology: Detailed approach for both phases, including engagement methods with staff, youth, and Indigenous advisors.
- Describe approach to identifying, cultivating, and stewarding private donors, including examples of how you have built and sustained major donor relationships.
- Work Plan & Timeline: Table format showing milestones, deliverables, draft review dates, and final approval dates for both phases.
- Check-In Cadence: Confirmation of bi-weekly check-ins and two presentation sessions (midphase validation and final presentation) with staff and Indigenous advisors.
- Team Bios & Roles highlighting experience in similar work.
- Budget: IYR anticipates dedicating approximately $110,000 to $165,000 CAD (plus applicable taxes) for this engagement. Proponents are asked to submit a realistic, phased budget aligned with the full scope of work and deliverables.
- References: Minimum two references from similar projects.
9. Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be scored based on:
- Experience & Qualifications – 30%
- Methodology & Work Plan – 30%
- Cultural Competence & Alignment with IYR Values – 20%
- Timeline & Deliverability – 10%
- Budget Feasibility – 10%
Proposals will be reviewed by an internal evaluation committee composed of IYR leadership and staff. Evaluation will be based on the criteria outlined below. Following the initial review, IYR may shortlist one or more proponents, request clarifications or additional information, and invite shortlisted proponents to participate in an interview or presentation.
IYR reserves the right to assess proposals based on overall best value, alignment with organizational values, and demonstrated ability to deliver the work as described. While budget is a consideration, IYR is seeking a partner that demonstrates strong alignment with our values, approach, and capacity to deliver high quality work across the full scope of the project.
10. Terms and Conditions
- Values & Eligibility
- IYR will only engage vendors that are aligned with our organizational values and principles.
- Indigenous-owned firms are preferred.
- Proposal & Selection
- Indigenous Youth Roots will review all proposals. Vendor selection will be made at IYR’s sole discretion, and one or more vendors may be identified as preferred partners.
- IYR reserves the right to select multiple vendors for different components of this Request for Proposal and to engage or maintain vendor relationships outside of this process if necessary.
- IYR reserves the right not to select any vendor.
- Proposals will be evaluated based on weighted qualitative and financial criteria as outlined in this document. In the event of a tie, IYR’s evaluation team will consider all relevant factors to determine the final selection.
- Proposals that do not meet the mandatory requirements outlined in this RFP will not be considered for further evaluation.
- Information provided by the successful vendor(s) in their proposal may form part of the final agreement with Indigenous Youth Roots.
- Ownership & Intellectual Property
- IYR will retain full ownership of all deliverables, source code, and intellectual property created under this contract.
- All proposals submitted will become the property of Indigenous Youth Roots.
- Costs & Responsibilities
- The submission of a proposal shall not oblige Indigenous Youth Roots to enter into a contract or be responsible for any costs incurred in responding to this request.
- Indigenous Youth Roots and its representatives are not responsible for any costs or expenses incurred by vendors in preparing, submitting, or participating in the proposal process.
- Declarations & Ethics
- Conflict of Interest: By submitting a proposal, the vendor certifies that no conflict of interest exists or is anticipated between the vendor, Indigenous Youth Roots, or any related parties in relation to the work described. Vendors must disclose any potential conflicts as soon as they arise.
- Non-Disclosure and Confidentiality: This RFP is a public document and may be shared for the purpose of preparing and submitting proposals to Indigenous Youth Roots. However, all
- intellectual property, concepts, and materials contained within this RFP, or related to this RFP, remain the property of Indigenous Youth Roots and may not be reproduced or used for any other purpose without prior written consent.
- Fair Competition: The vendor certifies that this proposal has been prepared independently and without consultation, communication, or agreement with any other bidder. Pricing and related information will not be disclosed to competitors before or after submission.
- Communications
- All communications regarding this RFP must be directed exclusively to the contacts identified in this document.
Key Contacts and Deadline
Please address and submit your proposal by email to:
Jessie Arens, Director of Development
jarens@indigenousyouthroots.ca
500-489 College Street, Toronto, ON, M6G 1A5
Questions
We welcome any questions about our organization, our work, and our operations that might help your firm prepare a stronger proposal. Please contact Jessie Arens at the email above with any questions, with Megan Lewis in cc at megan@indigenousyouthroots.ca
Closing Date
Proposals signed by the proponent’s authorized representative must be received by IYR no later than March 9th, 2026 at 9am EST. IYR will not accept submission of any proposals after the closing date and time. Any submissions received after this date and time will be considered disqualified.
