Website Design and Development RFP Issued

The Estonian American National Council (EANC), a nonprofit organization, which aims to provide a fresh, welcoming, and easy to navigate point of connection for the Estonian community in America, that can be used to keep up with news, events and opportunities, and serve as a portal to “all things Estonian.”

Background:

Since 1952, the Estonian American National Council has been the central organization of the Estonian immigrant community in the United States. It is the only organization that represents the interests of all Estonian Americans. With the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Estonia regained its independence, and later secured EU and NATO membership. EANC is today focused on the continued security and independence of Estonia, representing the interests of Estonian Americans through outreach to Congress and the Administration, and by working with organizations sharing similar goals. As important, EANC supports and provides grants to projects that preserve Estonian culture, language, and history in the United States, including the only Estonian language newspaper in the U.S.

The EANC is a 501(c) 3 organization. It has a paid staff of two, supported by an all-volunteer board. Funding comes entirely from individual charitable contributions. In the past 25 years, the largely post-World War II Estonian political refugees, and their children, have been augmented by new emigres from Estonia who have come to the U.S. for economic, educational or other opportunities. The Estonian American community today include both the earlier and newer arrivals, and interested non-Estonian extended family and friends, business and academic colleagues, and “Estophiles” — those who simply love some aspect of Estonian culture.

Scope of Work:

1. a) Design: Our preference is to upload already available themes  from web sources and customize to our needs.

• Enhance “brand” identity through selection of theme and website design
• Easy to navigate
• Visually stimulating and attractive, incorporating current design best practices
• Design should incorporate more images

1. b) Functionality: Our preference is to use available plug-ins to configure functionality. Essential functions would be:

• Mobile friendly
• Easy to update
• Content management system that can be updated by users with different permissions
• Blog pages
• Newsletter access/links
• Ability to search efficiently within the website
• Ability to process payments and donations
• Ability to sign up for mailing list, blog or newsletter
• Events calendar
• Search engine optimization techniques to increase site traffic/tools to analyze traffic
• Social media integration, particularly FB, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn
• Ability to transition information on current website to the new, and to continue archiving blogposts

1. c) Content:

EANC will provide all content, but the project will include consultation on organization and navigation of content, with a focus on actions and activities. We anticipate a significant reorganization of the existing content. For example, top level of organization might be:

• News and Events: Stay Informed
• About EANC: The many ways to get involved
• Washington Update: Make your voice count
• Estonian American Organizations: Find your community
• Estonia, and its language and culture: Discover your heritage
• The Estonian American Experience: Keep your story alive

1. d) Technical

• Use of a widely available website-creation program such as, but not limited to, WordPress  or SquareSpace.
• Use of a commercially available hosting solution.
• Ability to use existing domain name and to redirect existing domain name to new name
• Compatibility with Chrome, Firefox, Safari, IE.
• Strong security features
• Rapid load times
• Accommodates Estonian-language special characters (ä,ü,õ,ö)
• Compliant with ADA and disability best practices

Optional features. Our “wish list” for anticipated growth includes:

• Ability to incorporate video and audio
• Ability to create online web forms (e.g. for user feedback, for volunteers)
• Integrate spatial information, for example, through use of Google maps.

1. e) Ongoing maintenance: the project should include sufficient communication and training  of EANC staff so that assistance with ongoing updates, revisions, and maintenance is minimal.

1. f) Summary of Deliverables:

• Fully functional website
• Instruction document for EANC webmaster, and training session
• Initial period of troubleshooting

Due Date:

August 18, 2017 to:

Address:

erku@estosite.org