RFP #2026-03

ECT Capacity Building Academy

“Building Stronger Organizations. Expanding Opportunities for Children.”

The Escambia Children’s Trust (ECT) is seeking a qualified organization, consultant, educational institution, or collaborative team to design and deliver the ECT Capacity Building Academy for emerging and small nonprofit organizations serving children, youth, and families in Escambia County. 

ECT wants a practical, accessible academy—not a comprehensive nonprofit management course. The selected Contractor will help participating organizations strengthen a small number of core capabilities they can apply immediately. 

The Academy should combine group learning, practical tools, and individualized coaching. The Contractor should meet organizations where they are and help them identify and complete their next important steps toward stronger operations and greater funding readiness. 

2. Who the Academy Is Intended to Serve 

The initial ECT Capacity Building Academy will be offered to organizations currently funded by the Escambia Children’s Trust (ECT) that meet the following criteria: 

• The organization is a current ECT-funded nonprofit organization; 

• The organization has an annual operating budget of $250,000 or less; 

• The organization has been operating for five years or less, or ECT has identified the organization as having a significant organizational capacity-building need; and 

• The organization provides services to children, youth, and/or families in Escambia County. 

ECT may establish a smaller budget threshold or additional selection criteria for a specific cohort based on available capacity and program priorities. 

Required Participation 

Participation in the Academy is a condition of selection. Each organization selected for the Academy must designate one primary organizational representative, such as an executive director, senior staff member, or organizational leader, who is responsible for attending the Academy sessions and completing required activities and work products. 

The designated representative is expected to: 

• Attend all required Academy sessions; 

• Participate in required assessments and coaching activities; 

• Complete the organizational work products associated with the Academy; and 

• Participate in the final assessment and/or evaluation process. 

ECT may establish minimum attendance and participation requirements and may remove an organization from the Academy if it does not meet those requirements. 

The Contractor shall recommend a cohort size, based on the proposed delivery and coaching model, with an anticipated cohort of approximately 12–15 organizations. 

3. The Five Training Areas 

The Academy shall focus only on the following five areas. Respondents may recommend the depth, sequence, and delivery format that best support participant learning. 

• Nonprofit Fundamentals & Organizational Readiness: Help organizations understand the basics of nonprofit operations and identify the most important areas they need to strengthen. 

• Board Governance & Leadership: Build understanding of board responsibilities, effective board engagement, fiduciary responsibility, and the board/staff relationship. 

•  Financial Management:  Strengthen budgeting, basic financial understanding, financial controls, documentation such as reviewed financial statements, profit and loss accounting and responsible management of funds.

•  Program Development: Help organizations clearly define what they do, who they serve, what they seek to accomplish, and how their activities connect to intended results. 

•  Fund Development & Sustainability — Help organizations think strategically about funding sources, fundraising, revenue diversification, and long-term sustainability. 

RFP Information Session: November 4, 2026 10 a.m. (Zoom only)

It is MANDATORY that every applicant attend the virtual information session. 

Link to Zoom meeting.

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Questions & Answers Regarding RFP

• Please direct all questions concerning this RFP to info@EscambiaChildrensTrust.org. All questions will become part of the public record and will be posted, along with answers, on a public Q&A page.

Instructions to Apply

• **Please note: We encourage proposal submissions after the Question & Answer period ends and final answers are posted. Consider delaying submission of your final application in order to take advantage of the opportunity to learn from other applicants’ questions as well as ECT’s formal responses. In previous solicitations, we have received 50-100 unique questions!
• Application instructions: The entire application process is online. Click HERE to view the detailed, step-by-step application instructions.
• Application login page: Click HERE to login to the online application portal through SAMIS (ECT’s Services Activities and Management Information System).
• Full solicitation – PDF: You can view the PDF file HERE.
• Scoring criteria: The scoring criteria can be viewed HERE.

Important RFP Deadlines

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