Request for Proposal - Strategic Planning
For more than 50 years, Canopy Support Services, an accredited agency, has provided clinical and non-clinical services to children, youth and adult with Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Autism and FASD to their families, caregivers, and many communities. Guided by our mission and commitment to excellence, we continue to evolve to meet emerging needs while maintaining the highest standards of accountability and service delivery.
As we plan for the future, we are seeking proposals from qualified consultants to lead the development of a strategic plan that will help define our priorities, strengthen our impact, and ensure long-term sustainability. We are looking for a collaborative partner with expertise in strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and organizational development to help shape our vision for the years ahead.
*Proposals to be submitted via email to Melissa Godward at mgodward@canopysupport.ca by September 21, 2026 at 4:30pm
STRATEGIC PLANNING 2026
Himanshu Shah, MSW, RSW Chief Executive Officer Table of Contents
TIMELINE
August 24, 2026
Release Request for Proposals
September 4, 2026
Consultant questions due
September 21, 2026
Proposal* deadline at 4:30 p.m. EST
September 29, 2026
Interview Consultants (11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
October 14, 2026
Consultant selected & advised
October 26, 2026
Project Initiation
January 25, 2027
Consultant's report, strategic plan and supporting tools due
*Proposals to be submitted via email to Melissa Godward at mgodward@canopysupport.ca
BACKGROUND
Empowering Individuals. Enhancing Support.
Canopy Support Services is a community-based service provider in HKPR and Durham regions. We provide specialized clinical and non-clinical services to children, youth and adults with IDD, Autism and FASD, to their families, caregivers and many community partners. Last year we celebrated our 50th anniversary, a milestone that reflects our long-standing commitment to excellent services for the people supported and wonderful communities we serve.
Canopy Support Services (Canopy) helps people grow, learn new skills, overcome barriers, reach goals, and gain self-confidence. Taking an individualized approach, we recognize that everyone’s abilities and circumstances are unique, and that they require different supports or solutions to achieve their best quality of life. Our skilled staff work together as a team. Through creativity, strong communication, and collaboration, they empower and inspire confidence in those we serve. We are a capacity building organization. Through planning, evidence-based approaches and proactive measures, we form a stable foundation in the lives of those we support. With knowledge and expertise, we play a part in strengthening our community and its people.
The current Vision, Mission Statement, Core Values and Belief Statements of Canopy can be found in Schedule "A".
For more information, please visit www.canopysupport.ca.
PURPOSE
Canopy is seeking proposals from qualified consultants and/or consulting firms to assist in the development of a three or five year comprehensive strategic plan (including implementation, monitoring and evaluation) that will focus on the organization's vision, mission, values, and strategic directions for the future.
The updated strategic plan will be revealed in the month of January 2027. The successful candidate, in consultation with the Board and our key stakeholders, will use the above timeline as a base to prepare a comprehensive plan which would map out the strategic direction for Canopy for the next three or five years. Our stakeholders include the Board of Directors, staff, clients and caregivers, and various Community Partners.
Proposals must be received no later than September 21, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. (EST) addressed to Melissa Godward, Executive Assistant & Board Liaison at mgodward@canopysupport.ca.
Please quote "RFP – Canopy’s Strategic Plan" in the subject line.
SCOPE
The Consultant shall, at minimum, accomplish the following:
Planning Activity and Final Deliverable
- Design and execute a strategic visioning and comprehensive planning process including consultation with Canopy’s Board of Directors, management team, staff, users of Canopy services and key community partners.
- Develop an actionable three or five-year strategic plan.
- Develop recommendations regarding the plan's implementation and support structure, including strategic planning tools for implementation and evaluation (e.g., dashboard, KPI management, reporting and tracking templates for both governance and operation levels)
- Develop communication plan ( e.g. Strategic plan booklet) and develop operational plan in consultation with the CEO and the Management team.
Research
It is anticipated that the following tasks will be accomplished through a combination of activities with the consultant ensuring engagement activities are accessible and inclusive of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Autism, FASD, caregivers and stakeholders.
