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Long-Term Strategic Plan RFQ
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice LTSP
Questions Due: Friday, September 25, 2026, 5:00 p.m. EST
Deadline: Friday, October 9, 2026, 5:00 p.m. EST
ABOUT THE PAULI MURRAY CENTER:
The Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice engages diverse communities to lift up the life and legacy of activist, legal scholar, feminist, poet, Episcopal priest and LGBTQ community member, Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, in order to tackle enduring inequities and injustice in our nation.
The Center is open and welcoming to everyone: students, families, visitors to Durham, people of faith, aspiring young LGBTQ activists, civil rights lawyers, divinity school students, artists and poets, history-minded West End neighbors, scholars and community leaders. Its programming encompasses public history, education, arts, and activism. The Center is actively advancing its long-term vision of working collaboratively to move to its next phase as an organization—creating a Center as an historic site, incubator, oasis and sacred space.
Project Summary
PMC is entering a growth phase and seeks a consultant/firm to lead development of a Long-Term Strategic Plan (LTSP) covering 4 to 5 years. The plan will guide PMC's programmatic, organizational, and financial growth and sustainability, including a planned Visitors Center capital campaign and the establishment of an endowment, while ensuring that growth remains grounded in Pauli Murray's values and legacy.
Scope of Work
The LTSP must answer the following core questions:
What is the work of the PMC?
A clear articulation of the mission, program areas, and impact
Including the mission statement and vision statement
How is the work grounded in and guided by Pauli Murray's values?
What is required of a center for history and social justice?
In Durham/The Triangle? North Carolina? The American South? The United States?
What is the implementation strategy for the LTSP?
A concrete roadmap, phasing, accountability structure
What is the revenue strategy over the course of the LTSP and beyond?, including:
A multi-million-dollar capital campaign for the Visitors Center
Establishment of an endowment and operating reserves
Consideration of the current political climate and future climates that are hostile to organizations like ours
To answer these questions we’re considering a process that would include:
Stakeholder engagement (board, staff, community members, Murray family/descendants, funders, regional partners)
Environmental scan/landscape analysis of peer historic sites and social justice organizations in the South
Assessment of current programs, capacity, and infrastructure
Facilitated planning sessions with board and staff
Endowment/reserves policy recommendations
Final written plan and presentation to the board
We’re open to creative forms for the LTSP. We want to make sure this can be implemented.
Desired Qualifications
Demonstrated experience facilitating strategic plans for nonprofits of similar size/budget (approx. $1 million)
Experience with historic sites, museums, cultural institutions, and/or civil rights/social justice organizations
Familiar with a local/regional (Southern U.S.) context
Firms should demonstrate familiarity with or experience in the American South
Experience advising on endowment and reserve fund phasing and calendaring
Experience guiding organizations through growth-phase planning (expansion, capital, financial sustainability, staffing scale-up)
Familiarity with or demonstrated commitment to learning Pauli Murray's legacy and values, and PMC's community context
Experience with capital campaign phasing and calendaring
Strong team composition
PMC is specifically screening for firms where the proposed personnel have a track record of working well together
References from 2–3 comparable past clients
Commitment to equity, inclusion, and community-centered process
Deadlines and Milestones
RFQ Questions Due: Friday, September 25, 2026, 5:00 p.m. EST
RFQ Submissions Due: Friday October, 9, 2026, 5:00pm EST
Shortlist Notified: Friday, October 23, 2026, 5:00pm EST
RFP Proposals Due: Monday, November 9, 2026, 5:00pm EST
Review and Interview Period: November 10 to November 20, 2026
Contractor notified: Friday, December 4, 2026
Period of Work: January-September, 2027
Compensation and Deadline:
The project must be completed by Fall 2027. Compensation in the amount of $50,000 has been allocated for the completion of this work.
