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PDF Version Here

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FAQ

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n Released August 5, 2025
n RFPs are due August 15, 2025

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n 1. May we view the Google Analytics data for the current site to understand usage patterns and traffic load?

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Answer: Here is a spreadsheet for the data for the better part of the last year.

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n 2. Do you have any preference for the CMS (such as Webflow or WordPress)solution?

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Answer: There is not a preference. We are open to staying with Webflow and exploring other CMS options. For functionality, we have found SiteViz, as it is implemented for our current website, to be limiting for editing and managing content. And while it has functioned as needed, it has been quirky and harder to work with over time. Some of these things could be fixed in a refresh of the build or through a new CMS.

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n 3. Is the expectation that you will be able to edit or comment on documents housed in Google and/or Microsoft/OneDrive within the CMS? Or is the hope that the CMS will simply act as a portal to these external resources?

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Answer: Currently, membership portal’s documents must be downloaded, edited, and reuploaded as the next version during collaborative processes amongst our leadership groups. The leadership groups find this stifling, so they will often instead use email and put the documents in their own Google Drive or OneDrive to share with their team. But, it is common for the share settings to unintentionally restrict access for people who need it, and these documents can be forgotten to be shared back with our staff. By providing a better technology solution for collaborative documents, we are hoping to support our member’s collaboration with one another and retain more of the outputs of their collaboration. If a website vendor does not have a CMS that allows for this, CCforIowa could work with our IT vendor to see if they can provide a complementary solution, like setting up a SharePoint for member/leadership group use. We would appreciate our website vendor’s guidance in what they believe may work best.

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n 4. Does the member portal need to be a custom build, or are you open to options that leverage a 3rd party tool/service?

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Answer: We are open to 3rd party tools as long as they integrate well with our website and provide a positive experience for our users. Our main concern would be additional subscription costs and onboarding users who are (self-reported) not tech-savvy or otherwise have trouble switching to a new system. We are also concerned that the third-party vendors may make changes to their tool/software that may render them no longer a fit for our needs or change the appearance for our users. Stability and reliability are important.

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n 5. Do you have an existing grassroots advocacy tool like Quorum fully in place, or would you prefer a custom internal bill‑tracking feature integrated directly into the site?

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Answer: We utilize Quorum for its ability to track communication to legislators. The bill-tracking we use is a custom feature of our current website. We love our current website’s bill-tracking. If a website vendor were to be unable to offer bill-tracking, we are open to considering Quorum’s bill-tracking feature in its place.

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n 6. Do you currently utilize Quorum for transactions? If so, is that already integrated into your databases, or is it a standalone function? Could you elaborate on your interest in bill tracking?

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Answer: We do not use Quorum for transactions. Community Colleges for Iowa does not solicit and cannot accept public donations for our PAC. Transaction would be a standalone function as a catchall for oddball payments that aren’t tied to our formal, internal invoicing/bill payment software. This could be an unlisted page with a URL we only use when communicating privately. We very much like our current bill tracking software that is a custom solution embedded into our website (https://www.ccforiowa.org/advocacy/bill-tracker). If a website vendor were unable to offer bill tracking, we may be willing to explore the bill tracking feature in Quorum that we do not currently use.

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n 7. Are there any other external software integrations that need to be considered?

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Answer: At this time, external software is used in a complementary fashion to our website. Some external software may have the ability to have better integration, while others could be replaced in the future by a customized solution. It is in the interview phase of the RFP process that we hope to further unpack these areas. Example – Our largest annual event is our convention and tradeshow, which gathers hundreds of attendees, including community college faculty/staff/administrators, sponsors/exhibitors, speakers, and others. We collect event registrations and communicate with attendees through Eventbrite. Attendees are directed to the event’s micro-website and Guidebook app for the schedule, session descriptions, and other important information. On one hand, we recognize there could be a more seamless user experience, especially understanding a good portion of our attendees would self-describe as being less tech-savvy. On the other hand, this meets our needs and would take a high level of collaboration with a trusted vendor to pivot from. In short, no external software integration needs to be considered. But, if there are opportunities to enhance the ways our current website is using external software, or a customized solution may be the right fit to replace external software, we are open to that feedback and guidance.

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n 8. To help us understand your aesthetic vision, could you share 2-3 examples of other websites you admire? We're especially interested in what you like about them (the layout, navigation, overall feel, etc.).

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Answer:

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  Colorado Community College System: Stacked menus, embedded pages, shorter pages, feels content-rich

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  Community Colleges League of California: Use of white space, large spotlights, strong visual pathways

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n 9. How many individual microsites do you anticipate needing to stand up each year?

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Answer: At this time, there is only one microsite for our largest annual event, our convention and tradeshow (https://convention.ccforiowa.org/).

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n 10. How many addresses are in your current promotional and/or operational email database?

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Answer: We have 665 members. We have 578 newsletter subscribers. And another 300 in our Quorum database. Many overlap, but there are some are unique to each. We expect this to be relatively stable with minor growth.

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n 11. Who currently hosts your website? Will that relationship continue, or will your new partner take over hosting?

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Answer: This RFP is for both hosting and website creation/maintenance. Our current vendor does both on our behalf.

