Rising Leaders Service Learning RFP

Statement of Need

The Nonprofits First Rising Leaders program is soliciting proposals from nonprofit organizations in Palm Beach County who need assistance with mitigating or solving a present challenge within their organization. This is an excellent opportunity for an organization to address a need or complete a project for which there are limited resources available.

As a component of Nonprofits First’s Rising Leaders program, organizations can expect a team of between 4-6 program participants to work collaboratively with the organization and other professionals as needed to address the area of concern and identify possible solutions. The final product is a free professional project management presentation to the organization. Past projects were overwhelmingly successful and met with accolades in the community. Prior service-learning projects included:

Community Partners of South Florida
Created employee mentorship program with training curriculum, incentives, and success metrics.

Freepreneurs
Designed 4-part curriculum for BraSense and Purposely Fitted Bra Program, including job descriptions.

Myla's Beleaf
Selected and implemented a CRM, identified potential partners, and developed a partnership strategy.

Opportunity Early Childhood Education & Family Center
Created board training manual, developed succession plan, and recommended bylaw changes.

Sounds of Success
Created and implemented summer camp curriculum.

Submission Requirements

Proposals for 2026 Rising Leaders Service-Learning Projects are now being accepted.
The completed proposal must be submitted via our website exclusively. Hard copies will not be accepted.
In order for your project to be considered, submissions are due no later than 5:00 PM on Friday, November 27, 2025.
This is a selective process; there are more requests than teams available. Therefore, not all requests can be filled.

Notification of Award

Notification of selection status will be sent via email in December 2025.

Scope of Services

Examples of acceptable service-learning projects may include the following:

Develop and design a complete volunteer program
Research and prepare a marketing plan for an organization, division, or program
Develop a policies and procedures manual or handbook
Conduct a program evaluation and prepare a report with findings
Research and develop a disaster preparedness and recovery plan
Develop a handbook for board members
Redesign a space for commercial use or additional rental income

Important Participation Information

Projects begin each February and conclude in August. Final projects will be presented to the organization during graduation. Nonprofits First will serve as the main point of contact and provide Rising Leaders with guidance and support throughout the project timeline. The organization's primary contact person will work alongside the Rising Leaders to support completion of the project and ensure project outcomes are met.

Service-learning project teams are closely supervised by the Director of Education and Training. Rising Leaders participants are expected to dedicate time and hours outside of their monthly program commitment, over the course of five months, to complete their project. Each service-learning project team comprises professionals from the nonprofit community who understand firsthand the challenges of leading and managing their organizations.

Apply for the Service Learning Project Here

Questions about the RFP? Email education@nonprofitsfirst.org or call (561) 910-6678.

Links:

Rising Leaders