RFQ Submission Requirements
To apply, please submit the following to info@paulimurraycenter.org using “PMC LTSP RFQ” as the subject line
Statement of Interest (1 page)
Interest and fit, including a statement of the firm's connection to or experience in the American South and work with historical sites or social justice institutions
Firm/consultant overview and relevant experience (2 pages max)
Bios of proposed team members, plus a brief note on how the team has worked together previously
2–3 relevant work samples or case studies
We’ll prioritize examples involving Southern/regional organizations
2–3 references with contact info
No methodology, work plan, or fee proposal at this stage
Evaluation Criteria
Relevant experience with comparable organizations (25%)
Sustainable revenue generation/Capital campaign/endowment experience (20%)
Familiarity in local/regional (Southern) context (15%)
Team strength and demonstrated ability to work well together (15%)
Alignment with mission, equity commitments, community-centered approach (10%)
References (10%)
Capacity to synthesize perspectives from a large variety of people (5%)
EXHIBIT DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INTERN
ABOUT THE PAULI MURRAY CENTER:
The Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice engages diverse communities to lift up the life and legacy of activist, legal scholar, feminist, poet, Episcopal priest and LGBTQ community member, Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, in order to tackle enduring inequities and injustice
in our nation. The Center began as the Pauli Murray Project: a public humanities, community-based initiative of the Duke Human Rights Center at the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute aimed at promoting open dialogue among Durham residents about the pressing issues of our time and their historical roots; documenting hidden stories of social justice activism; celebrating Pauli Murray’s life and legacy and continuing their work for social change. Now an independent nonprofit organization that operates a National Historic Landmark site (the Fitzgerald home, Pauli’s childhood residence), the Center connects experiences of the past to contemporary human rights issues, inspiring visitors of all ages to be like Pauli, by standing up, speaking out and taking action based on their principles.
The Center is open and welcoming to everyone: students, families, visitors to Durham, people of faith, aspiring young LGBTQ activists, civil rights lawyers, divinity school students, artists and poets, history-minded West End neighbors, scholars and community leaders. Its programming encompasses public history, education, arts, and activism. The Center is well positioned to advance its long-term vision of working collaboratively to move to its next phase as an organization—creating a Center as an historic site, incubator, oasis and sacred space.
ROLE DESCRIPTION
The PMC Public History & Community Engagement intern will assist with enlivening the interpretation of Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray’s childhood home in Durham, North Carolina. They will work under the guidance of the Exhibits Associate to engage stakeholders in a collaborative process to further explore the themes of religion, mental health, gender identity, and Black women’s social networks within the Center’s inaugural exhibit, Coming Home. The ideal candidate will value social justice, creativity, experimentation and community engagement.
DUTIES
● Provide support for two stakeholder engagement workshops.
● With the Exhibits Associate, co-develop a youth stakeholder engagement workshop.
● Participate in team, stakeholder, and partner meetings as appropriate.
● Support the exhibition development process as requested.
● Perform general administrative and clerical tasks for various projects as needed.
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS
● Alignment with the mission and values of the Pauli Murray Center.
● Currently enrolled in a graduate program in History, Museum Studies, Public History, or a related field.
● Demonstrated research, writing, and communication skills.
● Ability to handle sensitive topics and historical material with respect and care.
● Interest in creative and innovative approaches to historical interpretation.
● Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
DESIRED SKILLS OR QUALITIES
● A passion for uplifting Black and LGBTQ+ stories, culture, and history.
● Familiarity with and/or prior engagement with Pauli Murray Center.
● Experience with community-engaged programming.
● Interest in working with youth stakeholders.
SCHEDULE + COMPENSATION
● Schedule: Part-time, 20 hours/week from February 1, 2027 - August 13, 2027
● Compensation: $20 per hour (maximum of 576 hours)
● Selected candidate will be notified by early November 2026
● Hybrid work (may work remotely, with some on-site work in Durham, NC required)
● Reports to: Exhibits Associate (the Exhibits Associate works remotely in Wilmington, NC)
HOW TO APPLY
Please send a 500-word statement of interest, resume, and two references via email to exhibits@paulimurraycenter.org with “Exhibit Development Intern” in the subject line.
Application Deadline October 6, 2026 AT 5:00 P.M. EST