Request for Proposals: Strategic Planning Consultant

The Poughkeepsie Farm Project (PFP) invites qualified consultants to submit proposals to lead the development of our next strategic plan (2026–2029).

This strategic plan will guide PFP’s growth and impact while ensuring alignment with our mission to cultivate local leadership in sustainable farming, food access, and education. The selected consultant will collaborate with our staff, board, and community stakeholders to create a clear, actionable, and inclusive plan.

Important Dates:

RFP Issued: January 20, 2025
Proposal Deadline: February 14, 2025
Questions Due: February 3, 2025
Consultant Selection: March 2025
Project Kickoff: Late March/Early April 2025

For full details, including project scope, deliverables, and submission instructions, please download the RFP here.

If you have questions about the RFP, please contact Evan Menist at evan@farmproject.org by February 3, 2025. Responses will be posted publicly to ensure transparency.

We look forward to receiving your proposal and partnering on this important initiative!

Consultant Questions and Responses:

Will preference be given to New York-based consulting firms?
No, preference will not be given to New York-based firms. We welcome proposals from qualified consultants regardless of location.
Will this be PFP’s first strategic planning process? If not, can you share when the last process concluded and if you currently use any KPI/dashboard or tracking system?
PFP has engaged in strategic planning before, though it has been several years since our last formal process. Our last strategic plan concluded at the end of 2023, and we have not undertaken a formal process since then. We do not currently use a structured KPI/dashboard tracking system but are open to recommendations on best practices.
Who are the core constituency groups for stakeholder research?
As noted in the RFP, key stakeholders include board members, staff, volunteers, community partners, and funders. If consultants believe other groups should be included, we are open to recommendations in your response.
Do you have a budget range for this engagement?
We encourage consultants to propose an approach that aligns with their expertise and standard practices and to include a budget that reflects that approach. Our budget is in line with typical strategic planning engagements, but we encourage consultants to propose an approach that aligns with their expertise. While we have a budget in mind, we are primarily focused on selecting a consultant who will provide the most value and impact for PFP.
What key questions or issues is PFP looking to address with this strategic planning process?
We are seeking a consultant to guide us in developing a four-year strategic plan that will help PFP grow sustainably while strengthening our food access, education, and farming programs. We welcome proposals that outline how consultants typically approach strategic planning to help us refine our goals.
Why engage an external consultant rather than rely solely on staff and board members?
We believe that an external consultant will bring fresh perspectives, objectivity, and best practices that complement the deep knowledge our staff and board members already have. An outside facilitator will help ensure a structured and inclusive process. Additionally, our staff does not have the bandwidth to take on this project entirely internally, and thus a consultant will be expected to carry the bulk of the project in collaboration with staff.
Why is now the right time for PFP to engage in strategic planning?
PFP is at a pivotal moment, with growth in our programs and shifts in the external landscape affecting food access and sustainable agriculture. A strategic plan will help us navigate these opportunities and challenges intentionally.
What is the expected timeline for completion of the strategic plan?
We anticipate the process taking approximately six months, but we are open to different timelines based on consultant recommendations.
Are you looking for complete past strategic plans as work samples, or selected portions?
We welcome either a complete plan or selected sections that showcase the consultant’s approach, methodology, and deliverables.
Would PFP consider holding a strategic planning retreat?
We are open to discussing the inclusion of a retreat if the consultant believes it would be valuable to the process.
Would a steering committee meeting every three weeks align with PFP’s expectations?
We are open to the consultant’s recommendations on how to structure engagement with board, staff, and other stakeholders. Regular steering committee meetings will be accommodated.
Who would serve as the project liaison for this engagement?
We anticipate that one or two members of PFP’s Co-Executive Director team will serve as the primary liaison and are open to discussing the level of involvement needed.
Would PFP be open to using focus groups and/or questionnaires for stakeholder engagement?
Yes, we are interested in inclusive stakeholder engagement and are open to methods that consultants typically use to gather input.
Can you share financial performance results from 2023 and 2024?
We are happy to share relevant financial insights with the selected consultant as part of the planning process. Our 2023 990 is now available for review on our website at www.farmproject.org/financials. 2024 financials will be shared with the selected consultant when finalized.
When was PFP’s mission and vision last reviewed?
