Request for Proposals: HR Partner

About Campus Compact

Campus Compact is a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. As the largest national higher education association dedicated solely to higher education civic and community engagement, Campus Compact enables higher education institutions to develop students’ citizenship skills and forge effective community partnerships. Our resources support senior administrators, faculty, staff, and students as they pursue community-based teaching, scholarship, and action in the service of positive change.

Today, we stand at a defining moment: we are ready to scale our impact when the stakes for our work have never been higher. We know that higher education has a critical role to play in fostering democratic principles and culture by addressing polarization, strengthening civic participation, and ensuring students are prepared to navigate and shape our democracy. Thanks to the investment of philanthropic partners, Campus Compact is preparing for a period of significant growth and expansion, particularly in the areas of innovation, scaling, and coalition building.

Campus Compact operates with a fully remote workforce of approximately 45 staff members located across the United States. The organization’s leadership structure includes five executive team members, as well as a leadership team made up of an additional 6 directors.

Overview and Priorities

Campus Compact is seeking an HR partner to support the continued development of a strong, values-aligned organizational culture across a fully remote team. As we grow and evolve, we are prioritizing building shared practices that enable our staff and leadership to work through complexity, strengthen collaboration, and navigate organizational dynamics effectively.

We are working to strengthen the following organizational capacities, with particular attention to how they show up in day-to-day management, collaboration, and decision-making:

• Navigating tension productively, including recognizing and working with multiple truths
• Engaging in constructive conflict and effective change management
• Understanding and responsibly using positional power within a hierarchical organization
• Practicing both individual and organizational accountability
• Create multiple entry points for diverse perspectives and ways of working that are values-aligned and advance organizational priorities

We recognize that building these capacities requires both leadership development and broader organizational support. We are particularly interested in approaches that embed this work into ongoing practices and real-time application, rather than relying primarily on standalone trainings.

In particular, we see this work as foundational to how our senior leaders operate and to the conditions they create for all staff to engage effectively. At the same time, we recognize the importance of reinforcing these capacities across the organization in ways that are practical and aligned with day-to-day work.

To support these priorities, we envision partnering with an HR consultant through three primary methods:

1. Executive coaching for senior leaders
2. Ongoing consultation on employee relations and complex organizational dynamics
3. Staff-wide trainings and professional development

While all three areas are in scope, we expect the majority of this partnership to focus on executive coaching and ongoing consultation. Staff-wide training is intended to play a more targeted, reinforcing role within this broader work.

We expect to work collaboratively with our HR partner to design and refine a set of activities across these areas that meaningfully advance these goals over time.

What we’re looking for

• HR consulting firms or small team of consultants to serve as a strategic HR partner to the organization’s leadership team.
• Firms/teams with a variety of executive coaches that can support different working styles and needs. 
• Ability to build deep familiarity with organizational culture, leadership dynamics, and operating context over time
• Strong relationship-building skills and a consultative-coaching approach
• Experience working with nonprofit organizations and a demonstrated commitment to values-aligned leadership and workplace culture.

Scope of Work

1. Executive Coaching for Leadership

Campus Compact seeks executive coaching for select members of the executive team and leadership team.

Coaching should focus on strengthening leadership effectiveness within Campus Compact, rather than on general leadership development for career mobility outside the organization.  Each individual’s coaching plan will be individualized based on their specific growth/development needs. We envision that all executive coaching will be time-bound for a specific purpose rather than ongoing and indefinite. 

Examples may include:

• Strengthening management and supervision skills
• Addressing leadership skill gaps relevant to current roles and supporting leaders in leveling up to their capacity 
• Improving team management and communication
• Supporting leaders in addressing organizational challenges

The purpose of coaching is to strengthen leadership capacity at Campus Compact, ensuring that our leaders are effective in their roles and able to support their teams well.  We also want coaches to be able to work collaboratively so we are moving the organization, and our leaders, forward in aligned and complimentary ways. 

2. Employee Relations Support

Campus Compact has a full time Director, Employee Relations & Recruitment who will manage employee relations matters for most staff.

However, the organization seeks an HR partner who can:

• Partner on navigating ongoing employee relations dynamics and patterns over time, helping to identify themes, anticipate challenges, and strengthen organizational practices
• Provide employee relations consultation to senior leadership and the Director, Employee Relations & Recruitment
• Offer guidance on complex or sensitive employee issues (including in-the-moment support for time-sensitive issues) 
• Support leadership and the operations team when employee relations concerns involve members of the executive team

This structure provides leadership with access to objective guidance outside the internal reporting hierarchy when needed. The HR partner is expected to serve as a trusted, strategic advisor to senior leadership, offering clear, candid guidance and helping navigate complex employee relations dynamics with confidence and discretion.

3. Staff-Wide Training and Professional Development

Campus Compact is seeking a partner who can provide staff-wide professional development training. These training(s) should be designed for all staff levels, tailored for a remote workplace environment, and specific to the unique needs of Campus Compact and our employees.

One example, the organization has identified a need is for a training focused on timely & transparent communication and giving and receiving feedback

The HR partner is also expected to recommend additional targeted training opportunities over time, based on emerging organizational needs and patterns observed through ongoing engagement.

4. Investigations and Compliance Support (As needed)

From time to time, Campus Compact may require external expertise related to:

• Workplace investigations
• HR compliance matters
• Risk management or policy creation/interpretation

We do not anticipate these services being a major component of the engagement but would value having a partner who can provide timely support when needed.

The main part of our engagement will be the three areas above, as such, it is not a requirement that the firm or consultant is able to provide support in this area, but should be able to provide guidance on how to get started and what other experts or consultants to reach out to when needed. We welcome consultants with relationships with other compliance firms if it’s not offered in house.

Budget

Campus Compact anticipates spending between $30,000 and $70,000 annually for this engagement. We anticipate that this engagement will turn into a multi-year partnership.

Submission Process

 

All proposals must be submitted by May 20th 2026

Proposals should include the following:

• Overview of your firm/team, including relevant experience
• Description of your approach to the scope of work, including how you would prioritize and balance the three areas outlined
• Proposed engagement structure, including how you would allocate time and effort across coaching, consultation, and training
• Pricing structure and fee schedule
• Examples of similar engagements (particularly with nonprofit organizations, if applicable)
• At least two references

Timeline

• RFP released: May 1st 2026
• Proposal deadline: May 20th 2026
• Interviews with selected finalists: May 26th - June 1st
• Final selection: June 5th 2026
• Anticipated start date: ASAP after selection