About Vera
The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and activists working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they’re fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn’t determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. Vera’s headquarters is in Brooklyn, New York, with offices in Washington, DC, New Orleans, and Los Angeles.
Purpose of Request for Qualifications
We are seeking qualified vendors to redesign and redevelop Vera Institute of Justice's 501(c)(3)website and the Vera Action's 501(c)(4) websites. This RFP is focused exclusively on website strategy, design, and development. We are not simply refreshing our website layouts—we are building a web presence that actively serves a defined set of high-value audiences, communicates Vera and Vera Action's respective impact and expertise with clarity and urgency, and supports our goals in policy change, philanthropy, and earned media coverage.
- The redesigned Vera website must support Vera's active campaign cadence, flexing to elevate priority issues and campaigns and putting our calls-to-action front and center as they evolve throughout the year, without requiring significant development resources each time.
- For the Vera Action website, we are seeking a partner who can design a site navigation and user experience tailored to elected officials and staff, one that prominently surfaces Vera Action's polling data and messaging strategies as credibility-building tools for policy engagement.
We are looking for an experienced, reputable vendor who brings strong design and technical execution, along with a genuine understanding of how mission-driven organizations communicate with power.
Anticipated Scope of Work
Services are expected to include, but are not limited to, the following:
Discovery & Strategy:
- Conduct a comprehensive audit of Vera’s current website(s), including content inventory, site architecture, user flows, and analytics review
- Formulate C3, C4 compliance plans
- Research best-in-class website functionality and user experience benchmarks for advocacy, research, and policy organizations
- Define SEO and answer engine optimization (AEO) requirements, including a well-organized URL structure and a redirect mapping strategy to preserve search equity after the migration
- Engage key internal stakeholders to understand content needs, editorial workflows, and organizational goals
- Develop a clear site strategy, information architecture, and content model that serves multiple distinct audiences
Design:
- Design new c3 and c4 websites based on Vera and Vera Action's respective and distinct brand identities
- Develop audience-aware navigation, content pathways, and landing experiences for each priority segment
- Design responsive, mobile-first layouts that prioritize accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA compliance at minimum)
- Create wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity mockups for review and approval
- Design templates and reusable components to support ongoing content publishing
- Incorporate interactive data visualization, multimedia storytelling, and research publication formats
- Design newsroom and media-facing features (news stories, thought leadership, press contacts, media kit, embeddable assets)
- Design an intuitive and well-organized on-site search experience
Development:
- Build and implement fully functional websites based on approved designs
- Implement a CMS that empowers Vera and Vera Action staff to manage and publish content independently
- Implement technical SEO/AEO features, including site architecture, xml sitemap, structured data/schema markup, simple redirect implementation, ability to edit Open Graph/social share data on a per-page basis
- Integrate with existing tools and platforms (CRM, email, analytics, social, donation processing, etc.) as needed
- Use standard version control practices (e.g., Git), providing full repository access and commit history to Vera at project completion
- Establish a secure, documented deployment workflow (e.g., CI/CD pipeline) that supports low-risk releases with simple rollback capability
- Create standard local development and staging environments, with setup documentation, to enable Vera staff or future contractors to develop and test independently
- Ensure performance, security, and scalability best practices throughout
- Conduct thorough QA and cross-browser/device testing
Launch & Transition:
- Develop and execute a content migration plan for existing materials
- Provide staff documentation and training for CMS use and ongoing maintenance
- Support a phased or staged launch with post-launch monitoring and stabilization
- Define ongoing support, maintenance, and performance reporting arrangements
These services may be provided on an as-needed basis to Vera and Vera Action by agreement described in specific task orders and based on the terms set forth in a master agreement with Vera or Vera Action, as applicable. Please note that execution of a master agreement would not guarantee any minimum amount of work.
