Request for Proposals – pg. 1
Request for Proposals for Direct Mail Program Services
Introduction
The St. Vincent Senior Nutrition Program, dba St. Vincent Meals on Wheels (SVMOW), is a ministry of the
Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul and is a private nonprofit California corporation established for public
benefit and determined by the IRS to be a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt organization. SVMOW is the largest privately
funded Meals on Wheels program in the country. The program had its humble beginnings in 1977, when Sister
Alice Marie Quinn, its Founder cooked a pot of stew for 75 seniors at Precious Blood Church Hall. From that
very first day, compassionate service was the order of the day. Seniors sat down for their meals and were served
by volunteers. No longer did they have to stand in line with walkers and canes to receive the nutrition they so
badly needed. That single selfless act 44 years ago grew into today’s St. Vincent Meals on Wheels, now serving
more than 2,000 hot meals a day in addition to cold snacks and breakfasts when needed, across Los Angeles -
from Skid Row to West Hollywood, the Hollywood Hills to South L.A and the South Bay, serving the invisible and
the most vulnerable population within one of the most recognizable and high-profile cities in the world.
Purpose
SVMOW is soliciting proposals from vendors to perform direct mail marketing and fundraising services,
including analytical capabilities, data management, creative services, production services, printing services,
mail services, etc. From the responses received from this RFP, SVMOW may select one or more vendor
agencies to manage and implement all aspects of a comprehensive direct response fundraising campaign.
In issuing this RFP, SVMOW makes no commitment to contract for work with any vendor(s) responding to this
RFP either within the dates specified in the RFP or at any other time. SVMOW will not reimburse vendors for
any expenses or pay for any implied services associated with responses to this RFP. Vendors choosing to
respond to this RFP must do so entirely at their own expenses. SVMOW agrees to maintain all vendor
proposal materials as private and confidential and not to display or disseminate them to any individuals other
than those evaluating their contents for purposes of this RFP. All proposals and collateral materials submitted
in response to this RFP become the property of SVMOW and will not be returned to vendors.
Response Submittal
Proposers should submit one (1) complete paper copies of the entire proposal and one (1) complete electronic
copy of the entire proposal in a single.pdf file. SVMOW will accept proposals until 5pm PST, on Monday,
December 6, 2021.
RFP Schedule of Events
This following schedule of events should be considered definitive. SVMOW reserves the right, however, to
adjust any of these dates as necessary to meet its needs. In the event any of the dates are adjusted, SVMOW
will send information about the date changes to all vendors to whom this RFP was originally distributed, plus
any other vendors that have made their interest known to SVMOW.
Request for Proposals – pg. 2
EVENTS
DATES
a) Formal release of the RFP
11/01/2021
b) Last day to submit questions & comments
11/15/2021
c) Release of RFP revisions, answers to
questions & additional comments by SVMOW
11/22/2021
d) Proposal due to SVMOW by 5:00pm
12/6/2021
e) SVMOW invites selected vendor(s) to make
presentations
12/20/2021
f) SVMOW begins formal decision and
negotiation period
1/07/22
g) SVMOW announces final contract award
decision(s)
02/01/2022
*this date is tentative based on negotiation.
RFP Contact Information and Questions
Interested parties may direct questions about this RFP to:
Christine Caruso
St. Vincent Meals on Wheels
2303 Miramar Street
Los Angeles, CA 90057
(213) 484-7112
All contact and questions regarding this RFP should be in the form of written communication.
Scope of Project
1. Project Goals
SVMOWs’ annual operating budget is approximately $8 million. Currently, approximately 70% of the
organization’s revenues come from private sources including individuals/estates-trusts, organizations,
corporations and foundations. SVMOW had roughly 25,000 active donors in the most recently completed fiscal
year. As a local organization, the majority of SVMOW donors are from Los Angeles and the surrounding
communities. SVMOW currently engages in both acquisition and cultivation appeals, as well as digital
outreach.
SVMOW seeks a vendor to work with it to develop, test, manage, and implement all aspects of its direct mail
program. This will include gaining a thorough understanding of SVMOWs’ mission and impact; working with
staff to develop compelling messaging and fundraising appeal strategies (including digital media, donor
newsletter and Circle of Angels supporter mailings, designing and creating direct mail materials; procuring and
managing mailing lists, acquisition, including deduplication, and merge-purges; getting materials in the mail;
and analyzing and reporting on all subsequent data, including demonstrating appeal/campaign effectiveness,
opportunities for growth, donor trends, etc.
Request for Proposals – pg. 3
SVMOW is seeking an integrated solution with a single point of contact. If the vendor intends to use other
subcontractors to fulfill any aspects of the contracted fundraising campaigns, this must be disclosed and
should be functionally transparent to SVMOW. In this case, this proposal must reveal explicitly who the
intended subcontractors are and their roles in the fundraising work. This proposal also must also include an
itemized list of cost for all aspects of the work, including those that will be performed by subcontractors, and
the vendor must accept accountability and final responsibility for the quality and timeliness of everything done
by the subcontractor(s).
SVMOW will advance necessary prepaid list rental and postage costs from its own funds and will have
ultimate responsibility for all costs or expenses associated with the marketing efforts. Other financial
relationships may be explained and proposed. SVMOW will exclusively control, manage, and exercise
dominion over all funds donated to it and any lists created as a result of this relationship.
2. Proposal
Proposals should explain in clear detail the vendor’s proposed processes for working with SVMOW,
formulating program and fundraising strategies and budgets; designing and creating direct mail packages and
fiscal year schedules; selecting lists and developing test strategies; reporting results; holding account reviews;
modifying fundraising plans based upon empirical results; and coordinating with other aspects of SVMOWs’
overall fundraising operations.
Your proposal must clearly specify your plans for acquisition mailings, house file mailings, thank-you mailings,
etc. You must make clear how and when you will introduce and test new packages, reuse old packages, test
package characteristics, etc.
Proposals should also explain your philosophy toward and your approach to integrating direct mail with
SVMOWs’ other fundraising channels and ongoing fundraising campaigns.
3. Samples of Previous Work
As an attachment to the proposal, please submit at least two examples of fundraising materials prepared for
current or recent clients. These materials will be kept confidential and they will not be returned.
Pricing Schedule
1. Price Proposal, Fees, Expenses, and Expected Returns
The proposed pricing of vendor agency products and services must encompass all anticipated expenses.
These costs might include creative and production fees, artwork, typesetting, production of camera-ready art,
mail and courier costs, data processing, and data analysis, etc.
The vendor must provide complete, detailed information on all one-time setup costs that SVMOW will incur.
The timing of these costs must also be clearly indicated as they impact SVMOWs’ cash flow.
If you wish to propose services based upon a monthly management fee, summarize all items the fee will
include (e.g., staff time, creative) and indicate what additional expenses will be required as separate charges.
Even if you choose monthly invoicing will require itemized expenses.
If you wish to propose fees based upon itemized expenses, summarize all items that will be included therein
and provide your estimates of what a “typical” billing amount would be.
If you are doing any pass-through billings from suppliers or subcontractors, your proposal must show what
those are, along with estimates of a “typical” billing period, and complete disclosure of your company’s related
markups and commissions, if applicable.
Request for Proposals – pg. 4
If any other related services will be required for the direct mail campaign that your agency will NOT include in
its package, you must identify what those are, explain why your agency chooses not to provide them, and
recommend how SVMOWs’ should best procure those services.
2. Realistic Return Estimates
The vendor should explain realistic estimates of the return on investment for these fundraising services.
Vendors should make clear all the assumptions inherent in these estimates.
