Desert Recreation District Issues Website RFP

The redesign of the website is focused on the goal of increasing communication with our guests (residents and visitors), partners, sponsors, volunteers, donors and team members. While the District is committed to maintaining a personal touch and face-to-face communication with our stakeholders, it is important that the redesigned website provide a first line of information and provide a path to get questions answered.

The District is seeking an experienced firm to redesign the existing website https://myrecreationdistrict.com/ and implement technologies to meet the objectives outlined in this document. This website is comprised of internally generated information and ranges from simplistic pages to portions that either use information from ACTIVE Net® Recreation Management Software (currently used to populate calendars by community showing activities for the day or week) or pages that contain activity and program descriptions that link guests to a registration page within ACTIVE Net® where guests can enroll in District activities and programs. The District is requesting proposals to redesign the existing website. The goal of this redesign is to create a modern website that has a clean design, is user-friendly, intuitive and informative. Additionally, the website should be organized around all the activities we offer and the facilities we operate, and it should encourage users to enroll in our programs as well as to sponsor, donate, or volunteer. It should also build brand identity, awareness, and interest in the District and the Desert Recreation Foundation, and the services both provide. The website should also:

• Utilize font, color, images and layout consistent with branding that has been developed (this may be updated as we develop a new marketing campaign)
• Incorporate use of social media platforms.
• Be quick to load and operate.
• Have a responsive design: Easily adaptable to all types of electronic devices (mobile, tablet,    laptop, desktop, etc.)
• Be a site that is easily managed and maintained by District team members who are not programmers, through a web-based Content Management System (CMS).
• Be a site that encourages users to register as participants, engage as donors, inquire to sponsor or partner, and volunteer their time.
• Safe and secure technology that allows users to:

o Make donations to Foundation from individual and corporate donors.

o Apply for employment.

o Sign up online for volunteer opportunities.

• Improve business efficiencies.

Background:

Desert Recreation District (“District”) is in the Coachella Valley. The District was formally known as the Coachella Valley Recreation and Parks District and it was established in December 1950 under the California Public Resources Code Sections 5780 et. seq. The purpose of the District is to provide recreation and park services to the Coachella Valley region in eastern Riverside County.

Encompassing 1,800 square miles, the District is a public agency that provides parks and recreation services to the residents of the District at parks, ball fields, swimming pools, a golf course and community centers. The District also provides many community activities such as aquatics, camps and classes; dance, music and theater; health and fitness; and sports programs. These services are provided for the cities of Indio, Palm Desert, La Quinta, Coachella, Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage and the nine un-incorporated communities within the District’s boundaries.

The District’s organization is governed by five elected board members with a general manager responsible for implementing board policy and managing operations. There are 35 full-time employees and up to 287 part-time/seasonal employees. The District partners with the Desert Recreation Foundation, an independent 501-(3) non-profit organization that provides the following services:

• Generating funds through corporate and individual gifts and grants to support and facilitate efforts to improve recreational activities, programs, parks and properties and facilities;
• Raising funds to support the Desert Recreation District Scholarship Fund which assists qualifying residents with program and facility fees;
• Assisting the District with the acquisition of new park lands via fundraising or donation; and
• Purchasing of equipment and other amenities for the District’s parks and facilities.

In addition to the six cities, other governmental agencies that the District partners with to provide services include two school districts; nine community councils appointed by the County Supervisor representing the Coachella Valley; the Desert Healthcare District; the various water and mosquito vector control districts; and the Riverside County Economic Development Agency and the Regional Parks and Open Space District.

Scope of Work:

The District’s goals and objectives are critical to ensuring the future success of the District. They will help position the District as critical to the “Quality of Life” in the Coachella Valley, as well as educate decision makers, the public and stakeholders as to the essential services the District provides daily to the community.

1. The selected website developer will be required to perform the following tasks:
2. Provide the District with a new website design from the District’s home page to all sub-pages using state of the art development tools.
3. Consultant will produce three (3) design comps for the District review. The District shall select one comp as the design for the final website.
4. Incorporate all ADA Requirements – The District requires that the site be developed to meet all Federally-mandated access requirements adopted by the Federal Access Board (www.access-board.gov) under section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.
5. Facilitate the creation of a site map to serve as the content plan for website development. Consultant will be required to incorporate all content on the District’s current website as well as content supplied by District Staff.
6. District shall provide all content and current images to consultant for any items on the existing website that are to be included in the District’s new website.
7. Supply the District with Content Management Tools (CMTs) that will allow those designated District team members to update sections of pages and other sections of the District website. The final number and location within the website of CMT’s will be determined during the development of the site map. Consultant shall assume that the site map shall include everything on the existing website, and in addition:
8. Page(s) to inform about sponsorship and partnership opportunities.
9. Page to solicit advertisers for both website ads as well as in our print publications.
10. An interactive map that will allow:
11. The ability for a resident to type in their address and the Board of Director member for their area appears with contact information; additionally, this map shall show all of our facilities, parks, trails and other items as the District supplies as website is developed.
12. Ability to purchase a tile on the Frances Hack Dedication Wall at La Quinta Community Park.
13. Donations – feature the “DONATE” button in a prominent place that is visible on most if not all pages. Enhance functionality to allow for donations made in memory of a person and have an email sent to both the donor to thank them, and one sent to the family or friend of the person in whose memory the donation was made. Note: Donations are processed by the Desert Recreation Foundation, which will be a page or section in the redesigned website.
14. Feature major upcoming events prominently on the homepage and link to additional pages/information.
15. Have access to our three-time a year Activities Guides more prominently featured.
16. Have the ability to send electronic newsletters to all registered guests (in ACTIVE Net®) and a place to add non-registered guests for whom we have email addresses and send electronic newsletters and other electronic marketing correspondence to them.
17. Enhance all images provided by District (or on District’s current web-page) so that images load quickly for individuals viewing the District’s website.
18. Use visuals such as video clips to promote the various classes and programs we offer.
19. We are retaining the Activity Icons (e.g. Health & Fitness, Gymnastics, Martial Arts, Active Adults & Seniors, etc.), however, we are open to suggestions on how they are used.
20. Provide a web hit counter where the District can retrieve how many individuals access the District’s website and which areas of the District’s website are most frequently visited. The District may want the web hit counter not to be visible to the public.
21. The website should use Google Analytics (or similar tool) for usage tracking.
22. The ability to edit, add and remove web pages.
23. Ensure website incorporates ACTIVE Net® and AgendaQuick web-based Agenda Management System as these two software programs are heavily used by the District.
24. Provide training on using and administering the District’s newly designed web-page.

Due Date:

October 9th

Address:

Desert Recreation District

Re: Website Redesign Services

RFP #18-09-001-AD

45-305 Oasis Street

Indio, CA 92201

ATTN: Noelle Furon, Marketing & Public Information Officer

Agencies worth considering for this assignment include Shift Communications.