Branding Services
Request for Proposals
Introduction
The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation (the Foundation) is an independent charitable foundation dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for residents in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. We are concentrating our efforts and resources in areas about which Carol and Ralph were most passionate: Arts and Culture, Civic and Community, Education, and Human Services. Our work is intended to have the greatest impact possible as we, in collaboration with our region’s stakeholders, help lead the way to a stronger and more vibrant community.
The Foundation recently embarked on a strategic plan to help inform its future direction. The plan’s vision is to position the Haile Foundation as a community leader that will galvanize the Greater Cincinnati region by coordinating transformative projects that build empathy, bridge divides, and drive equal opportunity to become world-class.
Equipped with a bold strategic plan and a new office location (the Foundation recently moved to Ralph Haile Square in Covington, KY), the Foundation is ready for an updated look that is easily identifiable, clear, and easy to use. From our logo to our website and everything in between, we are eager to have a brand identity that fits our mission, values, and the region we serve.
Our Core Values:
We are honored and humbled to be the stewards of Carol and Ralph’s legacy. We are an independent charitable foundation who pursues our goals through both traditional and fresh approaches. Our core values guide us when we partner with grantees, co-funders and other colleagues. These core values are infused in every action as we strive to have the greatest positive impact in our community.
WE WANT TO DEMONSTRATE INTEGRITY. Integrity builds trust. We are committed to honesty, mutual respect, and professionalism.
WE WANT TO BE BOLD. We courageously reach beyond our comfort zone to try innovative, complex, and unconventional ideas to enhance our community. We view honest failures as learning opportunities for the future. The riskiest thing to do is to take no risks!
WE WANT TO BE RELEVANT. We continuously push ourselves to be our best. We are always listening to our community. We routinely reevaluate to focus on meaningful solutions for today and tomorrow’s world. We are inspired to drive results through our time, our talents, and our partners.
WE WANT TO BE INCLUSIVE. We value, celebrate, and embrace diverse viewpoints, customs, ethnicity, perspective, and preferences.
WE WANT TO BE COLLABORATIVE. We seek partnerships to leverage creativity, innovation, and results. We communicate consistently, clearly, and in a timely fashion.
WE WANT TO BE THOUGHTFUL. We care about the people in our community and we work to invest wisely with those who put the well-being of others first.
Scope of Work
The selected brand design agency will redesign the Foundation’s visual identity to create a cohesive and fresh look to align with the organization’s vision and mission. The new identity will then be applied to all of the Foundation’s materials, including our website. These materials will be utilized by the Foundation’s staff and grantee organizations throughout the region to communicate the work that the Foundation supports in our community.
The selected agency partner should expect to deliver:
A new logo in various formats for multiple applications.
Detailed brand standards and usage guidelines to drive brand consistency when used for all Foundation communications and for grantees who may also use our logo in their communications.
All final brand logo files, fonts, and color palettes for use in print and digital formats.
Integrated imagery and complementary design elements, fonts, and color schemes.
Design of brand identity template files for business cards, #10 envelope, letterhead, email signatures and graphic templates for announcements on social media.
This portion of the project will not include website redesign, but the new brand identity needs to work well in digital applications, as the website, social media and digital communications are important channels for the Foundation.
Ideal Candidate
The Foundation is seeking a design agency that is within our 10-county service area who has proven knowledge and experience of performing the scope of work outlined above and be able to work on a project basis for future matters after the services outlined in the scope of work have been completed. Knowledge of the Foundation’s work as well as a relevant work portfolio are preferred.
Submission Requirements
All submissions shall include the following components.
Name and background
Include complete name and contact information. If any of the work is subcontracted to another party, please provide the same information for all firms, and indicate who will be the lead firm.
Profile of firm
Provide information about the ownership, size, location of office(s), nature of work performed and years in business. Please highlight any experience you have working with non-profit and/or public organizations to develop a new logo and brand identity.
List of personnel
Provide list of who will work on this project, including their education, experience and qualifications.
