Wildlife Conservation Network
Request for Proposal
Website Redesign for Wildlife Conservation Network
1. Introduction:
WCN is a Silicon Valley-born nonprofit, deploying a venture capital-style funding model to change the way the world finds and supports wildlife conservation initiatives. WCN partners with independent, community-based conservationists around the world and provides them with the capital and tools they need to develop solutions for human-wildlife coexistence. Founded in 2002, WCN has raised over $300 million for community-led conservation efforts across all seven continents. WCN is widely recognized as a top wildlife charity, holding the highest 100% 4-star rating from Charity Navigator.
WCN’s mission is to protect endangered wildlife by supporting conservationists who ensure wildlife and people coexist and thrive. For more information, please visit wildnet.org.
As part of our ongoing efforts to reach wider audiences and inspire others to invest in WCN, we are seeking proposals from qualified Web Development Agencies to assist us in redesigning our website wildnet.org. WCN’s website is a parent website with 5 additional microsites connected to its CMS: wcnexpo.org, lionrecoveryfund.org, pangolincrisisfund.org, rhinorecoveryfund.org, and elephantcrisisfund.org. The redesign will be for WCN’s website but will also affect all microsites.
2. Objectives
Developed in 2017, WCN’s website is outdated and needs a refresh to accomplish our current marketing objectives. Our primary goals are to strengthen our online presence, build brand awareness, provide an overview of our programs to deepen engagement with donors, and increase donations for WCN’s conservation efforts. Additionally, we want our redesigned website to reflect our culture and values.
The site is currently built in WordPress but we are open to other platforms as an alternative, if there are solutions that provide better functionality and ease of use. We would like to be able to make minor edits to the content in-house so the CMS needs to be user-friendly. Additionally, WCN is rapidly growing its programs so this site should be able to accommodate its programmatic growth and display content in a user friendly and easy-to-navigate way. WCN requires the ability to create microsites and will need an updated interface for our donation page.
We have three primary audiences we are focused on:
- Current donor base interested in staying in touch with WCN’s programs and supporting our work. Our website should foster deeper engagement with this audience.
- Prospective donors interested in learning more about conservation and the programs that WCN offers. Our website should attract and open the door for more communication with this audience by capturing their email addresses via newsletter sign-up and/or donations.
- Mass market audience: important for maximum visibility, to expand WCN’s brand recognition and overall donor base. Our website should be easy-to-understand to this audience, regardless of their knowledge of conservation. It should entice users to stay on the site and explore other pages.
- Conservationists who are interested in learning more about our strategies and how to become more involved. Our site should be easy to navigate so that conservationists can find the information they need.
3. Current Website Analysis
Strengths:
- Ease of content management as multiple staff members frequently update content
- A robust blog that allows us to attract new audiences
- Mobile responsiveness
- A diverse set of modules that allow us to display content in a variety of formats
- Integration with Hubspot and Springboard (our donation platform)
- Multisite environment where we can manage all six of our websites on one dashboard, with all sites nesting under wildnet.org’s main navigation
Weaknesses:
- Site is 6 years old and the style feels outdated
- WCN has a significant amount of content and it is difficult to display all our programs without burying content or making it difficult to navigate. Some users have noted that content can be difficult to find
- Impact map is difficult to update and can be buggy
- Slow site speed due to many large images, which impacts SEO
- Need a design that has stronger and more strategic calls-to-action to increase conversions
4. New Website Requirements
- A fresh, modern design
- Ability to embed Hubspot forms for email signups
- Ability to create password protected pages
- Creation of preview links of edited/drafted pages that can be shared with team members to review before pushing them live
- Integration with Springboard, our donation platform, to embed donate forms throughout the site
- A CMS that is easy to use without web development experience
- A strong blog that is easy to use
- Responsive design for mobile devices
- Accessibility compliance
- Optimized for search
- Analytics tracking
- Ability to have pop up banners for specific campaigns, events, or fundraisers
5. Project Scope
- Project management
- Creates timeline, key milestones, and deliverables for redesign project.
- Sitemap development
- Recommends how to best organize content and navigation menus with a focus on improving user experience.
- Website redesign
- Creates new design, layout, and content modules for WCN’s website and all of WCN’s micro-websites.
- This includes wildnet.org, wcnexpo.org, lionrecoveryfund.org, pangolincrisisfund.org, rhinorecoveryfund.org, and elephantcrisisfund.org. Each website will utilize the same modules so that the feel is cohesive across all websites, however each site has its own brand colors and logo, which WCN will provide. Wildnet.org is the parent website and all other websites nest under it.
- Creates new design, layout, and content modules for WCN’s website and all of WCN’s micro-websites.
- Content migration
- Migrates all content over to the new design
- Creates 301 re-directs of old URL’s
- Integrations
- Integrates website with Springboard and Hubspot
- Set up site with analytics (google analytics, search console, and tag manager)
- Tests all sites across desktop, mobile, and tablet before launching.
- Training for staff as needed.
7. Timeline
RFP submission deadline: September 25, 2024
Vendor Selection: November 15, 2024
Project start date: January 2025
Desired launch date: June 2025
8. Proposal Requirements
Interested agencies are invited to submit proposals that include the following:
- Overview of the agency, including relevant experience working with non-profit organizations and environmental or wildlife conservation initiatives, if relevant. Our preference is to work with US based agencies.
- General overview of website build process end-to-end.
- Proposed timeline with key milestones and deliverables.
- Description of project management approach.
- Examples of relevant projects that demonstrate the agency’s capabilities and success, link to websites or case studies.
- Contact information for references or clients who can provide feedback on the agency’s work.
- Project budget estimate. We will not be providing a budget, please submit your estimate or a range.
9. Submission Instructions
Proposals must be submitted electronically to kaitlin@wildnet.org no later than September 25. Late submissions will not be considered.
10. Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Technical aptitude and creativity with web design process.
- Reliable communication and strong project management skills.
- Demonstrated experience and success working with nonprofit organizations and/or wildlife conservation.
- Ability to meet project objectives within the proposed timeline and budget.
- Quality of proposed deliverables and examples of past work.
- References and client feedback.
11. Selection Process:
After the submission deadline, WCN will review all proposals and may conduct interviews or request additional information from selected agencies. The agency that best meets the requirements outlined in this RFP will be selected to provide services for WCN.
12. Contact Information:
For inquiries or to request additional information, please contact:
Kaitlin Tillett
Senior Manager, Digital Marketing
Wildlife Conservation Network
kaitlin@wildnet.org
13. Confidentiality:
All information provided in response to this RFP is considered confidential and may only be used for the purpose of evaluating proposals for web redesign services.
14. Disclaimer:
WCN reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received in response to this RFP, to negotiate separately with any source whatsoever, and to cancel or amend this RFP at any time.
Thank you for your interest in supporting wildlife conservation efforts. We look forward to receiving your proposals.
Wildlife Conservation Network
August 29, 2024
To apply for this job email your details to kaitlin@wildnet.org