Mississippi First on behalf of Teen Health Mississippi

Transcription

1 Mississippi First on behalf of Teen Health Mississippi REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Release Date: February 1, 2017 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR TEEN HEALTH MISSISSIPPI Mississippi First is a 501(c)3 non-profit whose mission is to champion transformative policy solutions ensuring educational excellence for every Mississippi child. Teen Health Mississippi (THMS) is the teen sexual and reproductive health arm of Mississippi First, which will spin-off into its own 501(c)3 non-profit in THMS works to ensure that all Mississippi teens have access to high-quality sex education and youth-friendly healthcare services. SERVICE PERIOD AND TERMS The initial contract will be for 6 months from the date of the award. It is the intention of THMS that the Contractor will transition into the full-time Executive Director of THMS upon spin-off from Mississippi First. PROPOSAL CONDITIONS & INFORMATION Proposals will be received by Mississippi First on a rolling basis. Proposals must be submitted via . Contact: Emily Feher Director of Teen Health Mississippi 125 S. Congress St., Suite 1510 Jackson, MS emily@mississippifirst.org (601) Please use RFP-Executive Director as the subject line of the submission . Questions regarding this proposal can be submitted to Emily Feher by at emily@mississippifirst.org. Page 1 of 7

2 Introduction We are requesting proposals for a Contractor to fulfill the duties of a part-time, start-up Executive Director who is intended to transition into the full-time Executive Director of a new teen sexual and reproductive health and rights non-profit organization based in Jackson, Mississippi. This future non-profit organization, tentatively named Teen Health Mississippi (THMS), is currently housed within Mississippi First but will spin-off into a separate non-profit organization upon the hiring of the fulltime Executive Director to lead the organization. Background on Mississippi First Mississippi First is a non-partisan, non-profit organization specializing in education policy research and advocacy. Mississippi First s mission is to advocate for transformative policy solutions ensuring educational excellence for every Mississippi child. Mississippi First is deeply involved in the implementation of our state s charter school and pre-k laws, as well as other education reform efforts, including sex education. Sex education continues to be one of Mississippi First s top policy priorities not only because of its impact on student achievement but also for its potential impact on health outcomes. Rationale for Spin-Off of Teen Health Mississippi Our work to improve teen sexual and reproductive health in Mississippi has evolved to a point at which there are unequal risks and benefits to remaining a part of Mississippi First a win for our sexual and reproductive health work does not benefit any of Mississippi First s education policy work, whereas a controversy in sexual and reproductive health hurts all aspects of Mississippi First and vice versa. Mississippi First s mission no longer fully encompasses the work of THMS as we are rapidly growing beyond a focus on education policy and advocacy. If we want to continue to grow and best meet the sexual and reproductive health needs of Mississippi teens, it is in our best interests to spin-off from Mississippi First into an independent 501(c)3. Background on Teen Health Mississippi THMS envisions a healthier Mississippi where teens have access to essential knowledge, skills, resources, and support so that they may grow into healthy adults and move Mississippi forward. Our mission is to build healthy communities by ensuring that all Mississippi teens have access to high-quality sex education and youth-friendly healthcare services. All of THMS s work is conducted in partnership with youth and falls within three primary domains: policy and advocacy, capacity building/training, and programs and initiatives. We work across these domains with three primary motivators in mind: access, quality, and support. In other words, we work to increase access to high-quality sex education and youth-friendly sexual and reproductive healthcare services and ensure that well-trained youth-serving organizations and adults support teens in engaging in positive, health-promoting behaviors. THMS currently conducts its work as a part of Mississippi First, but we have started to take steps to spin-off into an independent 501(c)3 organization. This includes developing a concept paper and business plan for the organization, recruiting three founding Board members for the organization, increasing the financial capital of the organization through grants and fundraising, and taking initial steps towards incorporation and obtaining 501(c)3 status for the organization. Primary Role of Part-Time, Contracted, Executive Director The initial key responsibilities of the part-time Executive Director will be to finalize the organization s concept paper and business plan, complete recruitment of the organization s Board of Directors, and fundraise to support the official spin-off of the organization. Upon spin-off, the part-time, contracted Executive Director will transition into a full-time role as Executive Director of the new teen sexual and reproductive health and rights organization. We anticipate Mississippi First being the fiscal sponsor of the new organization during the initial 2-3 years after spin-off. Page 2 of 7