Proposed approach, workplan, and timeline
Describe how you will approach this project. Please outline your approach to assist us in developing the new brand identity. Please give an approximate timeline expected to complete the project. Please also include what information, services, and assistance you will require from Foundation staff to enable you to successfully conduct the proposed work.
Portfolio
Include portfolio of 5-10 previous, relevant works/projects with an emphasis on branding or rebranding. Please include context and description of your agency’s specific work on each project.
Line-item budget
Provide a complete budget for the stages of development in which you will provide the work described in this RFP. Indicate an hourly rate (if applicable) for subsequent work that may be required, deemed necessary, or requested by the Foundation.
References
Offer at least three references from clients who have used your services for branding or rebranding. Briefly describe the scope of your work for these references, the year completed, and a contact name and telephone/email for each one.
Information on additional website services
We expect the redesign of our website to be a “fast follow” to the brand identity work. If you are interested in assisting us in this next phase, please include a separate document that outlines your capabilities and capacity to build a website along with ballpark costs. Please indicate if your firm has the capacity to handle web design and your initial thoughts on approach to achieving a turn-key user-friendly platform. The Foundation is open to recommendations if website buildout is outside of your capacity.
Submission Format
Submit the full submission in PDF Document size on digital copy shall be no larger than 8.5 inches X 11inches. Brochures or other material that may be helpful in evaluating your qualifications may be included in an appendix. All submissions must be submitted digitally. Submissions must be received via email at info@hailefoundation.org no later than April 22nd at 5 PM EST. Submissions received after the deadline will not be considered.
QUESTIONS
Questions regarding this RFP process must be directed in writing via email to the below contact. The responses to all questions will be in writing. If questions are deemed substantive to the submittal and evaluation process, a list of questions and responses to all registered respondents will be distributed through an RFP Addendum(s). The deadline for submitting questions shall be April 6th at 5 PM EST.
Questions and Inquiries regarding all aspects of this RFP should be directed to: Alondra Sotelo at info@hailefoundation.org.
Timeline
Issue RFP…………………………………………………………………………………….. March 23
Questions Due to the Foundation…………………………………..………...……………... April 6
Response to Questions by Foundation .………………………………………………….… April 13
RFP Deadline ………………………………………………………………………………….. April 22
Determination of Finalists………………………………………………………………..…….. May 8
Finalist Interviews………………………………………………………………..Second Half of May
RFP Q&A
Questions that are similar are grouped together with one answer.
What prompted the decision to pursue a rebrand at this time?
Please refer to page 2 of the RFP.
Who are the primary audiences the brand needs to reach? (e.g., grantees, donors, civic leaders, artists, general public)
Who is the primary audience for this brand? Is it grantee’s seeking funding, donors, community members, civic leaders — or are you trying to speak to all of them equally? How do you prioritize?
Which audiences are most critical for this brand to resonate with (e.g., grantees, civic leaders, donors, general public, etc)?
How should the brand flex (if at all) across different audiences?
Our new identity should reach grantees, other funders, civic leaders, the non-profit community at large, and the general public within our 10 county region that the Foundation serves. The brand should be kept consistent across all audiences.
Brand Strategy/Identity Questions:
In addition to your core values, do you have any existing brand strategy materials we could review (e.g., positioning, messaging, audience articulations)?
The Foundation has no existing brand strategy materials.
What aspects of the current brand identity are not working or no longer serving the Foundation?
Are there common pain points with the current system that the new identity should help resolve?
Could you elaborate on what “easy to use” means for Foundation staff and grantees?
The visibility of our logo is an issue in some applications. There is no consistent application of the Foundation's identity across mediums and channels. We currently have no written identity guidelines.
Are there any misconceptions or perceptions of the Foundation that you would like the new brand to shift?
No. We are eager to establish a brand that is consistent with our mission and values.
Has the Foundation gathered any existing insights about how it is currently perceived — by grantees, donors, or the broader community? Any research, surveys, or stakeholder interviews available that could help inform us further?
What is the current perception of the Haile Foundation in the community?
