Request for Proposals (RFP) 

Strategic Planning Consultant  

LA Community Land Trust Coalition (LA CLT Coalition) 

Introduction  

The LA Community Land Trust Coalition (LACLT Coalition) invites qualified consultants or consultant teams to submit proposals to support the development of a 2025 Strategic Plan that will update and build upon the Coalition’s original 2021 Blueprint. The Blueprint is a shared plan created by Los Angeles’ Community Land Trusts to coordinate their work by outlining the functions, strategies, and collaborative efforts they can take on together to strengthen community ownership, acquire and steward land, and build long-term organizational capacity. 

Organizational Background  

The Los Angeles Community Land Trust Coalition is a BIPOC led coalition that came together in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic with 5 founding members: Beverly-Vermont Community Land Trust, T.R.U.S.T. South LA, Fideicomiso Comunitario Tierra Libre, El Sereno Community Land Trust, and Liberty Community Land Trust. After years of close learning and collaboration, the founding members realized the crucial need to band together and create regional infrastructure to pursue funding and provide space for continued technical assistance and capacity building.

Since then, the coalition has grown to include 2 additional community land trusts – LA Chinatown Community Land Trust and Long Beach Community Land Trust.

Project Overview  

The LA Community Land Trust (LA CLT) Coalition is seeking a Strategic Planning Consultant to support the development of a Strategic Plan that will update and build upon the Coalition’s original 2021 Blueprint. This new plan will center the voices and lived experience of the Coalition’s member organizations and establish a shared vision, infrastructure, and roadmap to guide our collective work over the next 3 years.

The selected consultant will lead a participatory process designed in collaboration with LACLT coalition members. The final Strategic Plan will articulate the LA CLT Coalition’s long-term goals, identify priorities for growth, and clarify decision-making and governance structures to deepen coordination, accountability, and collective power among community land trusts across the region.

This participatory planning process will engage all LA CLT Coalition members—Beverly Vermont CLT, El Sereno CLT, Fideicomiso Comunitario Tierra Libre, LA Chinatown CLT, Liberty CLT, Long Beach CLT, and T.R.U.S.T. South LA – board leadership and staff in workshops and listening sessions to ensure the plan reflects members’ needs and values

Scope of Services 

• Develop a final LA CLT Coalition Strategic Plan, including priorities, timelines, and implementation guidance.
• Priority areas include, but are not limited to: communications and narrative, real estate, and affordable housing development.
• Coordinate with the LA CLT Coalition to create a stakeholder mapping document and member resource handbook.
• Coordinate with T.R.U.S.T. South LA staff to organize materials on LA CLT Coalition Google Drive and integrate outputs into the broader LA CLT Coalition work plan.  
• Provide up to two (2) rounds of revisions on all deliverables.
• Consultant activities must align with federally allowable uses of funds. No portion of the contract may be used for lobbying, fundraising, public relations, or organizational marketing. All work must directly support strategic planning and capacity building.

Anticipated Timeline
Consultant is expected to be under contract by January 2026 and complete all deliverables by no later than the end of May 2026. 

Deliverables

1. Kickoff meeting agenda & summary
2. Detailed facilitation plans 
3. Workshop materials and recording links
4. Raw notes and summarized insights after each session
5. Finalized strategic plan
6. Transfer of editable files and data to T.R.U.S.T. South LA

Proposal Submission Instructions
Deadline: Sunday, December 7, 2025 (earlier submissions encouraged)

Email: contracts@trustsouthla.org 

Subject line: “Strategic Planning Consultant – [Your Name or Firm Name]”

Any questions regarding this RFP should be sent to contracts@trustsouthla.org by Monday, December 1, 2025 with the subject line: “Strategic Planning Consultant – Question.”

Submission Checklist: Proposals must include:

• Cover Letter – One page, signed by an authorized representative
• Project Narrative – Up to 4 pages describing understanding of the project and proposed facilitation approach
• Detailed Work Plan & Timeline – Milestones and schedule
• Consultant / Team Qualifications – Bios, roles, and relevant experience
• Examples of Similar Projects – Up to three projects with client references
• Fee Proposal – Itemized budget covering professional time, travel, materials, and incidental expenses
• Professional References – Three references with current contact information
• Proof of Insurance – Minimum $1M general liability coverage and workers’ compensation
• Optional Supporting Materials – Examples of relevant work products, such as funding applications, project portfolios, or strategic plans. Including these materials is encouraged but not required.
• Certifications (if applicable) – small/local/disadvantaged or minority owned business.

