Brand Strategy & Awareness Communications Consultant

# REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
**Brand Strategy & Awareness Communications Consultant**
**WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease**
**Proposals Due: June 5, 2026**

**Issuing Organization:** WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease
**RFP Title:** Brand Strategy & Awareness Communications Consultant
**Engagement Type:** Consulting services (independent contractor)
**Anticipated Engagement Period:** June 15, 2026 – June 15, 2027
**Estimated Budget Range:** $4,500 – $5,500 per month
**Proposal Submission:** [email protected]
**Primary Contact:** Celina Gorre

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# 1. About WomenHeart
WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease is the nation’s only patient‑centered organization solely dedicated to advancing the heart health of the nearly 48 million American women living with or at risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death for women.

Founded in 1999 by three women heart attack survivors, WomenHeart advances its mission through advocacy, community education, and the only national patient support network for women living with heart disease.

**Mission:** Improve the lives of women with or at risk for heart disease while fighting for equity in heart health.

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# 2. Project Background and Purpose
After more than 25 years of impact, WomenHeart is at an inflection point. Heart disease remains the #1 killer of women, yet only about half of women recognize this. Closing this gap is central to WomenHeart’s mission.

WomenHeart seeks a strategic communications consultant to lead a brand strategy and awareness initiative that will:

• Collaborate with the CEO on thought leadership and positioning.
• Modernize and sharpen the WomenHeart brand.
• Define the organization’s voice across women’s and cardiovascular health ecosystems.
• Expand national awareness with intentional reach into communities most affected by inequities.
• Embed health equity and accessibility throughout the brand.
• Equip staff, Champions, partners, and donors with a consistent narrative.
• Strengthen positioning relative to peer organizations.
• Elevate the annual WomenHeart Summit as a national platform.
• Identify new strategic markets.
• Increase visibility to support development and partnerships.

The partner will shape direction at the leadership level and guide implementation collaboratively with staff.

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# 3. Scope of Work

## 3.1 Discovery and Audit
• Audit brand assets, messaging, website content, social media, collateral, earned media, donor communications, and case for support materials — including accessibility and inclusivity.
• Conduct competitive/comparative landscape analysis.
• Produce a discovery report with strategic implications and identified gaps.

## 3.2 Brand Strategy
• Develop/refine brand platform: positioning, value proposition, pillars, personality, tone.
• Create messaging architecture for priority audiences.
• Recommend updates to visual identity, taglines, or naming conventions.
• Deliver brand guidelines including inclusive language and accessibility standards.

## 3.3 Awareness and Communications Strategy
• Develop integrated awareness strategy with goals, audiences, channels, and content framework.
• Recommend media relations and thought‑leadership plan.
• Recommend digital/social strategy aligned to brand platform.
• Identify high‑impact moments and propose tentpole campaigns.
• Recommend strategic partnership opportunities.

## 3.4 WomenHeart Summit – Annual Visibility and Brand Amplification
• Develop multi‑year Summit communications strategy.
• Refine Summit brand identity and messaging.
• Develop pre‑Summit awareness campaign.
• Recommend earned media strategy.
• Support messaging for speaker recruitment, sponsor cultivation, and partner engagement.
• Recommend onsite/livestream amplification strategy.
• Plan post‑Summit content harvesting.
• Recommend metrics for year‑over‑year visibility.
• Coordinate with events and communications staff.

## 3.5 Development and Visibility Support
• Refine donor‑facing narrative and case for support.
• Recommend strategies to raise WomenHeart’s profile among priority funders.
• Identify visibility opportunities supporting fundraising.
• Recommend messaging for cultivation and stewardship.
• Advise on aligning brand with key development moments.