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I. Introduction

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This Request for Proposals (RFP) is issued by Community Colleges for Iowa to solicit proposals from qualified website vendors for the redesign, development, and ongoing maintenance of our organizational website. We aim to enhance our digital presence, improve member engagement, and streamline our internal and external communications. The successful vendor will be expected to deliver a modern, user-friendly, and highly functional website that addresses our current challenges and supports our future strategic goals.

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II. Scope of Services

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The selected vendor will be responsible for the following activities, in close partnership with our team:

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1. Website Audit and Strategy Development

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• Confirm existing website assets.

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• Develop a clear, actionable strategy for a new website that balances the needs of two distinct audiences (internal and external) and reflects shared goals.

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• Anticipate and identify emerging web technologies and propose proactive responses.

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2. Website Design and Development

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• User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) Design:nn
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  • Modernize design with an emphasis on white space and visual appeal.

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  • Avoid endless scrolling and a "feed-like" homepage.

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  • Incorporate visualization of strategic plans and the “why” alongside our work (e.g., mission, vision, values, goals).

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  • Implement two distinct navigation menus: one internal and one external.

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• Core Website Features:nn
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  • Content Management System (CMS) Usability: The website must be built on a user-friendly Content Management System (CMS) that allows Community Colleges for Iowa staff to easily update, edit, and manage website content, including text, images, pages, and blog posts, without requiring vendor intervention for routine changes.

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  • Member Portal/Member Directory: Provide a login protected intranet for our network to access:n
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    • File Sharing: Integrate file sharing capabilities that go beyond simple uploading/downloading to allow for editing and commenting. This should integrate seamlessly with Google and/or Microsoft/OneDrive.

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    • Emailing/Email Lists: Integrate emailing capabilities for members to be able to email the directory or a subset of the directory (e.g. “Leadership Groups”).n
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      • Leadership Groups Management: Provide a flexible system for staff to manage leadership groups, allowing for easy addition/removal of members and creation/reformatting of groups.

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  • Dashboard: Create a dashboard for an internal bulletin and quick access to internal resources.

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  • Bill Tracking: Implement a bill tracking feature, either directly within the website or through integration with the grassroots advocacy software, Quorum.

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  • Convention Website/Microsite: Create a microsite capability within the larger website for our annual convention, avoiding the need for a separate landing page.

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  • Event Registration Management: Integrate an event registration management system (e.g. EventBrite).

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  • PAC Payment: Enable the website to accept payments for the PAC.

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  • Events Calendar: Include a comprehensive events calendar.

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3. Integration and External Software Management

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• Propose solutions for balancing and integrating various sign-up processes (e.g., Quorum, member directory, newsletter).

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• Define and optimize the "Member Journey/Member Experience" to make it easier for members to:n
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  • Sign up for newsletters.

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  • Stay informed about their leadership groups.

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  • Register for events.

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  • Manage communication preferences and directory display options.

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  •  Participate in Quorum campaigns.

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4. Launch and Post-Launch Support and Benchmarking

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• Oct.1-Dec. 31: Collaborate on goals, functionality, confirming content, etc.   

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• Jan. 1-March 31: Website build process   

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• March 31-July 1: Testing, edits, finalization, launch  

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• Post-July 1: Working relationship for maintenance

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III. Qualifications

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The ideal applicant will demonstrate:

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• Proven experience in designing and developing complex websites for organizations with diverse audience needs.

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• Strong portfolio showcasing modern design, user-friendly interfaces, and robust functionality.

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• Expertise in integrating with third-party platforms (e.g., CRM systems, advocacy software like Quorum, cloud storage like Google Drive/OneDrive).

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• Experience with dynamic member directories and communication platforms.

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• A collaborative and accessible working style compatible with our staff and institutional partners.

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• Commitment to understanding and supporting the mission of our organization.

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IV. Contract and Compensation

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• Contract Term: 3 years/36 months, with the potential for renewal based on performance.

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• Compensation: Proposals should clearly outline the cost structure for all proposed services, including design, development, integration, and post-launch support.

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• The contractor will be responsible for all travel and administrative expenses unless otherwise agreed upon.

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V. Proposal Requirements

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Proposals should include:

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1. Cover Letter outlining interest and fit for the role.

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2. Proposal Narrative including:n
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   • Strategic approach to website design and development, addressing the dual audience needs.

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   • Detailed plan for collaboration with our staff throughout the project lifecycle.

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   • Methods for engaging and empowering our members through the new website.

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   • Description of your proposed technology stack and development methodology.

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   • Explanation of how you will address the specific features and integrations requested in the Scope of Services.

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3. Client List and References, especially those relevant to association or non-profit website development. Limit of 2 references.

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4. Sample Work Product (e.g., case studies, links to live websites, design mock-ups)

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VI. Evaluation Criteria

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Submissions will be evaluated on:

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• Proven experience and effectiveness in delivering similar website projects.

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• Strength of proposed technical solution and design approach.

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• Ability to integrate with existing and new external software.

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• Commitment to staff collaboration and user engagement.

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• Cost-effectiveness and clarity of deliverables.

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• Responsiveness and alignment with our organizational values.

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VII. Timeline and Submission

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• Proposal Deadline: Aug. 15

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• Interviews of Selected Candidates: Aug. 15-Sept. 15

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• Notice of Selection: Sept. 15

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• Contract Start Date: Oct. 1, 2025

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Proposals should be submitted electronically to Annette Heffron at aheffron@ccforiowa.org.

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