Selection Criteria 

• Relevant experience in community centered visioning and facilitation of participatory community planning with people from diverse backgrounds. 
• Quality and creativity of proposed methodology 
• Knowledge of affordable housing and community development 
• Capacity to meet schedule and deliverables 
• Cost competitiveness 
• Client references
• Being based in and have relevant professional experience in southern California
• The Strategic Consultant will be paid through a federal grant, therefore the selected consultant must not be debarred or suspended from doing business with the federal government. Verification through the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) will be required prior to contract execution. Consultant must provide documentation confirming active status and absence of exclusions.

Budget & Compensation
The LACLT Coalition anticipates awarding a fixed-price contract based on the proposer’s submitted budget. Applicants should include a detailed proposed budget that outlines all professional time, travel, materials, and incidental expenses necessary to complete the scope of work. Progress payments will be issued upon the LACLT Coalition’s review and approval of each completed deliverable.

Contract Terms & Conditions 

• Independent contractor relationship; consultant responsible for all taxes and insurance.
• Consultant must carry a minimum of $1 million in general liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage. Proof of insurance must be submitted prior to contract execution.
• All work products become the sole property of the LACLT Coalition. 
• The LACLT Coalition reserves the right to cancel this RFP or reject all proposals.

Project Background 

The Coalition developed a Blueprint in 2021; approximately 75% of it has been completed. The Coalition will share gaps and challenges with the selected consultant during onboarding.

The 2025 Strategic Plan is intended to realign the Coalition around shared goals, strengthen internal structures, and provide a 3–5-year roadmap for coordination, governance, and collective strategy.

Timeline & Funding Requirements

The project timeline of January–May 2026 is fixed, due to federal grant requirements.

All federal funds must be expended by June 30, 2026.

Budget

The anticipated budget should not exceed $19,000.
This includes all consultant time, engagement activities, facilitation, and expenses.

Coalition Governance & Decision-Making

The Coalition has an existing governance document and uses a representative decision-making structure, with up to two representatives per CLT participating in key decisions.

Members acknowledge that the current process is necessary but it has been slow, and they want clearer decision pathways, better documentation practices, and stronger internal communication systems.

Strategic Priorities & Gaps

The Coalition sees several areas of focus for the next strategic plan:

• Updating or refining portions of the 2021 Blueprint that remain unfinished.
  
• Strengthening collective strategy, especially around CLT-led development that prioritizes tenant ownership.
  
• Improving coordination across seven member CLTs, including clarity on roles, power-sharing, and collaboration.
  
• Advancing work in policy, communications/narrative, real estate, and affordable housing development (final priorities to be shaped through the 2025 process).

Definition of Success

Success includes:

• Establishing a clear, shared vision.
  
• Building greater understanding of each CLT’s capacity and role.
  
• Strengthening internal infrastructure and coordination.
  
• Producing a roadmap that guides collective work and supports growing political and movement-building opportunities.

Cultural Values & Engagement Expectations

• Because the Coalition is a BIPOC-led, movement-driven network, consultants should design a process grounded in:
• Cultural humility and anti-racism
  Language justice
  
• Community-defined expertise
  
• Trauma-informed and trust-building facilitation
  
• Avoiding extractive or tokenizing engagement
  
• Ensuring equitable participation across CLTs with varied capacity, staffing, and experience
  
• While most participants currently speak and read English, interpretation may be needed if CLTs bring community members into discussions

Workshops & Engagement Format

• Expect at least four workshops or listening sessions.
  
• Coalition is open to in-person or hybrid formats.
  
• Consultants may propose a multi-day retreat.

Use of the Final Strategic Plan

Internally, the plan will:

• Guide governance, coordination, and committee structures
  
• Strengthen the Coalition’s infrastructure
  
• Support long-term capacity building
  
• Externally, it will:
• Clarify the Coalition’s collective strategy
  
• Support shared advocacy and movement-building
  
• Align CLTs around common priorities for resources, partnerships, and development