Request for Proposal

To lead and facilitate

Arts Now Marin: Arts Education Equity Coalition
a cohort of Marin County arts and education leaders,
to expand equitable access in arts education for
all Marin's TK-5th grade students

Requested by Marin Cultural Association
in cooperation with the Marin County Office of Education and Youth in Arts

ISSUE DATE: September 9, 2024
 
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
The Marin Cultural Association, in cooperation with the Marin County Office of Education, and Youth in Arts
seeks an experienced consultant to lead the planning, management, and facilitation of Arts Now Marin: An
Arts Education Equity Coalition. Working closely with community educators, advocates, and arts leaders over a three-year period, the selected consultant will lead the development of the Arts Now Marin Education Plan to expand equitable access to arts education for Marin’s TK-5th grade students across 15 school districts.
 
BACKGROUND
In 2019, the Marin County Board of Supervisors adopted the Marin Arts Education Plan as part of an overall
Cultural Arts Plan declaring that arts education should be accessible to all Marin County students. In November 2022, California voters passed the landmark Proposition 28 – Arts and Music in Schools (Prop. 28 – AMS) Act, that provides ongoing funding for arts education across the entire state. Arts Now Marin will ignite these movements to ensure artists, funding, and support are reaching Marin’s most marginalized students.

With funding support provided by the Marin Community Foundation’s new Community Power Initiative, Arts
Now Marin will have four key strategic priorities over three years. These include:

1. Accurately survey, assess, and map the landscape of arts education provision, funding and access across
Marin County for TK-5 Students;
2. Convene and catalyze a coalition of educators, leaders, and funders, dedicated to ensuring students have
access to a robust arts education;
3. Create a strategic resource and guide for how to utilize Proposition 28 funding to truly supplement (not
supplant) arts education while bolstering systemically under resourced sites/districts;
4. Launch a county-wide, equity focused pilot funding and program model for TK-5 arts education in Marin

SCOPE OF WORK
Arts Now Marin will hire and work with an objective consultant with acumen in education, the arts, the
nonprofit sector, and community development to lead and facilitate the collaborative’s efforts as part of a
three-year initiative. Aligned with the aforementioned strategic priorities, the leadership team has drafted a
project roadmap that includes the following goals:

Year 1
• Arts Now Marin releases a request for proposal and hires consultant
• Engage all 15 district stakeholders in arts education specific think tanks
• Engage arts education organization leaders in discussion and listening sessions
• Survey and asset map arts education profession and funding across the county for TK-5
• Construct a clear understanding of arts education funding and provision across 15 districts
• Release comprehensive results about arts education gaps, challenges, and questions
• Utilize Youth in Arts’ equity-model, equal access partnerships, and engagement with leaders and
stakeholders in San Rafael City Schools as a case study, pilot, and learning

Year 2
• Solidify and convene Arts Now Marin stakeholders (4-6x meetings per year) including education leaders, arts
leaders, and advocates
• Identify communities and sites as focus areas with an equity lens
• Facilitate funding conversations with all public school foundation leadership
• Draft a TK-5 arts education strategic plan in partnership with consultant and stakeholders
• Present findings from Arts Now Marin Education Equity Exploration

Year 3
• Launch Arts Now Marin Education Plan for TK-5
• Implement pilot program/collective impact that leverages funding from foundations and Prop 28 to provide
equitable access across the county
• Bolster specific arts education deserts and under resourced communities
• Expand professional development for educators and teaching artists
Supporting documentation for the Arts Now Marin: Arts Education Equity Coalition is available upon request.

PROJECT SCHEDULE
September 30, 2024
Deadline for delivery of proposal to Arts Now Marin

October 7-10, 2024
Consultant interviews and meetings with Arts Now Marin leaders

November 1, 2024
Selected consultant notified

December 1, 2024
Work to begin; please suggest possible start dates for which you are available in proposal

PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION
Applicants must submit one (1) digital copy of their application via email no later than September 30, 2024 to
ArtsNow@marincounty.org and include the following:

Title Page
Include the name of the firm or lead contractor, address, telephone, email, contact person, and date of
submission.

Table of Contents
Identify subjects and materials by section and page number. Attachments and appendices should be numbered and listed in the table of contents.

Introduction
Provide a general introduction including a purpose statement describing your understanding of the proposed
project and required services.

Consultant Qualifications
Proposals should include the following:

1. Company Profile—brief profile outlining history and philosophy;
2. Team Composition, Experience, and Success—list all key personnel who will be assigned to this project
including their relevant experience and qualifications, roles and responsibilities, and a listing of past
successful projects of a similar size and scope including a description of team members’ roles in each
project, project dates and contact information.

Work Plan
Provide a detailed work plan describing your approach to designing, managing, and coordinating this project.
Identify the expected approximate duration of each task and reflect associated personnel and other resources
required for all tasks to be performed. Clearly delineate any tasks for which the consultant expects Arts Now
Marin to take responsibility, in whole or in part. Include a schedule of deliverables including:

1. Scope of Work—The description should include all tasks listed under “Scope of Work.” In addition,
include any steps/tasks not included in the “Scope of Work” that you would recommend to strengthen
the overall goals and quality of this project.
2. Project Objectives—describe your understanding of the project objectives and vision and how these
will be achieved.
3. Project Support—Identify the types of information, data, and assistance expected from Arts Now Marin
leaders, and how you will meet the administrative support needs of the project.
4. Deliverables—Describe what will be delivered and when, including the expected outcome and benefit
to the Arts Now Coalition.

Project Price
Provide an estimated budget of services including the following:

1. Project Budget—Provide a “not to exceed” line-item expense budget indicating all costs for carrying out
the proposed work, including personnel, travel, lodging, meals, supplies, materials, overhead and all
other necessary expenses. Clearly itemize the pricing for each of the segments described in the scope
of work.
2. Value Added Services—Describe any unique services and benefits that you would provide to the project
that contributes to your competitive advantage. This could include any innovative approaches you have
previously used to help communities develop their plans or skills that have enabled you to overcome
unusual planning challenges in the past.

Supplemental Information
Proposals should include the following:
1. Reports of similar projects you have completed;
2. Promotional material describing consultant’s professional services; and
3. Three recent and similar client references.

INQUIRIES
Direct all inquiries regarding this proposal to ArtsNow@marincounty.org