Strategic Planning Consultant

Request for Proposals (RFP)

COAR Peace Mission Strategic Planning Consultant

RFP Issue Date: June 8, 2026

Proposal Submission Deadline: July 6, 2026

Anticipated Start Date: September 2026

1. Organizational Background

Comunidad Óscar A. Romero Peace Mission (COAR PM) is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Cleveland, Ohio dedicated to supporting vulnerable children in El Salvador through its partnership with the COAR Children’s Village (COAR CV) and COAR School in Zaragoza, El Salvador, which are operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Salvador, Vicariate of Human Development – CARITAS.

The Cleveland office supports the work in El Salvador through fundraising, outreach, financial management, funds transfer, and administrative and operational support.

COAR was founded in 1980 following the assassination of Saint Óscar Romero and is the oldest organization bearing his name. Recognized as an official Catholic charity, COAR continues Óscar Romero’s legacy of love, service, and courage through its mission to serve vulnerable children and families experiencing violence, poverty and family instability.

The organization currently provides residential foster care for girls through the Children’s Village and access to education through COAR School, along with holistic support designed to foster stability, belonging, long-term well-being and opportunity. Over the years, the organization has expanded its efforts to include scholarships and partnerships across the country that help children and young adults pursue brighter futures.

The Children’s Village and COAR School are located in the town of Zaragoza and serve both resident children and youth from the surrounding community, as well as other communities in El Salvador. COAR’s work is closely connected to the local community and the Zaragoza parish, which together help foster a strong sense of belonging and community support for COAR’s children and programs.

COAR Peace Mission is supported by a committed community of donors, volunteers, and Catholic partners, many of whom have been involved with the organization for decades. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and led by a recently appointed new Executive Director who is working closely with the board to guide COAR into its next chapter.

2. Why a Strategic Plan, Why Now?

Nearly fifty years after COAR was founded, much has changed in the world around us, yet COAR’s core mission—to protect and care for vulnerable children in El Salvador— remains as vital as ever.

At the same time, the environment in which COAR PM operates continues to evolve. Shifts in child protection laws and social service systems in El Salvador, a rapidly advancing technological landscape with both opportunities and risks, a changing donor environment, and new executive leadership at COAR PM all signal that this is a pivotal moment for the organization.

In addition, key organizational considerations such as how best to steward financial reserves and the opportunity to further clarify governance structures and policies underscore the importance of this moment. Together, these factors make this an important time for COAR to evaluate its direction, strengthen alignment across stakeholders, and plan intentionally for the future.

3. Purpose of the Engagement

COAR Peace Mission Board of Directors seeks a consultant to facilitate the development of a five-year strategic plan (2027–2031).

The goal of the strategic planning process is to develop a clear and focused plan that will align the board and staff around shared priorities, strengthen COAR Peace Mission’s organizational operations, set programmatic direction in El Salvador in partnership with local decision-makers, and establish measurable goals supported by a practical implementation roadmap to guide the organization.

This process will help ensure that COAR remains mission-aligned, financially sustainable, and well-positioned to support vulnerable children and others in El Salvador for many years to come.

4. Scope of Work

Phase 1 – Discovery / Assessment

• Review organizational documents, including COAR PM bylaws and other official procedures such as project and grant approval process
• Conduct interviews with board members, staff, and key stakeholders at COAR Peace Mission
• Conduct virtual stakeholder engagement with key programmatic stakeholders and local decision makers in El Salvador
• Conduct an environmental scan / SWOT analysis

Phase 2 – Strategy Development

• Facilitate strategic planning workshop(s)
• Help define strategic priorities
• Support development of measurable strategic goals, objectives and key performance indicators

Phase 3 – Strategic Plan & Implementation Roadmap

• Develop a five-year strategic plan
• Create an implementation plan with timeline
• Present final plan to the Board of Directors and the final programmatic plan to COAR El Salvador leadership

Note: We anticipate at least one in-person engagement with COAR Peace Mission board and staff in Cleveland, Ohio, if the contracted individual/firm is not located in Cleveland; the remainder of the work, including engagement with COAR in El Salvador, will be remote.

5. Strategic Plan Focus Areas

The strategic plan will include both:

• Organizational operations at COAR Peace Mission’s Cleveland office (governance, fundraising, marketing & communications, and operations). The organization has already identified key priorities but wants to make sure they reflect current conditions and future vision.
• Programmatic strategy in El Salvador, developed collaboratively with COAR Peace Mission and key local stakeholders and decision-makers in El Salvador, including leadership from the Archdiocese of San Salvador Vicariate of Human Development – CARITAS, COAR Children’s Village and School leadership, and pastoral leadership at the Zaragoza Catholic Church.

Note: COAR PM and COAR CV in El Salvador operate in close partnership; therefore, although this is primarily a COAR PM strategic plan, the strategic planning process will involve stakeholders in both the United States and El Salvador around local programmatic issues and will require sensitivity to COAR’s binational structure and partnership with the Archdiocese of San Salvador. A candidate with bilingual English and Spanish capacity is highly preferred. However, we encourage any highly qualified consultants with relevant experience who are not Spanish-speaking to apply and include a proposed interpretation plan and associated costs in their submission.

6. Deliverables

• Strategic planning process design and timeline
• Summary of stakeholder interviews and organizational assessment
• Environmental scan / SWOT summary
• Draft strategic plan for review and feedback
• Final five-year strategic plan
• Implementation roadmap (1–2 years)
• Presentation of final plan to the Board of Directors, and the final programmatic plan to El Salvador leadership

7. Timeline

COAR anticipates the strategic planning process will take approximately 6 months, beginning September 2026 and concluding by February/March 2027.

8. Budget

COAR Peace Mission anticipates a budget in the range of $15,000–$25,000 for this project, depending on the scope and approach proposed.

We would encourage qualified consultants to submit proposals that reflect a tailored approach within this board-approved range.

9. Proposal Requirements

Interested consultants should submit a proposal that includes, at a minimum:

• Executive Summary
• Brief background of the consultant or consulting firm
• Relevant experience and qualifications including knowledge of U.S.-based nonprofit organizations with international programming and facilitating strategic planning for nonprofits
• Description of proposed approach and methodology with timeline and key milestones
• Description of staffing structure and key personnel
• Pricing structure and cost proposal including estimated travel expense approach to Cleveland, Ohio and interpretation costs, if applicable
• Work sample
• At least two references from previous nonprofit clients upon request for final candidates. Not needed in the proposal phase.

10. Selection Criteria

• Demonstrated experience facilitating nonprofit strategic planning processes
• Experience working with mission-driven or faith-based nonprofit organizations with international programs
• Ability to work in bilingual (English/Spanish) and cross-cultural contexts
• Strength of proposed methodology and facilitation approach
• Clarity and feasibility of timeline and deliverables
• Overall value and cost-effectiveness
• Positive references

11. Submission Process

Proposals should be submitted electronically via PDF format by July 6, 2026 with “COAR Strategic Plan Proposal” in the title to:

Meredith Fabian-Ludke

COAR PM Board Member

meredith.fabian@gmail.com

and copy:

COAR PM Board Chair Melanie Reda

melanie.reda@gmail.com

and

COAR PM Executive Director, Kyle Carter

director@coarpeacemission.org

Consultants may submit questions in advance of the deadline with “COAR RFP Question” in the title.