Request for Proposals- Website Redesign Support, ConnexUS Website

About Search for Common Ground

For over 40 years, Search for Common Ground has worked to demonstrate that even the deepest divides can be transformed into cooperation. Today, we are the world's largest peacebuilding organization, active in 29 countries across six continents. We partner with local communities to break cycles of violence, building trust and creating opportunities for lasting collaboration. Our principle of multipartiality means we engage with all sides in a conflict, ensuring that every voice is heard and every perspective matters. From empowering young people and elevating women in peace processes to advancing digital peacebuilding,  climate resilience, security sector reform, and political deconfliction, we bring people together to imagine and build a world of safe, healthy, and just societies, free from the threat of violent conflict.

1. Context

Search for Common Ground (Search) is the world’s largest dedicated peacebuilding organization, working to transform the way people deal with conflict, building healthy, safe, and just societies around the world. Central to this work is our Search-run website, ConnexUS (www.cnxus.org). ConnexUS is an online community for learning, networking, and coordination, drawing civil society organizations, grassroots groups, academics, civic leaders, policymakers, and practitioners from around the world, who are advancing meaningful change and social impact in some of the most fragile and conflict-affected contexts. The site curates knowledge, resources, and opportunities to share learning and make new connections among and between these stakeholders.

Over the past few years, ConnexUS has amassed a relatively strong membership base and usership, but needs to be updated to current realities of this sector. Search is seeking to update ConnexUS by enhancing the platform’s offerings and website, starting with a critical rebranding and identity strengthening process. The ConnexUS identity and mandate should provide a unique, compelling, and clear added value to its user base while expanding the possibilities of connection, networking, and learning across the fields of peacebuilding, social impact, and beyond. While Search maintains and runs the website, the ConnexUS brand is distinct and separate from Search and any rebranding process should reflect these parameters.

To support these efforts, Search is looking for a branding and/or web design consultant or agency who can help refresh the ConnexUS brand, as detailed below. In addition to the branding process, we are also interested in receiving ideas to update the website design, functionality, navigability, and user experience more broadly.

2. Objectives of the Consultancy

The primary objective is creating consistent visual identity and brand while the secondary objective is website redesign.

1. Primary (required) Objective: Develop & implement updated and/or new branding guidelines for the ConnexUS website including the following:

• Modernize the website’s visual identity 


• Strengthen brand consistency across digital channels (i.e. website, social media, etc.)


• Make recommendations to improve the usability, visibility (SEO and GEO), and accessibility of the website for a diverse, global user base


• Create reusable brand assets for future website and social media updates.


• Written content (i.e. blurbs/ descriptions for landing pages) that showcases the site’s “identity” while ensuring sharp messaging and engaging user experience.

2. Secondary (optional) Objective: Improve and update the website design, interface and functionality. 

• Improve the website’s UX and UI to be more engaging and interactive, including AI-powered work flows and features.


• Improve usability and accessibility of the website for a diverse, global user base.

3. Minimum Required Scope of Work

Discovery:

• Review existing website, brand guidelines, and communications materials for ConnexUS.


• Meet with key internal stakeholders.


• Assess strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of the existing brand.


• Make structured written and mockup recommendations for visual rebranding, navigation, SEO & GEO, and maintenance. 

Rebranding 

Redesign the visual identity of the ConnexUS, both website and social media identity:

• Color palette


• Typography


• Iconography


• Photography style 


• Illustration style


• Graphic elements

Website Design

Recommendations for ConnexUS website using to ensure usability, visibility, accessibility, and interactive features:

• Navigation and information hierarchy/sitemap


• Interactive contents and data visualization


• Call for engagement and action buttons


• Develop page visual identity (e.g. homepage and key internal pages)

Accessibility

• Ensure designs follow WCAG accessibility principles.


• Consider color contrast, font sizes, layout, etc.

Brand Assets

Produce key brand assets such as:

• Digital style and branding guidelines


• UI component library


• Image treatment guidelines


• Social media graphic templates

Collaboration 

Lead a collaborative and participatory approach with diverse stakeholders and departments across Search:

• Present concepts, recommendations and ideas  verbally, in written or visual mockups via virtual meetings and engagement.


