Consultant for development of membership programme

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is looking for a Consultant for the development and roll out of the membership programme for its public interest investigative journalism project, The Fourth Estate. It is inviting proposals for the said programme from interested candidates.

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 a membership programme. 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.

Key responsibilities 

The selected consultant will provide strategic guidance and practical tools across four core areas:

• Discovery & Positioning: 1. Review audience data and current revenue sources. 2. Benchmark comparable nonprofit newsrooms. 3. Recommend an appropriate, context-relevant and efficient membership model and positioning.
• Membership Strategy: 1. Define value proposition and messaging framework. 2. Recommend simple tier/pricing structure. 3. Develop year one projections. 4. Identify core KPIs.
• Operations & Systems: 1. Recommend affordable technology stack (CRM, payments, email). 2. Map member journey (acquisition, onboarding, renewal). 3. Draft onboarding and key communication templates. 4. Provide operations guide.
• Launch Planning: 1. Develop a launch strategy with a 30-day campaign plan. 2. Draft membership copy and launch email sequence. 3. Provide launch coaching support.

Requirements

Candidates should sumbit proposals that include:

• Relevant experience and examples of previous similar works.
• Proposed approach and methodology.
• References (optional but encouraged).
• Total project fee

Eligibility 

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

How to apply 

Applicants should submit proposals (PDF) to applications@mfwa.org with the subject line “Membership RFP”. The last date to submit proposals is March 20, 2026.

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