We believe the perception is positive, however we have no brand awareness studies or existing insights to support that. We don’t believe we have an image issue, but would like to have better control of our image moving forward.
What distinguishes the Haile Foundation from other organizations in the Greater Cincinnati / NKY region?
Our ability to significantly fund nonprofits, our collaborative leadership role and our funding priority areas distinguish us from other funders in the area.
Are there any other foundations, nonprofits, or commercial brands whose branding you admire or think we can learn from? Why?
Are there other brands that you find appealing and successful that we could reference?
Can you share examples of organizations (inside or outside) whose brand presence you admire?
No.
If Carol Ann and Ralph were sitting across the table from us, what three words would they use to describe what this foundation should feel like?
Bold, Collaborative, Relevant
Who are your top 3-5 competitors that you compete with for funding across grants and funders?
We don’t compete for funding.
Do you see yourselves as a local leader, a regional connector, or something broader?
We see ourselves as both a local leader and a regional connector.
Goal Questions:
What would success look like for the Foundation 12–24 months after launch?
How are you hoping the new brand identity will shift or strengthen that perception?
How are you going to track the success of this initiative? Or, are you looking for a partner to help define?
What does success look like to you? Beyond deliverables, how will you measure whether the rebrand has achieved its goals after launch?
Success would be a consistent visual and brand identity established in the community that results in greater awareness of the Foundation’s impact.
Would you like the new logo to be “evolutionary” or “revolutionary”?
There are no elements of the current brand logo that we need to carry forward. Our primary hope is to achieve the goals stated in the RFP.
How do you want grantees to feel when they see your brand? Supported? Inspired?
How do you want the broader community to perceive the Foundation — as a behind-the-scenes funder, or a visible civic leader with a point of view?
Please note that grantees are only one audience for this rebrand. See related audience question above. We would like the community to perceive the foundation as bold, collaborative, and relevant.
What's one thing the new brand absolutely cannot feel like? Sometimes knowing what to avoid tells us more than knowing what to pursue.
We do not want our brand to feel exclusionary, elite/opposite of inclusive.
How should the new brand balance honoring Carol and Ralph’s legacy with expressing a more forward-looking, bold vision?
What would feel “too far” from your current identity? What would a “bold” brand look like in your context?
Are there any required elements (legal, historical, donor-related) that must be retained or considered?
Neither Ralph and Carol’s names nor imagery need to be part of the new brand identity. However, there will be moments where we will want to incorporate their full names and their history in the Foundation’s in the aggregation of our materials going forward.
Are there regional narratives, tensions, or aspirations you want the brand to acknowledge or help bridge?
No.
Is there an interest in developing updated messaging and tone of voice guidance to reflect your vision to galvanize the community and coordinate transformative work?
If the Foundation does not currently have brand strategy guidelines, would you be open to including brand positioning, voice, and messaging frameworks as part of the engagement, or are you seeking strictly a visual identity update?
Our focus at this time is a visual identity consistent with our core values. We’re not currently looking for tone of voice guidance.
Do you have a current digital style guide or design system that you’d like refreshed with the new identity, or are you simply hoping for digital application guidance within the visual identity guideline?
No, we don’t currently have a digital style guide or design system.
Can you explain what you mean by integrated imagery and complementary design elements?
This will primarily apply to the redesign of our website. Any imagery and design we apply will be reflective of our core values.
Details on Scope of Work:
Are you expecting a typographical logo, like the current one (logotype) or are you open to a symbol (logo mark)?
We are open to all options.
Does the Foundation manage programs or initiatives that require sub-branding? If so, should the new identity account for a broader brand system across these programs?
Are there any anticipated future initiatives or expansions that the brand should be designed to accommodate?
No, we do not currently have any sub-branding needs and don’t anticipate any in the future.
If you had to describe what you are looking for in an agency in one word, what would it be?
Responsive – in the broadest sense of the word.
The Team/Input/Decision Makers for Project:
Who are the primary decision-makers, and who will be involved throughout the process?
Will board members or external stakeholders play a role? If so, how?