- Focus groups, key informant interviews, surveys and/or any other method that will be useful in receiving internal and external stakeholder input
- Facilitated group meetings with partners to create consensus regarding a strategic plan (including goals, objectives, strategies, and tactics)
- Review and present available related data and strategic plans as well as any relevant research and best practices
The consultant will have knowledge and experience in:
- Not-for-profit trends/issues
- Research methodology
- Public consultation
- Market research
- Statistical analysis
- Presentations
- Working with multiple stakeholders
- Demonstrated knowledge of the Developmental/Social Services sector in HKPR.
Anticipated Process for Strategic Plan Development
Canopy Support Services seeks the Consultant's recommendations regarding the best process to develop an actionable strategic plan to be conducted in two stages.
Stage 1. Vision and Key Strategic Direction and Goals
This stage includes consensus building among the key informants to:
- Confirm that the current strategic vision and mission:
- Is still relevant
- Is clearly stated
- Is compelling
- Is timely
- Describes a clear and present need
- Motivates people to act
- Is a worthwhile challenge
- Is audacious
- Identify key strategic directions & goals after consultation with clients, service users and their families/caregivers, Board of Directors, management team, staff and key community partners.
This stage should produce the substantive documentation and solutions needed for informing the strategic planning process.
Stage 2. Write the strategic plan
Utilizing information from the first stage, this stage will include the development of an actionable strategic plan that will serve as the overall blueprint for Canopy’s action plans for the next three or five years. This plan should include:
- An Executive Summary of the main findings, including key recommendations numbered and priority ranked
- A comprehensive, detailed plan that identifies:
- Vision & Mission o Key Strategic Directions o Goals o Objectives o Strategies o Tactics o Stakeholders and their roles o Measures o Outcomes
- Strategic planning tools (e-format) for implementation, monitoring and evaluation process
- Communication Plan
- Operational Plan
Supplementary information should include:
- Initial communications strategies (What are the key messages? Who are the targets for those messages? How are the messages delivered? Who delivers the messages?)
- Key values and guiding principles to assist direction and decision making
- A detailed strategic planning process model complete with key milestones and timelines
- Strategic planning tools during the implementation, monitoring and evaluation phase
- Strategic areas of focus and service priorities for the next three or five years
- Services and programs (both current and new) that will support goals, including potential external partnerships
- A review of the current status of Canopy's organization, including existing plans, policies, financial status, long-term goals and other relevant, related research deemed necessary
- Copies of any communication items such as newsletters, publications, media releases, public meeting agendas, website updates, etc.
PROPOSAL
Proposals must include the following:
General Information
Strategic planning sessions and planning meetings will be held predominantly in person, with virtual sessions made available as appropriate.
The consultant understands that the scope of work requested may be conducted by a single consultant, a consultant group, or by a partnership of consultants. The proposal should provide the name, title, address, telephone number, and email address for each person engaged in scope activities.
A bio sketch (1 page maximum) should be included for each consultant and the project team and relationship to Canopy should be depicted. Further, if a consultant group or partnership of consultants is proposed, the proposal should indicate who will serve as the "point" person for the purposes of this RFP and the engagement.
Consultant Qualifications
To accomplish the scope requested, the consultant will need to possess the following qualifications:
- Experience at successfully developing consensus-based strategic plans
- Knowledgeable of collective impact or collaborative strategic initiatives
- Strong facilitation skills
- Knowledgeable of the not-for-profit sector and issues
- Knowledge of the current healthcare sector, and mental health and addictions services
- Working knowledge of the healthcare & community support systems in HKPR
- Experience at creating a neutral environment for, and soliciting input from, individuals from various sectors
- Experience at gathering and utilizing data to inform the strategic planning process
- Knowledgeable in marketing and communications
- Knowledgeable in resource development
- Proven capabilities in building e-tools that support the implementation, monitoring and evaluation phases
Project Methodology and Approach with Work Plan
The proposal should contain the project methodology and approach and a detailed description of the activities to be conducted by the consultant in order to complete the requested scope of work, including:
- The project methodology and approach
- The specific activities to be conducted at each stage
- A timeline for the activities at each stage
- Milestones and deliverables tied to those activities
- A detailed budget for each stage, along with a proposed payment schedule tied to project milestones and/or deliverables. Overall budget should be based on industry rate for NFP charity-based organization.
Consultants are requested to provide their recommended fee structure; however, costeffectiveness will be considered in relation to demonstrated expertise and methodology.
