
WORK FOR CIFA
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Notice of Request for Proposals for Association Management Services
​The CIFA Board of Directors is requesting proposals for full-service, turn-key association management services from companies and independent contractors, with or without subcontractors.
Questions must be emailed to Treasurer@cifanet.org by Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at 4:00 pm (ET) and answers will be posted by Monday, February 10, 2025. Proposals must be emailed to Treasurer@cifanet.org by Friday, February 21 2025, at 4:00 pm (ET). The full Request for Proposals (RFP) can be found in the link below.
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RFP for Comprehensive Association Management Services (PDF)​
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Responses to Questions about the RFP
1. Do you have a 2023 990?
Yes, email Treasurer@cifanet.org to request a copy.​
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2. You have consulting and management fee listed on 990 as separate fees. Can you elaborate on what are the consulting services?
The consulting service fees were contracts for a subject matter expert and event planning and management.
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3. Are there specific priorities or areas within the scope of work that CIFA would like the contractor to emphasize?
Each section of the Scope of Work is needed and important to CIFA, please cover all areas.
4. What metrics or benchmarks will be used to evaluate the contractor’s performance throughout the contract?
The contractor’s performance will be evaluated based on the ability to continue activities that are important to CIFA. These important activities include information sharing with members, interaction and relationship development with EPA, other water related associations, and congressional staff, development of the spring Summit program, and advocacy.
5. Is there a budget range or cap for the contract that should be considered when preparing cost proposals?
CIFA has budgeted approximately $300,000 for this contract.
6. Does CIFA foresee any changes to the current platforms (e.g., QuickBooks, Wix, Cvent), or are there preferences for maintaining these tools?
CIFA does not have current plans to change platforms, but the Board of Directors would consider changes based on the benefit to the organization.
7. Will meetings with the Board of Directors and committees primarily be virtual, or will in-person attendance be required?
Board meetings are typically virtual, but an in-person Board meeting is usually scheduled during our fall and spring conferences. Committee meetings are normally virtual but could be scheduled in person during our fall and springs conferences.
8. Are there specific legislative or regulatory issues that will be a primary focus of advocacy efforts in the coming year?
The current advocacy focus is full federal funding of SRFs, full Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) appropriations, and streamlining federal requirements. See the Advocacy section of our website.
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9. Does CIFA have specific financial reporting formats or processes that contractors will need to adopt?
CIFA uses an accrual basis of accounting. Financial reporting for grant reports need to include information that EPA requests. CIFA would be open to different formats for budget development and reporting.
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10. What factors will influence the decision to renew the contract after June 2026?
Contract renewal will be influenced by how well important activities were continued. These important activities include information sharing with members, interaction and relationship development with EPA, other water related associations, and Congressional staff, development of the spring Summit program, and advocacy. See the 2024 Annual Report that summarizes activities from the outgoing contractor. (Note that deliverables under Professional Development will be covered by a different contractor 2025).
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11. Can you provide a detailed overview of CIFA’s current staffing model? Are you satisfied with the existing staffing structure, or are there areas where you would like to see changes or enhancements?
CIFA has no staff, only contracted services. The major contract is for the Executive Director services, that contract has historically included subcontracts for a subject matter expert and for event planning and management. Starting in 2025, CIFA will have a contractor for event management of our fall Workshop. The Comprehensive Association Management contractor will manage this contract.
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12. Are there existing contractors or staff members who will transition out, or will the selected AMC inherit any ongoing work or relationships?
The Selected AMC would inherit a relationship with a contractor that provides services for planning and management of our fall Workshop. That is a contract directly with CIFA, but the AMC would oversee contract management. Much of the ongoing work would be inherited including advocacy efforts, member communications, EPA communications, etc.
13. Does the selected AMC need to have an individual or firm already registered as a lobbyist, or is there flexibility to hire/subcontract that function?
There would be flexibility for the AMC to subcontract or hire for that function.
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14. How much direct lobbying is expected, and what has been the historical approach?
Lobbying has taken between 1 and 15 hours a month depending on the issue. Lobbying activities include meetings and emails with congressional members and their staff.
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15. Can you provide examples of recent advocacy successes or challenges that could inform the strategy moving forward?
CIFA has been successful in highlighting the negative impact of recent Congressional Directed Spending to the SRF programs through the creation of the Save the SRFs coalition. CIFA’s advocacy efforts over the last few years have established itself as the expert regarding State Revolving Fund program issues and insights on how changes will impact these programs. CIFA has been successful in building coalitions with other water associations to present comments on statutory and regulatory issues that impact the State Revolving Fund programs.
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The challenges of advocacy include adapting to the ever changing political and regulatory environment while aligning those efforts with the 102 different State Revolving Fund programs.
16. What is the current budget allocation for association management services, or is there a general range you can share?
CIFA has budgeted approximately $300,000 for this contract.
17. What is the expected transition timeline if a new AMC is selected on/by April 1?
The new AMC would take over on May 1, 2025. The current contract for services ends April 30, 2025. A Continuation of Operations Plan is anticipated to be available to help with transition issues. The CIFA Board will also create a transition team to periodically meet with the AMC to aid with the transition.
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18. Will the new management team be required to hire or retain any existing subcontractors?
No. There is a contractor that has served as a subject matter expert that the new AMC could consider using as a subcontractor if desired.
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19. Are there key deliverables or milestones that must be met in the first 90 days?
There is a quarterly progress report for our current EPA grant that will be due before the end of July. Data for this report will be mostly provided by our Workshop contractor, but review and submittal of the report is part of the AMC responsibility. Three Board meetings and committee meetings will occur within the first 90 days, so agenda development will be required.
20. What has led you to look for an AMC?
The current AMC decided not to renew its contract.
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21. Will you be or are you interested in retaining any staff or current vendors?
A contract for event management and planning services for our Fall Workshop will be retained. These services are contracted directly with CIFA. There is a contractor that serves as a subject matter expert that the new AMC could consider using if desired.
22. The proposal mandates a registered lobbyist. To clarify, CIFA wants a subject matter expert in clean water who is also registered, or does CIFA believe that the members will provide enough subject-matter expertise that a lobbyist with a generalist perspective on infrastructure issues could be an appropriate fit?
Members can provide subject matter expertise, but a lobbyist with a general perspective on infrastructure would need to quickly understand the nuances of how State Revolving Funds work and operate. Ideally the lobbyist would be a SRF expert.
23. How many participants in your annual training workshops? How many sponsors? Exhibitors?
Annual training workshops have had 400 to 500 attendees over the last 2 years with 10 to 12 sponsors and 1 or 2 Exhibitors. The annual Water Summits have had 250 to 300 attendees over the last 2 years with 4 to 6 sponsors and no exhibitors.
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24. How is the new Executive Office impacting your current and possible future grants as well as the ability for members to attend CIFA programs?
It is generally too early to predict the impacts to future grants and attendance to CIFA programs. The new Executive Office has enacted policies that directly impact the way our members operate and manage their State Revolving Fund programs.
25. What membership database do you use to track your members?
Membership tracking is currently done by Word and Wix database.
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26. The most current 990 is from 2022, may we have 2023 or your year-end financials?
Email Treasurer@cifanet.org to request a copy of our 2023 990.
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