Can you give a sense of the decision makers on the foundation side? For example, a small team or will this also require approval from the Board?
Who are the key stakeholders we should be considering in this process?
Who are the primary decision makers?
Are there other voices that need to be included or aligned during the brand development process?
How do decisions typically get made internally?
Could you share how proposals will be evaluated and what criteria are most important in your selection process?
Can you share more about the approval process? ○ Who will be involved? Timeline needed for feedback?
The process will be led by a subset of Foundation staff with Advisory Committee representation. Final logo will be approved by the Advisory Committee.
Has there been internal alignment on goals and expectations for the rebrand?
Yes.
Are you interested in incorporating stakeholder or community input
No.
Audiences/Current Users:
How do grantees currently use your brand, and what challenges exist with consistency or clarity?
Beyond the website, where is the brand most actively used today?
How do grantees or partners currently use the Foundation’s brand, if at all?
Grantees currently use our logo to acknowledge the Foundation in their materials, including on their website, email communications, fliers and postcards, on physical signage on or within their buildings, and other mediums and channels.
Are there audiences where trust or engagement is currently lacking?
No.
Use:
What marketing tactics or media channels would the foundation like to engage with more?
We don’t anticipate doing proactive promotion of the Foundation but want to ensure consistent use of the brand by those acknowledging our support.
What tools or platforms does your team currently use for design and communications (e.g., Adobe, Canva, Figma etc.)?
Does your internal team work in Canva, Adobe or other software? Your response will help us determine the best way to build/deliver the template files?
None currently. However, we want to be able to make website updates post redesign efficiently in house.
When thinking about an identity that works well in digital applications, are you primarily concerned about visual identity elements translating well across mediums? Or are you interested in things like interaction principles, etc that are specific to digital contexts?
No.
Should the new identity function as a flexible system/toolkit for partners, or primarily as the controlled brand? Are there co-branding scenarios we should anticipate or design for?
It should be a controlled brand. No.
Implementation:
Who will be responsible for implementing the new brand internally?
Staff
Would you be interested in internal training or brand onboarding sessions for staff and partners to more effectively or efficiently use identity assets?
Maybe, depending on complexity of assets
Do you have any existing brand assets that you’re particularly fond of or would like to incorporate?
Do you currently have an existing library of brand assets (e.g., photography, video), or should we plan to develop these as part of the integrated imagery scope?
Do you believe a photo and/or video shoot will be needed? How do you all feel about the use of stock assets? Audience & KPIs:
Do you all have a library of images (photography and video assets) that our team could leverage?
The Foundation doesn’t currently have any brand assets we’d like to incorporate or an existing image library. We would address owned images as part of the refresh identity. We are open to using stock and proprietary images.
Logistical Questions (budget and timeline and selection):
What is your target timeline for completion and launch?
Do you have a completion date you are targeting?
We are seeing this as a 2026 project and are looking for your input on a reasonable timeline. A timeline is a deliverable of the rfp.
Do you have an established budget range for this project?
Is there a budget range or level of investment already in mind for this work?
Is there a minimum or maximum budget you are trying to manage?
Are there any expectations around scope that should be informed by budget?
Are there any budget parameters you can share for the overall scope of work?
Have you defined a budget for this work? If so, please share if possible.
We are looking to you to provide guidelines on cost and budget. We welcome any level of detail related to your budget estimate.
Are there accessibility, compliance, or public-sector considerations that should guide the design?
The site and logo should adhere to ADA compliance
You mention future work matters once the scope has been completed. Could you give a few examples of what this work might look like?
Future work may include assisting in materials for a future grant project, as an example. We don’t anticipate having an ongoing scope of work.
Website Questions:
Do you have an estimate of how many pages will be included in the redesign?
No, unsure.
Are you intending to maintain the current site structure, or are you open to exploring a revised sitemap and user experience?
Open to new structures.
Are there any specific functionality requirements or integrations we should be aware of?
We will need the integration of an external link to our grant application portal.
Do you have an anticipated budget range for the website redesign?
No.