The Hastings Center invites proposals from communications consultants experienced in advising nonprofit organizations on digital media practices and platforms to conduct an audit of The Hastings Center’s digital communications. Communications consultants who identify as members of groups underrepresented in such work are strongly encouraged to apply. Our budget for this initial digital media audit is $10,000 to $15,000.

About The Hastings Center

The Hastings Center, in Garrison, New York, is the world’s leading independent, nonpartisan bioethics research institute. Widely credited for helping to establish bioethics as an academic field and a subject for public debate, we work by engaging a broad range of communities in conducting research and formulating values-based responses to social and ethical challenges emerging in health, science, and technology.

Anchoring our reputation as a leading platform for bioethics worldwide are two peer-reviewed journals: the Hastings Center Report (with accompanying special reports) and Ethics & Human Research. We also publish Hastings Bioethics Forum, an online publication of topical commentary.

In addition to research and publications, a core area of our work is public engagement. We  believe that our efforts should have an impact. Engagement and communications are therefore integral to our mission.

Over the years, our work on issues integral to end-of-life care, disability, immigrant health care, and pandemic ethics has helped shape polices and standards of practice adopted by health professionals globally. We are committed to a broad definition of bioethics that focuses not only on clinical medical ethics, but also population health ethics, collective and systemic barriers to health and human flourishing, human impact on the environment, emerging biotechnologies such as gene editing, and AI.

In recent years, we have launched pathway programs designed to encourage and mentor undergraduates and PhD students interested in bioethics issues and  careers. Many of our elected Fellows—experts in bioethics and adjacent field—partner with us to expand the impact and reach or our grant-funded projects, papers, webinars, events, and other public-facing work.

Our 2023 annual report details our recent work and impact, fueled primarily through competitive grants and philanthropic support.

Vardit Ravitsky, PhD, became the Center’s President and CEO in September 2023. She runs an active research program focused on ethical, legal, and social implications of genomics and assisted reproductive technologies, with an emphasis on emerging biotechnologies and their implications for women’s autonomy and for disability rights. She also studies the ethics of AI in biomedicine.

Strategic Vision (2025 – )

One of Vardit’s top priorities during her first years was to lead an extensive and inclusive strategic visioning process, anchored by a representative task force and working groups focused on The Hastings Center’s peer-reviewed publications, engagement and communications, and financial positioning. This yearlong process culminated in the approval by the board of directors of a strategic vision, which is being implemented beginning in 2025. A  goal of that vision is to increase the impact of our engagement and communications with our target audiences: policymakers, health care providers, journalists, legal experts, educators, learners, and advocates.  This RFP is a step toward meeting that goal.

Proposal Objectives/Scope of Work

Given that digital media is essential to the success of our engagement and communications and, therefore, to our impact, The Hastings Center seeks an audit of our digital media. The audit would include our social media accounts, our president’s professional social media accounts, our newsletter, and our website. Note: the work would not include creating a new website, but rather recommendations on improving the impact of our website.

We seek to learn more about the following:

• How well does our digital media support the goals of our strategic vision?
• How well does our digital media reach our target audiences?
• What metrics should we use to assess and understand the impact of our digital media? Social media metrics? Web traffic metrics?
• What can we do to improve two-way engagement?
• What can we do to increase traffic on our website?
• What can we do to drive more donations from web traffic?
• What can we do to improve the ADA accessibility of our website?
• What can we do to improve our newsletter metrics (open rate, click through, audience growth)? Recent examples of our newsletter are here, here, and here.
• Given the flux in the social media landscape, are there particular social media platforms that we should prioritize? Are there social media platforms that we should deprioritize or even stop using?
• What can we do to improve our social media engagement, likes, followers?
• What are your thoughts on our social media content? Reels? Frequency of posts?
• Are there particular recommendations for improving the impact of our president’s social media accounts?

Proposal Format and Requirements

The Hastings Center welcomes proposals from communications consultants who bring a diversity of perspectives, experience, and identity to their work. Complete applications (PDFs, please) should include the following:

• Executive summary
  • Brief history and description of your previous and ongoing work in this area, highlighting any work with similar organizations
  • Consulting philosophy for engaging with organizations related to communications in general and digital media more specifically
• Customized support for The Hastings Center
  • Statement of proposed work
  • A description of any special experiences or insights relevant to academic institutions, think tanks, research organizations and/or policy institutes that will inform your approach
  • Any benchmarks for periodically assessing if and how the consultancy’s stated goals are achieved throughout the consultancy
• Logistical information
  • Titles, roles, and experience of consultants who would lead the work with Hastings
  • An implementation plan and timeline
  • Budget and deliverables (with target dates or timelines)
  • Explanation of how you prioritize diversity of perspectives and experiences and commitments to inclusion and belonging within your organization and your work with clients
  • Three client references with contact information
  • Affiliations, financial arrangements, or activities that would or could create a perceived conflict of interest with The Hastings Center (if applicable)

Please submit proposals to Susan Gilbert, Communications Director, at gilberts@thehastingscenter.org by April 25. A team of Hastings staff members will conduct interviews of up to three finalists on May 12.

Please email questions and requests for additional information to Susan. No calls, please. Questions posed by applicants and The Hastings Center’s responses will be added to the end of this RFP, whenever such responses are shared with any applicant.

Evaluation Criteria and Timeline:

• RFP released: March 31
• Proposals due: April 25
• Finalists notified by May 5
• Interviews: May 12 – 16
• Selection date: May 26