## 3.6 Health Equity and Accessibility
• Center lived experiences of women most affected by disparities.
• Recommend culturally responsive messaging and trusted‑messenger approaches.
• Recommend multilingual strategy, beginning with Spanish.
• Apply plain‑language and health‑literacy best practices.
• Ensure WCAG 2.1 AA compliance in all recommendations.
• Recommend inclusive representation standards.
• Identify potential community partners and coalitions.

## 3.7 Working Structure and Internal Collaboration
• Day‑to‑day partnership with Communications Manager.
• Coordinate with social media consultant.
• Partner with Development team.
• Engage leadership and Board at key milestones.
• Provide ongoing PR/media relations advice.
• Engage WomenHeart Champions as brand ambassadors.

## 3.8 Implementation Support and Capacity Building
• Provide phased implementation roadmap.
• Coach/train staff on activating the brand and messaging.
• Recommend measurement framework for brand health, awareness, equity, accessibility, and visibility.

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# 4. Anticipated Deliverables
1. Brand Platform document.
2. Messaging Architecture for priority audiences.
3. Brand Guidelines including inclusive language and accessibility standards.
4. Awareness & Communications Strategy with measurement framework.
5. Development Visibility Plan.
6. WomenHeart Summit Communications & Visibility Playbook.
7. Health Equity & Accessibility Framework.
8. Implementation Roadmap.
9. Leadership presentation for board and senior team.

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# 5. Out of Scope
Unless separately proposed and priced:

• Full visual identity/logo execution.
• Website redesign or development.
• Day‑to‑day social media execution.
• Direct fundraising execution.
• Paid media buying.
• Summit event production or logistics.
• Translation services (strategy only).

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# 6. Anticipated Timeline
**May 20:** RFP issued
**June 5:** Proposals due by 5:00 PM ET
**June 8–11:** Finalist interviews/presentations
**June 12:** Contract awarded
**June 15:** Kickoff meeting

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# 7. Budget and Payment
Estimated total budget: **$70,000**, inclusive of all fees and expenses.
Bidders must itemize fees, rates, hours, and reimbursable expenses.

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# 8. Qualifications
• 7+ years senior‑level brand/communications experience.
• Experience with mission‑driven organizations, ideally health or women’s health.
• Ability to translate scientific/medical content.
• Track record of measurable awareness growth.
• Demonstrated health equity and accessibility integration.
• Knowledge of WCAG 2.1 AA and inclusive representation.
• Experience collaborating with development teams.
• Experience with small nonprofit teams.
• Strong communication and project management skills.

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# 9. Proposal Requirements

## 9.1 Cover Letter
Brief introduction summarizing interest, fit, and primary contact.

## 9.2 Firm/Consultant Background
• Overview, history, size.
• Relevant nonprofit/health experience.
• Approach to equity, accessibility, and inclusion.

## 9.3 Proposed Approach and Methodology
• Interpretation of WomenHeart’s challenge.
• Proposed methodology and phased work plan.
• How equity and accessibility will be embedded.
• Approach to collaboration.
• Recommended refinements or additions.

## 9.4 Team and Staffing
• Team members, roles, bios, time allocation.
• Senior strategist identified as day‑to‑day lead.
• Expertise in equity, multicultural communications, accessibility, or community engagement.

## 9.5 Relevant Experience
• Case studies from past 5 years.
• At least one example supporting fundraising/visibility.
• At least one example demonstrating equity/accessibility.
• Up to two work samples.

## 9.6 Budget and Fee Structure
• Total proposed cost.
• Itemized fees by phase and role.
• Milestone‑based payment schedule.
• Reimbursable expenses.
• Optional add‑on services.

## 9.7 Required Disclosures
• Any actual or perceived conflicts of interest.

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# 10. Submission Instructions
Submit **one PDF** containing the full proposal plus separate PDFs for work samples.
**Subject line:** “WomenHeart Brand & Awareness RFP [Firm/Consultant Name]”
**Submit to:** [email protected]
Confirmation of receipt will be sent within two business days.

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# 11. Contact Information
For all questions and submissions: [email protected]