COMPLETION OF WEBSITE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL JUNE, 2010
Organizational: The HistoryMakers is a national non-profit educational institution committed to developing and providing easy access to an internationally recognized archive of thousands of African American video oral histories. The collection represents the single largest archival project of its kind in the world. The main objective of The HistoryMakers is to present the untold stories of influential African Americans throughout history by collecting first-hand narratives and archiving the collection to create a comprehensive repository of historical information. Through the website, the organization s goals and initiatives are to be promoted. This includes not only interviews and HistoryMaker biographies, but education initiatives and public programs as well as donation and sponsorship opportunities. The HistoryMakers primary audience is middle-aged men and women researching information on African Americans either to gain understanding of their own culture, or to learn more about a heritage different from their own. Secondary audiences include educators, middle- and high-school students and philanthropic entities. The audience is currently driven to the organization as a result of a cultural connection to the mission or personal connections to individual HistoryMakers. Search engines provide the majority of current site traffic, as users are directed to the site after searching for information on one of The HistoryMakers. Users often stumble upon the site, appreciate the mission and check back in every few months to see who is new to the site. With the new site, the goal is to increase traffic from first-time visitors and reduce the time it takes people to come back to the site. Website Overview: The organization s current website (www.thehistorymakers.com) was developed prior to 2003 and features a legacy site information architecture that does not include a Content Management System. Addressing these limitations is a key concern of The HistoryMakers as the organization pursues the goal of positioning the website as the key promotional and fulfillment vehicle for existing and future initiatives. Development on the new website began in 2008 on a Drupal 5.0 platform by an India-based company, Photon Infotech. This work was hampered by bad code, leaving the site un-workable. The latest work was done by Duo Consulting whose time was mainly spent on the biography section and can be found at http://stage.historymakers.duodesign.com/. Prior to further development on the site, this code must be reviewed along with the specifications listed in the attached document. Please incorporate these elements into your RFP submission. Website Look and Feel: The website is intended to convey immediate understanding that The HistoryMakers is a one-of-akind, comprehensive and reliable source for information about African American history that is building community around the goal of greater cultural understanding. It should also be clear that events and programs are offered in order to bring the histories into the context of today and that education programs are used to ensure that the next generation has a greater understanding of African American history than the last. Material supporting these messages includes: 1900 + individual HistoryMaker biographies, archive photos and video clips from interviews; a digital archive of 400 HistoryMaker biographies; education resources such as tool kits with curriculum guides and training sessions for teachers; video footage from more than 60 events and programs; and volunteer and donor testimonials.
Ultimately, the website should promote cultural understanding, historical knowledge and pride. It should communicate a determined but inviting mission through a warm, friendly and conversational tone. Design: In addition to the pages that have been designed, the design of the new website should be based on the Charity: Water website, http://www.charitywater.org. Design should: Reflect a representation of history through the lens of modern times, placing the organization s mission to collect oral histories in the context of the past, present and future Contain elements of discovery and surprise when someone clicks on a link. This discovery should encourage the user to explore deeper into the site. The navigation of the site should work in such a way that the user is not confused about where to find content, but is encouraged to continue browsing through the site to discover things they were not expecting or looking for. Encourage users to become an active part of a community that seeks to preserve and document African American history. It should be apparent to the user that there has been tremendous support around the organization s mission and through that support the user can make connections to like-minded people. Avoid technologies that require a long time to complete visual effects (for example, do not rely on heavy use of Flash elements) For design samples and page mock-ups, see Appendix 3. Based on Charity: Water, specific design should include: Creation of relevant and artistically crafted icons for each Maker category All landing pages (see sitemap in Appendix 1, and samples in Appendix 3) CSS style sheets All design elements and functionality must be compatible with Internet Explorer 6. Google Tools The live site currently uses the following Google products: Site search Site Analytics These products should be sued in a manner that is suitable for the redesigned website. If these Google products are no longer available, please recommend other options for use with similar returns. For the full site map, see Appendix 1. For details on each section, its design and development components, as well as additional comments, see specs sheet in Appendix 2. For preliminary design mock-ups, see Appendix 3.
Conditions This RFP is not an offer to contract. Acceptance of a proposal neither commits The HistoryMakers to award a contract to any vendor, even if all requirements stated in the RFP are met, nor limits our right to negotiate in our best interest. Response Responses should be formatted as a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF document and must include completed exhibits as outlined in this RFP. All exhibits should be submitted via email to nj@thehistorymakers.com. Selection Criteria Successful experience taking incomplete projectsto completion Knowledge of Drupal theming Knowledge of Drupal 6.0 and 7.0 Knowledge of FileMaker 10 or 11 Commitment to The HistoryMakers and its mission Understanding of FileMaker database Quality of response, including detailed solution/approach to the specific projects included in this RFP Engagement terms that consider the financial constraints of a non-profit educational institution Ability to provide ongoing web site support Prior experience working with non-profit organizations Prior experience with video-based websites Timeline 6/9/10 RFP Distribution Week of 6/14/10 Clarification conference calls initiated by possible vendor(s) 6/23/10 Responses Due by 5:00 p.m. Week of 6/28/10 Presentations from select vendors to The HistoryMakers Week of 7/5/10 Select vendor and finalize agreement Week of 8/10/10 The HistoryMakers new website goes live The HistoryMakers Contact Direct all questions and proposals to: Natalie Jacobs Communications Associate The History Makers 1900 S. Michigan 3rd Floor Chicago, IL 60605 nj@thehistorymakers.com Phone: (312) 674-1900
Response Exhibits Response Exhibit A Vendor Background Information 1. Legal Company Name 2. Company Address 3. Year Founded 4. Total employees (by country and city) 5. Number of active clients and names 6. Description of prior work comparable to The HistoryMakers RFP 7. Names of non-profit clients and links to their websites
Response Exhibit B Solution Recommendation 1. Provide design mock-ups for the following pages. These samples can be screen shots or printouts of Photoshop documents or hand-drawn wireframes, but they should show artistic ability and creativity. Events & Programs landing page An individual HistoryMaker bio page 2. Describe database applications that you have used for prior engagements that would be considered for use in this engagement. 3. Explain how The HistoryMakers can utilize the Drupal CMS to capture and analyze user information. 4. Give two examples of Drupal modules you think would be appropriate to incorporate in the site and show samples of how you have implemented those modules on other sites (for example, Drupal Simple News, Drupal Blog, Calendar, Ubercart, Forums). a.) Describe your experience with Drupal theming 5. Describe your experience with video streaming. 6. Describe your experience with flash-based websites, or flash elements within sites. 7. Describe your experience with FileMaker 10 or 11. 8. Provide information regarding the recommended project management approach including project team structure, estimated timelines, units of work, etc.
Response Exhibit B Engagement Terms 1. Describe pricing and terms for the development portion of this engagement. 2. Describe pricing and terms for ongoing web site support (if offered). 3. Describe any pricing consideration provided to non-profit organizations.
Response Exhibit C Supplemental Information Please provide any additional information that relates to this RFP or the specified selection criteria.
Response Exhibit D Vendor Contract Please provide a copy of your standard client contract.