- About Us
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is a regional independent non-governmental organisation with a network of national partner organisations in all 16 countries in West Africa. It is the biggest and most influential media development and freedom of expression organisation in the region with UN ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) Consultative Status.
The MFWA also has Equivalency Determination Certification with NGOSource that certifies the organisation as being the equivalent of a public charity in the United States. The organisation also has a partnership agreement with the regional inter-governmental body, ECOWAS and engages frequently with mechanisms of the African Union (AU) and the UN.
In 2021, the MFWA set up the non-profit, public interest investigative journalism project, The Fourth Estate, to contribute to countering corruption and demanding accountability from duty-bearers through journalistic reporting. As part of efforts to connect more and deepen relationship with audience and supporters of The Fourth Estate, the MFWA is seeking the services of an experienced and qualified consultant to support the development and rollout of a membership programme for The Fourth Estate.
The goal is to move from concept to launch within approximately two to three months with efficient systems for on-boarding members, enabling member contributions and engagement.
- Scope of Work
The selected consultant will provide strategic guidance and practical tools across four core areas:
a. Discovery & Positioning
- Review audience data and current revenue sources.
- Benchmark comparable nonprofit newsrooms.
- Recommend an appropriate, context-relevant and efficient membership model and positioning.
b. Membership Strategy
- Define value proposition and messaging framework.
- Recommend simple tier/pricing structure.
- Develop year one projections.
- Identify core KPIs.
c. Operations & Systems
- Recommend affordable technology stack (CRM, payments, email).
- Map member journey (acquisition, onboarding, renewal).
- Draft onboarding and key communication templates.
- Provide operations guide.
d. Launch Planning
- Develop a launch strategy with a 30-day campaign plan.
- Draft membership copy and launch email sequence.
- Provide launch coaching support.
- Deliverables
- Membership Strategy Document (including pricing, offerings, benefits and projections)
- Operations and member journey guide.
- Launch plan and messaging toolkit.
- Timelines
Anticipated start date: April 1, 2026
Estimated project length: 6 to 8 weeks
5. Proposal Requirements
Proposals should include:
- Relevant experience and examples of previous similar works.
- Proposed approach and methodology.
- References (optional but encouraged).
- Total project fee
- Consultant Qualifications
Ideal candidates should have:
- Experience building successful membership programmes for nonprofit, independent newsrooms
- Demonstrable experience in translating strategy into practical and sustainable systems.
- Strong collaborative and communication skills.
- Demonstrable knowledge and skills in the use of affordable but efficient software for building and managing membership programmes for newsrooms
- Evaluation Criteria
- Relevant experience (30%)
- Practicality of approach (30%)
- Budget alignment (20%)
- Mission fit (20%)
- Submission
Submit proposals (PDF) to:
Email: [email protected]
Subject line: “Membership RFP”
- Deadline for applications:
- March 20, 2026
