Project Lead: Zora’s House Website Overhaul

Zora’s House seeks an experienced web development partner to overhaul its current website. The goal is to transform www.zorashouse.com into a modern, intuitive, and high-impact digital platform that functions as both a communications hub and organizational storefront. The current site reflects the multifaceted nature of the lives and experiences of the women and gender expansive people centered at the core of all that the organization does and achieves. In striving to reflect the many intersecting identities that benefit from programs and initiatives, the site risks overwhelming visitors with too much repetitive and often out of date information. The new site will streamline communications using a simpler and easier to understand approach to relaying value to the Central Ohio community and others worldwide curious about the present expression of the future envisioned. The site should feature seamless ways to update audiences on opportunities to engage with programs and events, e.g., vendor application status for Women+ of Color Owned Markets or applications for Fellowship or Z-Suite programs. The selected developer will translate strategic direction developed by Zora’s House leadership into a user-friendly, accessible, visually striking site aligned with updated brand, strategy, and goals.

About Zora's House Inc:
Zora’s House is a non-profit providing women of color and gender expansive people of color with space, skills, and strategic connections needed to thrive personally and professionally. The organization supports growth through Space (coworking, shared offices, retreat space), Skills (programs like HerWay Business Builder, Wealth Builder, Leadership Fellows), and Strategic Connections (mentors, collaborators, supporters).

Project Timeline:
- RFP Released: Late-August 2025
- Proposals Due: Two weeks after RFP release
- Developer Selected: September 2025
- Project Start: Immediately upon signing
- Execution Window: 3–6 months based on developer capacity and proposal

Scope of Work:
- Information Architecture: reorganize content based on user needs and strategic goals
- Visual Design: ensure brand consistency, accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA compliance), and visual appeal
- CMS: recommend and implement for a non-technical team to maintain
- Functionality: develop intuitive navigation, easy-to-update events calendar, integrated contact/donation forms, flexible landing pages
- SEO & Analytics: optimize for search engines and enable tracking with Google Analytics or similar
- Training & Handoff: provide documentation or onboarding for staff
- Testing & QA: ensure responsive design across devices and cross-browser compatibility

Key Deliverables:
- Project timeline and milestones
- Mockups/wireframes based on strategy
- Beta version for internal testing
- Final launch-ready website
- Maintenance/support plan (optional but encouraged)

Evaluation Criteria:
- Experience with nonprofit, BIPOC-led or mission-driven organizations
- Ability to build accessible, engaging websites
- Clarity and feasibility of timeline (3–6 months)
- Cost and value of services
- Portfolio or case studies
- Approach to collaboration and communication

Budget:
Anticipated budget range is $2,500–$5,000. Proposals should include a detailed cost breakdown by deliverable or phase and note any nonprofit discounts.

Submit proposals as a single PDF to Shelby Williams at [email protected] by Monday, September 8th, 2025, including cover letter, approach overview, timeline, budget, team bios, and two client references.