RFP for Freelance Writer and Editor : GCIR
Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR)
GCIR envisions a society in which everyone thrives no matter where they were born. To make that vision a reality, we galvanize philanthropy to advance immigrant and refugee justice and belonging. As the nation’s only immigrant-focused philanthropy-mobilizing organization, we work with our more than 130 member institutions, the 1,200 individual grantmakers in our network, our partners in the field, and other philanthropic affinity groups to move money and power for immigrants, refugees, and asylum
seekers. Amid continued challenges and significant opportunities for immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, we are building on our 33-year history to drive short- and long-term immigrant-related philanthropic investments and advance a vision for a just, equitable, and inclusive society for all.
Our work is grounded in the following values:
Love: We extend grace, compassion, generosity, and accountability to ourselves and to each other.
Solidarity: We center those most affected by systems of oppression and work together towards our mutual freedom.
Dignity: We believe in self-determination, radical candor, justice, and healing in our relationships.
Power: We center, support, and promote the ability of the immigrant and refugee justice movement to create, build, and utilize their agency, analyzing the power we and philanthropy wield.
Abundance: We affirm there is enough for everyone to thrive sustainably and to imagine a future of our collective liberation.
The GCIR staff comes from all walks of life, many of us with immigrant and refugee backgrounds and some of us with non-traditional career paths. We have an office in the San Francisco Bay Area and remote staff in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, the Washington, D.C. metro area, and Washington State. GCIR members are local, state, regional, and national foundations that transcend issue areas, strategies, and geographic regions.
Overview and Purpose
To support GCIR’s communications and research work, we are seeking an experienced freelance writereditor to both edit and create written content. This would include editing for content, style and structure in addition to copy editing and proofreading for correct spelling, syntax, grammar, and consistency. This person may occasionally draft original pieces based on written and/or verbal content provided by GCIR staff and consultants. This partnership would be set up as a three month trial, to be continued upon mutual agreement.
Responsibilities
- Edit written pieces, including issue statements, blog posts, op eds, newsletters, research reports, and more, editing for content, structure, and style in addition to providing copy edits.
- Proofread and edit spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax of content produced by GCIR staff and consultants.
- Ensure that content meets GCIR’s needs and follows our in-house style guide.
- Organize, modify, and update existing content.
- Rewrite text to make it easier for readers to understand, ensuring that final written work products are clear, compelling, and correct.
- Verify facts cited in material for publication.
- Work with our graphic design consultant to format and finalize reports for publication
Communication Expectations
- Communicate regularly with GCIR’s communications team to establish and clarify assignmentrelated expectations via email, Slack and other project management platforms.
- Inform GCIR of assignment-related difficulties as they are detected.
- Monitor and log hours spent on each assignment.
Characteristics & Experience Criteria
- Minimum 3-5 years of prior writing, editing, and copy-editing experience.
- Demonstrated portfolio of completed works.
- Excellent communication and time management skills.
- Proficiency in relevant computer software (e.g., Microsoft Office, Google docs, web search, etc.)
- Ability to work in a remote, self-directed environment, meeting strict deadlines.
Additional desirable characteristics & experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in English, creative writing, journalism, communications, or another relevant field.
- Experience working with organizations centering social justice, ideally immigrant justice.
- Research skills and experience.
- Graphic design and video skills.
- Centers racial equity in the organization’s values, structure, and work. Racial equity is a core value at GCIR that is reflected in prioritizing and embedding racial equity in our internal work, systems, and culture.
Time commitment and budget: Anticipating up to 10 hours a week at a rate of $150/hour. This could fluctuate week to week/month to month based on our needs, so flexibility is desired. This partnership would be set up as a three month trial, to be continued upon mutual agreement.
Proposal Submission Process
If you are interested in submitting a proposal to GCIR, please include the following information in an email to rfp@gcir.org:
- Cover letter stating your interest as well as the following:
o Description of your approach/process for working with GCIR staff during this process
o Description of your commitment to racial equity and social justice - Resume
- Examples of prior work and your role in each project
- Pricing structure/levels
To Be Considered
As an organization committed to social justice and racial equity, GCIR recognizes the importance of identifying and working with vendors and consultants that bring a wide range of educational, professional, and lived experiences. We welcome potential vendors and consultants of all races, ethnicities, nationalities, religions, abilities, sexual orientations, and gender identities and expressions.
We strongly encourage people of color, women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, those from immigrant and refugee backgrounds, differently abled people, formerly incarcerated people, and people of any historically marginalized identity to submit an RFP. Potential vendors and consultants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age,
religion, national origin, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any protected category prohibited by local, state, or federal laws.
