Marketing & Social Media RFP

Volunteers of America Chesapeake & Carolinas (VOACC) is inviting qualified companies to submit proposals to provide print marketing and social media management services, including videography and photography, over a 5-year period beginning in January 2025 for two substance use disorder (SUD) programs we are launching in Virginia and North Carolina. The purpose of this RFP is to select a vendor who can effectively develop, manage and grow the programs’ digital presence, engage our target audiences, and increase brand awareness.

Volunteers of America Chesapeake & Carolinas (“VOACC”) is a faith-based, nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire self-reliance, dignity, and hope through housing, health and human services.

At VOACC, we have been helping to create Healthy Communities for All for over 128 years by aligning housing, health and human services. We actively pursue health equity by filling the gap in housing and care for underserved populations, including those who are experiencing homelessness, low-income, underinsured or uninsured, justice-involved and veterans. By offering integrated housing and care, we address the social determinants that impact the long-term stability for those in need.

Through a dedicated team of management, staff and volunteers who are guided by our Core Values – Visionary, One Body, Integrity, Compassion, Excellence, and Faith – we are the safety net for thousands of men, women and children each year across Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia and the Carolinas. We operate over 49 programs focused on 8 areas of service: homeless services, affordable housing, mental health, substance use recovery, intellectual/developmental disabilities services, community re-entry, veteran services and workforce development.

VOACC has over 900 staff members and more than 2,000 volunteers. The organization helps over 11,700 individuals and families every year from Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia and the Carolinas.

Background

VOACC was awarded two contracts through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to launch substance use recovery programs in Virginia and North Carolina. Below are descriptions for each program.

Quad County SAVE Program (North Carolina)

Catchment Area: Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, and Pender Counties

Target Populations: Military/Veterans, LGBTQ+ individuals, populations from underserved communities greatly impacted by SUD including rural communities.

VOACC will serve individuals residing in the southern contiguous North Carolina counties of Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, and Pender through the Quad County Save Program designed to prevent the onset and reduce the progression of substance use and related problems by strengthening prevention capacity and infrastructure at the community level. The program will focus its efforts on Veterans and LGBTQ+ individuals along with the multigenerational impact of substance use in the rural four county service area.

The mission of the program will be to develop and strengthen prevention resources and build existing community structures that can provide input, oversee and sustain prevention initiatives.

Building Bridges to Hope (Virginia)

Catchment Area: Newport News, Portsmouth, Isle of Wright, and Franklin.

Target Populations: Youth, LGBTQ+ individuals, Military/Veterans, populations from underserved communities greatly impacted by SUD, including rural communities.

VOACC will implement the Building Bridges to Hope program to reduce the onset of substance misuse and its related problems by supporting the development and delivery of community-based substance misuse prevention and mental health promotion services. It will expand and strengthen the capacity of local community prevention providers to identify and address local substance misuse prevention concerns, such as underage drinking, marijuana, tobacco, electric cigarettes, opioids, methamphetamine, and heroin; and implement evidence-based prevention strategies.

The program will identify and address local substance misuse concerns in Newport News, Portsmouth, Isle of Wright, and Franklin.

Objective, Roles & Responsibilities

The objective of this project is to establish and grow program brand awareness and increase consumer referrals by effectively engaging each programs’ target audiences through social media and print marketing.

The vendor will interact with VOACC’s Executive Director of Development & Marketing (EDoDM) and Marketing & Communications Coordinator (MCC). Approvals for all strategy and assets will be provided by the EDoDM. The MCC will be responsible for executing the social media strategy and posting to platforms. 
 
The vendor will be responsible for supplying all designs for printed materials to the EDoDM. Final designs will be printed by VOACC’s external print vendor.
 
The vendor will be connected with VOACC’s VP of Carolinas Programs, Carolinas Director of Operations, VP of Virginia Programs and Virginia Director of Operations to gather information about programs, community needs, and populations served to inform the design of marketing materials and development of the social media strategy. 
 