• Revise designs based on comments and feedback from Search staff.

4. Optional Scope of Work: Website Design and Development

In addition to the core branding refresh, applicants may propose an optional scope of work to redesign and/or enhance the ConnexUS website to modernize and improve functionality, user experience and overall digital engagement. This scope of work may include all of or part of the following:

• Review the current website architecture, navigation, performance, functionality, and user experience, identifying opportunities for improvement and modernization.


• Redesign the website to create a more modern, engaging and intuitive user experience that aligns with the refreshed brand identity.


• Improve information architecture, navigation and search functionality to help users easily locate relevant content and resources.


• Implement interactive features that increase user engagement, such as dynamic content, interactive maps, searchable resource libraries, multimedia integration, data visualization, etc.


• Explore opportunities to incorporate AI-functionality, where appropriate, such as intelligent site search, multilingual translation, content recommendation, chat assistants, or other tools that enhance the user experience while maintaining data privacy and security. 


• Optimize the website for accessibility, responsiveness across devices/screen sizes, page performance, and search engine optimization (SEO + GEO).


• Provide documentation, training and technical handover to enable staff to maintain and update the website following the completion of the consultancy. 

5. Geographic Location

The consultancy can be conducted remotely. The main interlocutors of the consultant(s) will be based in Washington, DC and other locations in the United States.

6. Deliverables

6.1 Minimum Required Deliverables for Primary Objective:

Search expects the following deliverables from the applicant:

• Contributing to a brainstorming session on ConnexUS (re)branding, which will include members from various Search departments, such as Impact, Global Programs and others.


• A branding guidelines document, including specifications for the visual identity of ConnexUS (tagline, color scheme, logo, typography, etc.). 


• Brand assets (UI library, social media graphic templates, image treatment guidelines, etc.)


• Brand-aligned website content (e.g. develop language/explanatory blurbs for the home page and all landing pages; ensure all landing pages follow a branded format with visuals, call outs, and other relevant content; branded newsletter, email and flyer templates to socialize events and other information; a 1-pager on “what’s new with ConnexUS,” etc.)

6.2 Additional Deliverables for Secondary Objective (optional Web Design and Development)

Web strategy and design

• Website assessment and recommendations


• Proposed sitemap and information architecture.


• User journey and navigation recommendations.


• Recommended interactive, AI-enabled features for user engagement and enhanced user experience.


• Wireframes for key pages.


• High-fidelity mockups incorporating the refreshed brand identity.

Web development

• Development and deployment of new approved website design with existing or recommended content management system.


• Functional updates for new or enhanced website features.


• Implementation of interactive, AI-enabled features for the website 


• Final website update.


• Website administrator guide and technical documentation, including documentation of AI-enabled and interactive features.

7. Requirements of the Consultant(s)

The applicant must possess the following minimum qualifications and capabilities to successfully undertake the consultancy:

• Expertise in developing brand identity, branding guidelines, etc. that can resonate with the non-profit sector and business communities.


• Graphic design expertise.


• Creativity and vision, including ability to translate jargon and technical concepts into engaging visuals. 


• Ability to work across and in response to diverse teams and practitioners from around the world. 

Additional experience for the optional web design and development component:

• A proven track record of web design, development and maintenance for multifaceted, complex web platforms, for a nonprofit (preferably). 


• Innovative designs and approaches to web design and development.

8. Timeline, Application and Budget

Interested applicants are requested to submit a proposal by August 21, 2026, specifying which scope of work their proposal aligns with (e.g. the required scope only or the required + optional scope). The proposal should detail the applicant's relevant experience, approach, references, and a sample portfolio from similar projects or clients. Applicants should also include an estimated budget for the deliverables required (required scope only or required plus optional scope). The consultancy will start on September 1, 2026 and we welcome applicants to suggest a timeframe to complete their proposed scope of work. However, the ideal timeline would be 2-4 weeks, depending on the scope. For any questions about this RFP please write to Kaila Dorsey at [email protected].