Target Audiences
Policymakers & Elected Officials: Legislators, governors, mayors, and their staff at federal, state, and local levels
Key Web Experience Implication: Fast access to credible, citable research; clear policy briefs and legislative tools; authoritative voice and positioning
Criminal Justice and Immigration Reform Practitioners: DOC commissioners, District Attorneys, Attorneys General, law enforcement, corrections leaders
Key Web Experience Implication: Practical resources and implementation guidance; case studies; trust-building through demonstrated expertise
Advocacy Partners & Community Organizations: National and local nonprofits, coalitions, grassroots organizations aligned with Vera and Vera Action's respective missions
Key Web Experience Implication: Shareable tools and resources; collaborative framing; easy navigation to relevant programs and initiatives
Major Donors, Foundations & Philanthropic Networks: Individual major donors, program officers, foundation leadership, giving networks
Key Web Experience Implication: Clear articulation of impact and theory of change; donor-facing content; credibility signals and financial transparency
Engaged Public & Advocates: Individuals who follow criminal justice issues and take action—signing petitions, contacting legislators, donating—as well as grassroots advocates and organizers not affiliated with formal organizations
Key Web Experience Implication: Clear calls to action; accessible entry points into complex issues; shareable content and advocacy tools; pathways to deeper engagement and sustained involvement
Earned Media — Tier 1: Top-tier and local media outlets read by policymakers and elected officials
Key Web Experience Implication: Expert positioning, press contacts, and embeddable data/visuals; newsroom functionality
Earned Media — Tier 2: Philanthropy media (Chronicle of Philanthropy, Philanthropy News Digest) and philanthropy network communications
Key Web Experience Implication: Compelling organizational narrative; grant impact stories; clear programmatic and financial accountability
Earned Media — Tier 3: Podcasts, Substacks, content creators, and other outlets covering Vera’s fiscal year priorities
Key Web Experience Implication: Shareable, embeddable, and multimedia-ready content; data visualizations; accessible summaries of complex research
Minimum Qualifications
Interested and qualified Vendors that meet the following minimum qualifications are invited to submit a response to this RFP:
- Demonstrated experience designing and developing websites for national advocacy organizations, research and policy institutions, and/or mission-driven nonprofits
- 3–5 examples of successfully launched websites of comparable scope and complexity
- Experience designing audience-segmented content experiences and user journeys for multiple distinct visitor types
- Strong track record in accessibility-first, mobile-friendly web development (WCAG 2.1 AA or higher)
- Experience with interactive data visualization, multimedia storytelling, and content-rich publishing environments
- Proven ability to implement and configure CMS platforms for non-technical editorial teams
- Experience integrating websites with third-party tools (CRM, email, analytics, fundraising platforms, etc.)
Selection Criteria
During the review process, we will focus primarily on the following criteria to evaluate responses from Vendors that meet the Minimum Qualifications:
- Supplier Diversity
- Qualifications and Experience
- Project plan – technical approach
- Familiarity with subject matter of underlying Vera project(s) and/or Vera’s organizational approach
- Cost/pricing estimates
- Vendor’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Adequacy, clarity, and completeness of response
- References
- Flexibility
- Availability, timing
Proposal Requirements
Qualified vendors are invited to submit a proposal that includes all of the following:
- Contact information: name, title, organization, website, address, phone, and email
- Company overview and statement of qualifications (maximum 500 words), including how you meet or exceed the minimum qualifications
- 3–5 comparable website projects completed or currently in progress. For each, include: project description, URL if publicly available, contract value, and client contact information (name, title, phone, email)
- Proposed approach and methodology, including: how you would conduct audience research for Vera’s priority segments; your approach to information architecture and content strategy; and your process for discovery, design, development, migration, launch, and post-launch support
- A description of how the proposed websites would serve each of Vera and Vera Action's target audience segments, including any examples of comparable multi-audience web experiences in your portfolio
- Proposed timeline from kickoff through launch
- Cost estimate and pricing structure, including a breakdown for each entity (Vera and Vera Action)
- Description of your team: key personnel, roles, and relevant experience
- A minimum of three professional references with current contact information
- Your organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion statement or policy
- Any relevant DEI certifications (e.g., minority-owned, women-owned, LGBTQ+-owned)
Timeline
- Submission period open: Monday, August 24
- Submission deadline: Monday, September 14
- Submission review: Tuesday, September 15-25
- Finalist interviews: September 28-October 7
- Applicants notified: Mid-October
- Term of Engagement:1 year
Terms of RFP
Vera reserves the right to amend or cancel this RFP at any time.
Vera may request additional information from any vendor during the evaluation process.
Vera reserves the right to reject any or all responses and is the sole judge of the merits of proposals received.
Vera will not return submitted materials and will not reimburse applicants for costs incurred in preparing a response.
Any response that does not comply with the requirements of this RFP may not be considered.
To the extent used, master service agreements will have a term of five years or less, as determined by Vera or Vera Action. Execution of a master agreement does not guarantee any minimum amount of work.
Contact Information
If you have any questions, including accessibility questions, or need assistance completing this application, please contact:
Megan Diamondstein, Director of Digital Strategy
mdiamondstein@vera.org
Vera Institute of Justice, Inc.
34 35th Street, Suite 4-2-A
Brooklyn, NY 11232