The vendor will be responsible for producing all elements of the social media strategy and assets, including video and photography.

Scope of Work

Research

  • Research program demographics, community needs, and examples of successful social media campaigns for the target regions
  • Identify target audience segments
  • Provide evidence-based recommendations for social platform usage and efficacy of dedicated social media accounts for programs
  • Build messaging strategies for each target audience 
  • Develop and produce a campaign strategy and guide manual for VOACC to follow

Content Creation & Management

  • Develop engaging and visually appealing content for social media platforms (e.g, static content, GIFs, reels, etc.)
  • Leverage stock/AI-generated imagery and capture photography as necessary for storytelling on social media.
  • Develop a schedule of social media posts to ensure consistent posting frequency
  • Produce videos that creatively and effectively share about the programs, consumers, and impact to increase conversion rates. At least one 2 – 3 min promo video should be produced for each program for VOACC’s website.
  • Use a data-driven approach to execute effective social media Ads that attract the target audiences. Note that spending dollars for Ads are included in the budget below and should be reflected in the vendor’s proposal.
  • Design a visually engaging and informative one-pager/brochure for each program to support staff outreach to potential consumers

Performance Monitoring & Reporting

  • Regularly monitor key social media metrics (e.g., reach, engagement, conversions). Note that each program will have its own landing page developed in house and/or in partnership with key stakeholders. Conversion rates from social media will be measured through Google Analytics and consumer intake surveys.
  • Provide regular reports on social media performance, including recommendations for improvement.

Project Budget

The following budget reflects total funding available to marketing both programs. Please note that per VOACC’s contract with SAMHSA, funding beyond Year 1 (October 2024 – September 2025) is based on the programs’ ability to successfully reach established consumer benchmarks. Therefore, funding is not guaranteed for subsequent years. Year 1 funds have been approved and will be disbursed to VOACC on a monthly basis based on how they are expensed.

  • Year 1: cannot exceed $46,140
  • Year 2: cannot exceed $61,890
  • Year 3: cannot exceed $36,500
  • Year 4: cannot exceed $36,500
  • Year 5: cannot exceed $36,500

Proposal Submission Guidelines

  • Business overview with a description of relevant experience in social media management, storytelling, video production, photography and print design
  • Proposed social media strategic approach
  • A list of tools, platforms, or software that will be used for social media management, scheduling, performance tracking, the delivery of assets and communication with VOACC’s Development & Marketing team.
  • A description of the process the vendor will use to coordinate with VOACC’s Development & Marketing staff to obtain approvals for printed materials and social media posts, ensuring all content meets organizational standards and deadlines
  • Team qualifications and experience
  • Proposed timeline and project milestones
  • Pricing and payment terms. Note that funding for Year 1 has been approved and will be disbursed to VOACC on a monthly basis from SAMHSA. Pending a successful renewal of VOACC’s contract, subsequent years of funding will be approved by SAMHSA on an annual basis.

Please submit your proposal by email to Nicholle Granger at ngranger@voaches.org.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Demonstrated experience and expertise in social media management, storytelling, video production, photography and print design
  • Strong content creation and management capabilities
  • Excellent customer service
  • Proven ability to coordinate approvals and meet deadlines
  • Competitive pricing and value for money

Timeline

RFP Issuance: Wednesday, November 20th

Deadline for Proposal Submission: December 13, 2024

Invitation to Proposal Review & Interview: December 20, 2024

Vendor Selection & Contract Negotiation: January 6, 2024

Please submit your proposal electronically to Nicholle Granger at ngranger@voaches.org no later than December 13, 2024. If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact Nicholle Granger at the email address above.

We reserve the right to accept or reject any proposal or part thereof, to waive any irregularities or informalities in any proposal, and to accept any proposal or part thereof deemed to be in the best interest of Volunteers of America Chesapeake & Carolinas.

Thank you for your interest in this opportunity.

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