3 SCOPE OF WORK Mississippi First invites proposals from qualified individuals for professional services to assist THMS during the initial phases of organizational development. This includes overall strategic and operational responsibility for THMS staff, programs, expansion, and execution of its mission. The Executive Director will assume overall responsibility and authority for administrative and leadership functions, supervision of the established organizational plan, and responsibility for ongoing communication with the Board of Directors, as well as the THMS staff. During the contract period, the Contractor will work in close collaboration with the Director of THMS, Emily Feher and will report to Mississippi First Executive Director, Rachel Canter. Launching Teen Health Mississippi Finalize the concept paper and business plan for THMS. Develop, maintain, and support a strong Board of Directors, including seeking and building board involvement with strategic direction for THMS. Finalize organizational policies and procedures for the launch of THMS. Building Capacity Fundraise and develop other resources necessary to support THMS s mission, including growing the operational budget of THMS in order to increase organizational sustainability. This includes increasing operating dollars for staff salaries. Manage the finances responsibly by operating within the approved budget, ensuring maximum resource utilization, and maintaining a positive financial position. This also includes submission to the Board of a proposed annual budget and monthly financial statements, which accurately reflect the financial condition of the organization. Enhance Teen Health Mississippi s image by being active and visible in the community and by establishing relationships with funders, political leaders, and community leaders. Communicate with stakeholders to keep them informed of the work of the organization and to identify changes in the community served by the organization. Establish good working relationships and collaborative arrangements with community groups, funders, politicians, and other organizations to help achieve the goals of the organization. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS Respondents must hold A Bachelor s degree. Experience in one or more leadership roles that demonstrate capacity for senior-level organizational, staff, and project management. An advanced degree (MBA or Masters in Public Health) with at least 5 years of senior management experience preferred. Respondents must demonstrate Excellence in organizational management with the ability to coach staff, manage, and develop high-performance teams, set and achieve strategic objectives, and manage a budget. Knowledge of teen sexual and reproductive health and sex education issues. Page 3 of 7

4 The ability to lead and work in collaboration with diverse groups of people with a positive, professional, and solutionoriented attitude. Entrepreneurial traits including being mission-driven, action-oriented, adaptable, self-aware, and self-directed and having an innovative approach to business planning. A passion for integrity and a positive attitude. INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED BY THE CONTRACTOR Provide an outline of your experience in a resume format, to include, at a minimum, the following: List of non-profit leadership positions held, with description of responsibilities. Number of years working in the non-profit field. Overall background, directly related to experiences and past successes. A detailed description of direct experience performing the following Executive Director functions: o Non-profit financial management and budget oversight, o Supervision of interns, volunteers, and staff, o Organizational visibility, o Communications with key partners, o Program management, o Nonprofit operations, and o Fundraising and resource development. A minimum of three (3) references for which you have worked. Include the name of the relevant organization, name of contact person, and telephone number. At least one of these references must have directly supervised you. Provide a proposed budget for your services as a Contractor, including all expected costs and the expected number of weekly hours devoted to the contract. (Note: We have allocated $17,500 for this part-time contract to achieve the deliverables outlined in the above scope of work. We do not have restrictions for your timeline or weekly hours as long as deliverables are achieved within 6 months of the start of the contract.) EVALUATION CRITERIA Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria: Qualifications and experience, Demonstrated proficiency in non-profit leadership responsibilities, Demonstrated knowledge of non-profit work, especially in the youth sector, Performance during the interview process, References, and Cost of services. CONTRACTING The award will be made to the prospective Contractor that best meets THMS/Mississippi First s needs and requirements. All aspects of the evaluation criteria will be taken into consideration in awarding this contract. Page 4 of 7