Our mission and vision were last updated in 2020 and have remained consistent in recent years, but we are looking to review them as part of this strategic planning process.
Has funding for this engagement been approved and are funds available?
Yes, funding has been approved and allocated for this engagement.
What do you believe are the top three issues facing PFP over the next four years?
While we anticipate this process will help refine our priorities, key issues include sustainable growth, long-term financial stability, and enhancing community engagement and impact.
How successful was PFP in implementing its last strategic plan?
PFP has made significant progress in growing our programs, partnerships, and impact. However, we recognize the need for a structured plan to guide our next phase of development. Additionally, our organization has transitioned to a Shared Leadership model, which presents new opportunities and challenges. This strategic planning process will help us navigate this transition effectively and ensure that our leadership structure supports PFP’s long-term sustainability and mission.
Do you have a current Strategic Plan and are looking to generate one for the next phase of work? Or is this your first time generating a Strategic Plan in the last few years?
We have an existing strategic plan which expired at the end of 2023. Due to organizational shifts in 2023, we delayed the strategic planning process in 2023 until now. The organization has transitioned to a shared leadership model, which necessitates an updated strategic plan.
Do you consider this work revolutionary or evolutionary? In other words, are you hoping to use this process to reimagine many aspects of your organization and its operations (revolutionary), or refine your existing structure for success over the next four years (evolutionary)?
PFP has served this community for 25 years, and looking towards the next 25, we understand we may need to make some major changes, but we aren't looking for a wholesale reimaging of the organization. We anticipate this process will build upon our existing work while allowing for innovation and adaptation. We welcome consultant recommendations on the best approach to balance refinement and transformation.
Who will be on the Core Team for this work? Will any Board members be included?
The Core Team will include two members of the Co-Executive Director team, key staff, and members of the Board. The specific composition is open for discussion based on consultant recommendations.
What is your Board governance structure—does the Board need to vote to approve the plan?
Our Board is engaged in governance and strategic oversight. Adopting the plan will require a Board vote, however, we anticipate that in any effective planning process, early Board buy in and engagement would render that vote perfunctory.
Have you worked with external consultants before? What are you looking for in a partnership?
We have experience working with external consultants and are looking for a collaborative, thoughtful partner who can help guide us through this process while adapting to our organizational needs.
What budget do you have available for this project? There are multiple structures we can suggest for the project scope, depending on your available resources.
We are open to reviewing multiple budget structures and scopes of work. We encourage consultants to propose models that fit within different budget scenarios.
Are there any existing organizational or strategic goals or initiatives that we should keep in mind when writing our proposal?
Yes, we have ongoing initiatives and priorities that will inform the strategic plan. We welcome consultants to review our work in food justice, education, and workforce development and understand that our goal is to feed families, educate youth, and train the next generation of farmers.
Do you have a preferred timeline to carry out the scope of work?
We have general timing considerations but are open to consultant recommendations on the best approach and timeline. We expect to have this project completed by the end of 2025.
We do not live in New York and are wondering how much in-person engagement you would like. We could easily plan some trips, but would not be able to be there on a regular basis.
We are open to a hybrid approach that balances in-person engagement with virtual collaboration. We encourage consultants to propose a structure that aligns with their standard practice and our needs.
Are you open to hiring a consultant who is not local to the area (but could travel several times throughout the strategic planning process for in-person facilitation and information gathering)?
Yes, we are open to working with a consultant who is not local, provided there is an appropriate balance of in-person and virtual engagement.
Are you open to having the work performed in a hybrid fashion, some in-person and some virtual?
Yes, we are open to hybrid models and encourage consultants to propose what they believe will be most effective.
I see your request for multiple budget scenarios. Having a gauge of the budget ballpark would be useful. What is your anticipated budget for this engagement?
We encourage consultants to propose a range of budget scenarios, and we will review them based on scope and feasibility.
Are the members of the strategic planning committee already established, or would you want support to bring that committee together?