References
The proposal should include three (3) references of individuals who can speak to their experience with the consultant in conducting projects of similar scope. Information regarding each reference should include the individual's name, title, organization, address, telephone number, and email address.
Previous Work Product
The proposal should include at least two examples of written works similar to the scope of work requested within this RFP (e.g., strategic plan).
Page Limit
The page limit for the project methodology and approach with work plan including the references should not exceed 12 pages and this excludes the bio sketch for each consultant and the examples of previous work products.
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT
The Board of Directors will deem this a successful project when they are given a clear report which outlines the strategic directions, areas of improvement and a recommended action plan. The new strategic plan must build upon the Canopy's 2023-2026 Strategic Plan and reference other studies and plans. Previous strategic and other plan materials will be provided to the successful consultant as background information upon request.
APPLICATION REVIEW CRITERIA
The proposals will be reviewed and evaluated based on the following criteria:
Qualifications (35 points)
- The Consultant has the qualifications needed to successfully complete the scope of work in a timely manner
- The Consultant has prior experience working on similar strategic planning projects
- The Consultant has extensive working knowledge of Developmental/Social Services in HKPR
Scope of Proposal (30 points)
- The proposal demonstrates an understanding of the project objectives and desired results
- The proposal illustrates an approach to the scope of work that will likely lead to the successful development of an actionable strategic plan
- The proposal illustrates the consultant's ability to successfully execute the proposed approach
- The proposal includes an appropriate process to interact with the Board members and other internal and external stakeholders
Workplan (25 points)
- The proposal adequately details project activities and milestones, or deliverables associated with each stage of the scope of work
- The proposal includes a detailed timeline for each stage
- The work can be completed within the project timeline
Budget (10 points)
- The proposal includes a detailed budget for each stage of the scope of work
- Proposed costs are reasonable
- Proposed schedule of payments corresponds appropriately with tasks, milestones or deliverables
REFERENCE CHECKS
Information from references will be evaluated using the following criteria. The evaluation will be labeled as satisfactory or unsatisfactory.
References (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory)
- The reference would hire the consultant again
- The original Scope of Services was completed within the specified timeline
- Interim deadlines were met in a timely manner
- The consultant was responsive to the referee's needs
- The consultant anticipated problems, and solved them quickly and effectively
- The original Scope of Services was completed within the project budget
Consultants may be asked to participate in an interview to further gauge their fit and ability to work on this project. If needed, interviews will be scheduled to take place between 11:00a.m. to 3:00p.m. on September 29, 2026.
Consultant selection will be based on the consultant's written proposal and the results of the reference checks.
SCHEDULE 'A'
Canopy’s 2023-2026 strategic plan is available via link (NOTE – This Strategic Plan was extended for the 2026/2027 fiscal year): https://static1.squarespace.com/static/636e135e90e2f16d9668d276/t/645a4b1607cc8d5c8daabffc/16 83639080691/Canopy+-+Strategic+Plan+2023-2026+
Vision
A leader in providing services and supports to empower people to grow & belong.
Mission Statement
A Centre of Excellence that provides specialized services and supports to people with intellectual and development disabilities, autism and FASD to enhance their quality of life across their lifespan.
Core Values
Innovation: Facilitating growth and continuous learning to expand staff knowledge, enhance problem-solving and critical thinking skills, encourage curiosity and new ideas and constantly strive to exceed expectations.
Safety: Creating environments to provide for the safety, health and well-being of all.
Inclusivity: Practicing positive, respectful culture of belonging by promoting diversity and equitable access.
Transparency: Fostering a culture where all parties rigorously exchange thoughts and ideas that drive our agency in a trustful, collaborative and accountable manner.
Excellence: Striving to meet the highest standard of excellence to create supportive communities and partnerships.
Belief Statements
We believe that people should receive appropriate services and opportunities to:
- Maximize potential in the home and community
- Participate in all aspects of community life
- Exercise individual choice and independence
We believe that, by assisting families and service providers, they can achieve:
- An enhanced quality of life
- An increase in their knowledge and skill
- Options to manage their individual situations
- Innovative and creative approaches to address needs
We believe that our mission is best achieved through:
- Highly skilled and motivated staff
- Effective partnerships
- Best practices (evidence-based)
- Collaborative systematic planning
Required career level
- Executive/Leadership