5 GOVERNING LAW This contract shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Mississippi, excluding its conflicts of law provisions, and any litigation with respect thereto shall be brought in the courts of the State of Mississippi. The Contractors shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR The Contractor shall perform all services as an independent Contractor and shall at no time represent that the Contractor is an employee of Mississippi First. NEGOTIATION AND REJECTION Mississippi First reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to waive any informality or irregularity, to define equals, to negotiate with the best proposed offeror to address issues other than those described in the proposal, to award the contract to one other than the low offeror, or to not make any award if it is determined to be in the best interest of Mississippi First. TIMELINE Applications will be reviewed by THMS staff as they are submitted. Phone interview shall be scheduled with selected prospective contractors as soon as possible. In-person interviews will be offered to selected prospective contractors, to permit further evaluation and to allow THMS staff to inquire further into the prospective contractor s: experience on similar projects, willingness to work closely with THMS leadership, and understanding of the various aspects of the organization. Selected prospective contractors will review the THMS concept paper/business plan, provide reflections/critique, and propose next steps for the Executive Director. THMS staff will contact all final candidates references. THMS/Mississippi First will award the contract to the selected applicant. SERVICE PERIOD AND TERMS The initial contract will be for 6 months from the date of the award with an intention for the contract to transition into a fulltime Executive Director position. The decision to hire the Contractor as a full-time Executive Director will be made by the THMS Board of Directors based on the performance of the Contractor during the contract term. The receipt of the contract does not guarantee the Contractor s hire as Executive Director of THMS. TRANSITION TO FULL-TIME EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The decision to hire the Contractor as a full-time Executive Director will be made by the THMS Board of Directors based on the performance of the Contractor during the contract term. The receipt of the contract does not guarantee the Contractor s hire as Executive Director of THMS. If performance is satisfactory, the Contractor will transition into full-time work with THMS once the necessary deliverables are achieved (e.g., sufficient funding and/or organizational restructuring to support a full-time Executive Director). The primary role and responsibilities of the full-time Executive Director will be as follows: (Note: The following job description may be modified during the contractual period to meet the needs of THMS.) Page 5 of 7

6 Leadership & Management Ensure ongoing local programmatic excellence, rigorous program evaluation, and consistent quality of finance and administration, fundraising, communications, and systems; recommend timelines and resources needed to achieve the strategic goals. Actively engage and energize THMS staff, board members, partnering organizations, and funders. Develop, maintain, and support a strong Board of Directors, including seeking and building board involvement with strategic direction for THMS. Lead, coach, develop, and retain staff. Ensure effective systems to track organizational progress, and regularly evaluate program components so as to measure successes that can be effectively communicated to the Board, funders, and other constituents. Financial Performance and Viability Develop and finalize policies and procedures for the new organization. Establish the fiscal integrity of THMS to include submission to the Board of a proposed annual budget and monthly financial statements, which accurately reflect the financial condition of the organization. Manage the finances responsibly by operating within the approved budget, ensuring maximum resource utilization, and maintaining a positive financial position. Fundraise and develop other resources necessary to support THMS s mission. Organizational Mission and Strategy Work with Board and staff to ensure that the mission is fulfilled through programs, strategic planning, and community outreach. Conduct strategic planning to ensure that THMS can successfully fulfill its mission into the future. Enhance THMS s image by being active and visible in the community and by establishing relationships with the funders, and political and community leaders. Complete the strategic business planning process for the launch of THMS. Maintain and build partnerships. Develop an external local and national presence. Publish and communicate program results with an emphasis on the successes of the organization. Ensure staff development including orientation, in-service education, continuing education, and evaluation of staff. Fundraising & Communications Expand local revenue-generating and fundraising activities to support program operations and organizational growth, including writing, managing, and reporting on foundation and government grants. Deepen and refine all aspects of communications, from web presence to external relations, with the goal of creating a stronger brand. Communicate with stakeholders to keep them informed of the work of the organization and to identify changes in the community served by the organization. Page 6 of 7

7 Establish good working relationships and collaborative arrangements with community groups, funders, politicians, and other organizations to help achieve the goals of the organization. Risk Management Identify and evaluate the risks to the organization's people (clients, staff, management, volunteers), finances, goodwill, and image and implement measures to control risks. Ensure that the Board of Directors and the organization carries appropriate and adequate insurance coverage. Ensure that the Board and staff understand the terms, conditions, and limitations of the insurance coverage. PROPOSAL CONDITIONS & INFORMATION Proposals will be received by Mississippi First on a rolling basis. Proposals must be submitted via . Please use RFP- Executive Director as the subject line of the submission . Questions regarding this proposal can be submitted to Emily Feher by at emily@mississippifirst.org. Contact: Emily Feher Director of Teen Health Mississippi 125 S. Congress St., Suite 1510 Jackson, MS emily@mississippifirst.org (601) Page 7 of 7