Request for Qualifications: Nonprofit Compensation and Perception Study
Request for Qualifications: Nonprofit Compensation and Perception Study
Section 1: Project Overview
The Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida seeks proposals from qualified research institutions, organizations, or firms to conduct a comprehensive mixed methods study on nonprofit compensation in Northeast Florida (7-county region of Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam, and St. Johns).
The nonprofit sector is a vital component of the U.S. economy. In Florida, the nonprofit sector contributes significantly, generating $26.6 billion in annual wages, 456,016 jobs, and makes up approximately 6% of the state’s total workforce.
Despite these contributions, nonprofit salaries often lag behind those in the private sector. In Florida, 80% of nonprofits report job vacancies, and 80% of organizations state that salary competition affects their ability to recruit and retain employees. This directly affects nonprofit turnover rates; the nonprofit sector experiences an average turnover of 19%, surpassing the national average of 12% across all industries.
Beyond their economic contributions, nonprofits provide essential services in healthcare, education, social services, and the arts, which directly impact community well-being. Nonprofit employees often find themselves on the frontlines during crises, responding to emergencies and delivering vital services to vulnerable populations. Despite these efforts, they are not formally recognized as first responders. Additionally, the high demands of nonprofit work contribute to employee burnout. A 2024 survey by Nonprofit Pro revealed that 95% of nonprofit leaders expressed concern regarding staff burnout, with 34% indicating it was a significant issue in the past year.
These factors threaten the sector’s ability to attract and retain top talent, ultimately affecting service delivery. This research seeks to develop a deeper understanding of fair and equitable nonprofit wages, inform sector advocacy, and support sustainable workforce development in Northeast Florida.
The project seeks to:
- Assess public perception of fair nonprofit wages.
- Collect accurate compensation and benefits data from nonprofit organizations.
- Compare perceptions with gathered salary data to identify gaps.
- Conduct a comparative analysis between nonprofit and private sector compensation.
- Provide actionable insights to advocate for fair nonprofit wages and benefits.
Section 2: Organizational Background
For the past 20 years, the Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida has connected, strengthened, and advocated for a strong nonprofit community with the belief that a vibrant, inclusive Northeast Florida is strengthened by — and supportive of — a healthy, high-impact nonprofit sector. We provide services, programs, and research that empower our members while advocating for the sector’s impact across the region. Through credible, data-driven research, we track community perceptions, regional trends, and the overall health of Northeast Florida’s nonprofits, ensuring they have the support and insights needed to thrive.
Section 3: Services Description
We are conducting a request for qualifications to avoid requiring potential partners to complete a lengthy proposal process. The Nonprofit Center seeks to identify institutions, firms, and organizations that can provide the services below. The Nonprofit Center will review the qualifications of vendors that respond.
This study will integrate three related research initiatives:
- Community Perception Survey: Assessing public views on appropriate compensation and benefits for nonprofit employees.
- Nonprofit Compensation Survey: Gather compensation and benefits data from nonprofit leaders about the people who work within their organization by job type and job family.
- Private Sector Comparison Study: Analyzing compensation trends in the for-profit sectorto compare salaries and benefits with those in the nonprofit sector.
To execute this project, the Nonprofit Center seeks support from experienced researchers or a team of consultants for the following:
| Phase 1 – Survey Creation and Data Collection: The selected firm will be responsible for developing and implementing two surveys and conducting a literature review on private- sector compensation. The two surveys will include a Community Perception Survey, which will target community members to assess their views on nonprofit salaries and benefits, and a Nonprofit Compensation Survey, which will gather real salary and benefits data from nonprofit organizations in Northeast Florida. The Nonprofit Center will be consulted during the creation of the surveys and will give final approval to their contents. The literature review will analyze compensation structures in the private sector to facilitate an informed comparison with nonprofit salaries. Data collection will be conducted using online survey platforms such as Qualtrics, which is provided by the partner firm. This will ensure a broad reach across targeted populations. The research team will work in close collaboration with the Nonprofit Center’s member network to maximize participation and ensure diverse representation in the study. |
| Phase 2 – Analyses: Once data collection is complete, the selected firm will analyze the survey responses to identify key trends and discrepancies. This analysis will include a comparative study of public perception versus actual nonprofit compensation data, along with a side-by-side evaluation of nonprofit and private sector salaries. The final report will synthesize these findings, offering insights and actionable recommendations for advocacy and policy development. |
| Phase 3 – Synthesize Findings: The findings will be shared through a comprehensive report and a PowerPoint presentation summarizing the results. A manuscript based on the survey will be submitted for peer review and potential publication in scholarly journals. The selected firm will also be expected to present the findings to the Nonprofit Center and key stakeholders, outlining recommendations derived from the study’s results. All created documents, collected data, and survey results will be provided to the Nonprofit Center as an additional final deliverable. |
The project duration is one year: June 2025 – June 2026. Section 3: Evaluation Factors
Section 4: Evaluation Factors
The Nonprofit Center will implement a scoring system for all the proposals submitted. The responses submitted will be evaluated based on technical expertise using the information requested and submitted under this RFQ. The following evaluation factors shall be used to select 1-2 finalists to negotiate with.
- Relevant demonstrated experience
- Relevant demonstrated qualifications of the key staff to provide services
- Reasonableness of fee structure
The Nonprofit Center may award contracts to vendors based on qualifications and reasonableness of fee structure or may invite respondents to participate in a “quick bid” process by which the Nonprofit Center requests a price quote for a specific scope of work. The Nonprofit Center, at its discretion, will choose the method most appropriate to the requested service and most likely to procure the highest quality service at the lowest price.
Section 5: Instructions for Submitting a Response
Please submit all responses using this form: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8ZVJ92X. Responses are due by 6:00 p.m. May 7, 2025. For any questions, please contact Allison Ownby Director of Research & Evaluation at aownby@nonprofitctr.org. For prompt response, please submit any questions about the proposal by May 2, 2025.
The Nonprofit Center reserves the right to reject any proposals, to waive technicalities, or to award contracts in the best interest of the organization. The Nonprofit Center may enter into more than one contract with one or more providers deemed qualified through this procurement process.
All respondents will be notified of their status on or before May 23, 2025.
Download a PDF copy of this RFQ here:
This research is funded by the Nonprofit Center’s Rena Coughlin Research Fund (RCRF) that was established to honor the groundbreaking work of Rena Coughlin our longtime CEO. Read more about the fund here.