The composition of the strategic planning committee is flexible, although we will have at least two Co-Executive Directors serving on the committee and likely at least two members of the Board. We welcome consultant input on the best way to structure this team.
Do you anticipate needing language translation services for any of the community outreach (interviews, focus groups, surveys, etc.)?
We are committed to language justice and have staff and local partners who can provide translation services for Spanish-language stakeholder engagement.
Would you consider providing more detail about the expected budget range for this engagement?
We encourage consultants to present multiple budget scenarios, and we will review them accordingly.
What is your organization’s annual budget?
Our annual operating budget for 2025 is approximately $1.2 million.
Do you currently have a strategic plan, and if so, when was it developed?
We have a previous strategic plan that expired in 2023. It was developed in 2019.
What is driving the need to develop a plan currently?
The world and our organization have changed dramatically since our last strategic plan. Our goal is to ensure that we have a clear, actionable roadmap to guide our organization’s work over the next several years.
What is it your organization is hoping to address through this process?
We are looking to revisit our mission and vision, refine our goals, clarify priorities, and create a roadmap of actionable items to achieve our mission.
Have you worked with a professional facilitator in the past?
Yes, we have experience with professional facilitators and are open to different facilitation styles based on consultant recommendations.
What is the Strategic Planning Committee’s role and responsibilities?
The committee’s role will be to provide input, guide the process, and support implementation. The specific structure is open to discussion.
What is your budget for this project (for the consultant/facilitator)?
We are open to reviewing proposals with multiple budget scenarios.
The 2nd bullet under Project Planning and Stakeholder Engagement mentions “to ensure objectives are clearly defined.” What is this referring to?
This refers to both the overall strategic planning project objectives and measurable objectives within the strategic plan. We welcome consultant recommendations on structuring these.
How are you envisioning the facilitated meetings? In-person, virtual, hybrid? Full-day planning workshops? Multiple smaller meetings?
We are open to consultant recommendations on the best format for facilitated meetings based on effectiveness and feasibility. How do you like to work? What have you found is most effective? We look forward to reading your proposal and rationale on this structure.
What data does your organization already collect that would inform the strategic plan development? For example: staff surveys, board surveys, stakeholder surveys, etc.?
We collect various forms of data, including stakeholder feedback, program metrics, and organizational performance data. We also provide detailed program reports to our funders on a regular basis. We are happy to share relevant information to support the process.
Define “polished.” What are your expectations in this regard?
We expect a final product that is clear, well-organized, and actionable. Production value that makes the plan easily shareable with our community stakeholders is appreciated. We welcome consultant recommendations on deliverable formats.
Do you have an example of the strategic plan framework you prefer?
We do not have a strict preference and encourage consultants to propose a framework they believe would be most effective.
What are the top three priorities you hope to address in this strategic plan?
Our priorities will be refined through this process, and we encourage consultants to help facilitate that discussion. Broadly speaking, we are looking to create an actionable plan that enables us to most effectively feed families, educate youth, and train the next generation of farmers.
What context prompted this strategic planning process?
Our previous strategic plan expired in 2023 and our organization has undergone significant change in leadership and operating structure.
Can you provide a copy of the previous strategic plan to understand past goals and progress?
Yes, we can share our previous strategic plan with selected consultants.
Who are the key stakeholders that must be involved?
Our stakeholders include staff, board members, CSA members, program participants, and community partners. We welcome consultant recommendations on engagement strategies.
How much board and staff time is available to contribute to the process on a bi-weekly or monthly basis, especially considering the farming season?
Time availability varies, however the two Co-Executive Directors who will serve on the committee will have several hours each week to support this process. We encourage consultants to propose a structure that is both effective and feasible, and we can plan for flexibility on the staff side.
What is your preference for meeting and workshop facilitation? In-person, hybrid, or fully remote?
We are open to all formats and encourage consultants to propose what they believe will work best.
How does your organization plan to track progress on the strategic plan over the next four years?
We are open to consultant recommendations on effective tracking and accountability methods. We typically review tasks weekly, goals quarterly, and hold an annual staff planning and evaluation process and retreat.