Request for Proposals: Brand & Visual Communications Consultant

Issued by: National Black Worker Center

RFP Release Date: November 4, 2026

Questions Due: November 13, 2026

Proposals Due: November 20, 2026, at 4:00 PM EST

Anticipated Selection Date: November 30, 2026

Anticipated Project Start: December 7, 2026

Contact: hr@nbwc.org

About NBWC

The National Black Worker Center (NBWC) is a national organization unitingBlack workers (employed, underemployed, and unemployed) around the country to mobilize and provide resources needed to take on systems of oppression, including industries and policies that have benefited from Black exploitation for generations. NBWC is the go-to source for sharing insight into the discrimination that Black workers face and amplifying solutions to end anti-Blackness in the workplace. NBWC serves and works alongside low-wage workers who are also community members, program participants, and leaders. Our work depends on trust, and our communications must reflect that trust in every place people encounter us.

Purpose of This RFP

NBWC is seeking an experienced Brand& Visual Communications Consultant to help define, strengthen, and translate our organization's brand into a cohesive visual communications strategy.

This is a strategic and creative consulting role. The consultant will ensure that our mission,values, voice, personality, and audience are consistently reflected in how the organization looks, communicates, and presents itself.

The consultant will work closely with NBWC's leadership and key stakeholders to understand our goals, audiences, current brand presence, and communications needs. They will then develop a clear visual communications framework that can be implemented across digital, print, social media, presentations, campaigns, events, and other communications.

Our Audiences

The brand must speak to, and be recognized by, a wide range of people:

• Low-wage workers, who are also community members
• Program participants
• Partners and allied organizations
• Donors and funders
• Volunteers
• Community leaders
• Other stakeholders

These audiences differ in language, literacy, technology access, and expectations. The consultant should show how a single brand can feel welcoming and credible to all of them without losing clarity or consistency.

Scope of Work

The consultant should be able to move comfortably between brand strategy and creative execution, translating abstract concepts such as trust, community, inclusion, empowerment, professionalism, and authenticity into a recognizable visual language.

1. 1. Discovery and Brand Assessment
      • Meet with leadership and key stakeholders to understand organizational goals, priorities, and communications needs
      • Review current brand presence, materials, and channels, including website, social media, print, presentations, and event materials
      • Gather input from selected audiences, such as workers, participants, partners, and donors, through interviews, focus groups, or surveys
      • Deliver a brief assessment of strengths, gaps, and inconsistencies
   2. Brand-to-Visual Translation
      • Define how NBWC's brand voice should translate visually.
      • Establish a cohesive visual personality and creative direction.
      • Define principles for imagery, photography, typography, color, graphic elements, composition, and layout.
      • Establish guidelines for visual storytelling.
      • Develop audience-specific recommendations while maintaining overall brand consistency.
      • Ensure the visual identity is distinctive, recognizable, inclusive, and authentic.
   3. Visual Identity and Communications Framework
      • Develop or refine the visual language, including logo usage, color palette, typography, photography and illustration style, iconography, and layout principles
      • Create a visual communications framework showing how the brand is applied across digital, print, social media, presentations, campaigns, and events
      • Ensure accessibility, including color contrast, readable type, and inclusive imagery
      • Provide templates for priority materials(for example: socialgraphics, slide decks,flyers, reports, email, and event signage)
   4. Marketing Implementation Support
      • Produce a clear, usable brand guide that non-designers can follow
      • Train staff on applying the brand consistently
      • Provide a short implementation roadmap with priorities and recommended sequencing
      • Offer limitedpost-delivery support for questions and refinements

Anticipated Deliverables

Deliverables

• Brand and visual communications audit - Summary of findings and recommendations
• Brand strategy document - Positioning, messaging pillars, voice and tone
• Visual identity system - Core visual elements and usage rules
• Visual communications framework - Application across channels and formats
• Templates - Editable templates for priority materials
• Brand guide - Comprehensive, accessible guidelines
• Staff training - Session(s) plus recorded or written resources
• Implementation roadmap - Phased plan for rollout
• Proposers may suggest modifications to this list if they believe an alternative approach will better serve NBWC.

Qualifications

The ideal consultant or firm will have:

• Demonstrated experience in brand strategy and visual communications, ideally with nonprofit, community-based, labor, workforce, or social justice organizations
• A track record of translating mission and values into cohesive, recognizable visual identity systems
• Skill in both strategic thinking and hands-oncreative execution
• Experience engaging community members and diverse audiences, including people with limited time, resources, or digital access, in a respectful, participatory way
• Understanding of accessibility and inclusive design
• Strong facilitation, communication, and project management skills
• Ability to build tools that a small team can sustain after the engagement ends

Proposal Requirements

Please submit a proposal of no more than [10] pages, excluding attachments, that includes:

1. Cover letter with a brief introduction and contact information
2. Understanding of need: your interpretation of NBWC'sgoals and challenges
3. Approach and methodology: how you would carry out the scope of work, including how you would engage stakeholders and community audiences
4. Work plan and timeline: key phases, milestones, and deliverables
5. Relevant experience: two to three comparable projects, with brief descriptions of your role and outcomes
6. Portfolio samples: links or attachments showing both strategy and visual work
7. Team: names, roles, and short bios of everyone who will work on the project, including any subcontractors
8. Budget: a detailed fee proposal, with a breakdown by phase or deliverable rates, and expected expenses
9. References: three clients who can speak to your work

Budget and Timeline

• Budget range: $35,000 - $45,000
• Anticipated engagement length: 5 to 7 months
• Payment structure: Milestone-based invoicing

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be reviewed by a selection committee using the following criteria:

Criterion

• Strategic understanding and approach - Weight 25%
• Relevant experience and quality of work - Weight 25%
• Ability to engage community and diverse audiences - Weight 20%
• Team qualifications and capacity - Weight 10%
• Budget and value - Weight 10%

Timeline and feasibility

NBWC may invite finalists to interview or present their approach. NBWC reserves the right to request clarifications, negotiate scope and price, or decline all proposals.

Submission Instructions

Submit proposals as a single PDF to hr@nbwc.org by November 20, 2026, at 4:00 PM EST with the subject line "Brand & Visual Communications RFP: [Firm/Consultant Name]." Send questions to the same address by November 13, 2026; responses will be shared with all interested proposers.

Terms and Conditions

• This RFP does not commit NBWC to awarda contract or pay costs incurred in preparing a proposal.
• All work product created under the engagement will be owned by NBWC, subject to terms outlined in the final agreement.
• Proposers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest.
• NBWC is committed to equity and inclusion and encourages proposals from small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses and consultants.