CREAR Futuros Consultant Evaluator

REQUEST FOR EVALUATOR PROPOSALS Hispanic Federation (HF) is the nation's premier Latino nonprofit membership organization. Founded in 1990, HF supports Hispanic families and strengthens Latino institutions through grant making and direct services in the areas of education, health, immigration, civic engagement, economic empowerment, and the environment. Since its inception in 1990, HF has focused on supporting and strengthening community-based nonprofit organizations serving economically disadvantaged communities as a key instrument for social justice and economic empowerment. Program Overview: CREAR Futuros CREAR Futuros is a peer mentorship initiative operating across multiple higher education institutions. The program recruits and compensates student leaders to serve as mentors who guide and support undergraduate students, particularly first-generation, low-income, and Latino students, through academic and institutional systems. CREAR Futuros has evolved into a multi-campus, equity-centered mentoring model with growing national visibility. HF seeks an evaluation partner capable of producing rigorous, actionable, and funder-ready evidence that supports program improvement and long-term sustainability. Mentors provide:

• Academic navigation support
• Referrals to tutoring and financial aid resources
• Connection to campus services
• Linkages to HF-supported community-based organizations

CREAR Futuros has expanded in scale, geographic reach, and programmatic standardization. The program now operates across multiple campuses with strengthened training, dosage tracking, and leadership development components. HF’s list of academic partners is below:

• CUNY BCC
• CUNY BMCC
• CUNY CityTech
• CUNY John Jay
• CUNY LaGuardia
• CUNY Lehman
• CUNY Queens
• CUNY York
• SUNY Old Westbury
• SUNY Purchase
• CT State Naugatuck Valley
• University of Illinois Chicago
• Northeastern Illinois University
• North Carolina Central University
• University of Central Florida
• CalState Los Angeles

While CREAR Futuros centers Hispanic/Latino student success, all activities are open to eligible students without regard to race or national origin. The program has two core goals:

• Improve student academic persistence, retention, and completion.
• Develop student leadership capacity while providing financial support through paid mentorship roles.

Purpose of this RFP HF seeks proposals from qualified evaluation firms or consultants to conduct a four-year evaluation of CREAR Futuros. This next phase of evaluation is intended to:

• Build upon prior evaluations conducted by Rutgers University (2019) and Carmel Collaborative, LLC (2022–2025)
• Leverage existing historical datasets
• Strengthen longitudinal evidence
• Advance methodological rigor

Performance Period August 1, 2026 – July 31, 2030 (Four-Year Engagement) The evaluation will span multiple academic cohorts to allow for longitudinal tracking and advanced analytic modeling. Budget Structure HF anticipates a total investment of $175,000–$250,000 over four years for a comprehensive evaluation, including Module I and Module II components. Proposals must include:

• Separate detailed budget for Module I (core evaluation)
• Separate detailed budget for Module II (expanded analysis)
• Separate detailed budget for Module III (optional enhancements)

HF reserves the right to negotiate scope and sequencing based on methodological alignment and cost. Evaluation Structure Module I – Core Evaluation (Required) The Core Evaluation establishes foundational impact and implementation analysis across CREAR Futuros campuses. 1. Evaluation Design

• Refinement of CREAR Futuros Theory of Change
• Development of a multi-year evaluation plan
• Longitudinal comparison design

2. Academic Impact Analysis

• Retention
• GPA
• Credit accumulation
• Year-to-year persistence
• Three-year tracking minimum (where feasible)
• Subgroup analysis (e.g., first-generation status, Pell eligibility, gender, campus type)
• Campus-level variation analysis

3. Implementation Monitoring

• Dosage tracking (mentoring sessions, event participation, leadership engagement)
• Documentation of campus-level variation
• Identification of patterns associated with stronger outcomes

4. Non-Academic Outcomes Use of validated instruments to assess:

• Sense of belonging
• Leadership development
• Institutional engagement/social capital

5. Data Consolidation

• A plan for harmonizing variables across cohorts
• A strategy for constructing a unified longitudinal master dataset
• Identification of risks or documentation gaps
• Methodological implications of incorporating legacy data
• Pre/post analysis and growth modeling where feasible.

6. Deliverables

• Four-year evaluation plan
• Data collection tools
• Training for HF staff and campus liaisons
• Cleaned and harmonized master dataset
• Annual progress briefs
• Executive summaries, to be submitted after each semester
• Draft final evaluation report to be submitted for approval
• Final evaluation report, for external use
• Final evaluation report, for internal use
• Presentation of findings to HF leadership and campus partners

Module II – Expanded Analysis (Required Within Budget Range) 1. Multi-Level Modeling Hierarchical analysis examining:

• Student-level effects
• Campus-level effects
• Institutional context variation

2. Implementation Fidelity Framework

• Development of a formal fidelity rubric
• Identification of core vs. adaptable components
• Analysis of fidelity-outcome relationships

3. Mediation Analysis

• Testing whether non-academic outcomes (e.g., belonging, leadership) mediate academic persistence and retention outcomes.

4. Preliminary Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

• Estimated cost per retained student
• Estimated cost per additional graduate (modeled where necessary)
• Clear documentation of cost assumptions and analytic methods

5. Data Infrastructure Recommendations

• Standardized data definitions across campuses
• Recommendations for improved data governance
• Longitudinal tracking system improvements
• Practical guidance for strengthening HF’s monitoring systems

Module III – Optional Enhancements (Separate Pricing) Optional enhancements may include:

• Extended longitudinal tracking (5- or 6-year graduation rates)
• Post-graduation outcome analysis (employment, graduate enrollment)
• Site visits and case studies
• Full return-on-investment (ROI) modeling

Use of Legacy Data HF maintains historical datasets from prior evaluation phases including:

• Administrative academic data
• Survey instruments
• Comparison group files
• Analytic datasets

All data generated through this evaluation shall remain the property of Hispanic Federation. Data Security and Compliance The selected evaluator must demonstrate:

• Secure handling of FERPA-protected student-level data
• Compliance with federal and state data privacy regulations
• Secure storage and transfer protocols

Qualifications

Applicants must demonstrate:

• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in public/non-profit program evaluation
• Knowledge of Evaluation Frameworks; familiarity with different evaluation models (e.g., Logic Models, Theory of Change, or the Kirkpatrick Model) and when to apply them
• Experience conducting multi-site postsecondary evaluations
• Expertise in quantitative and qualitative methods
• Experience with longitudinal evaluation design
• Cultural and community competence
• Alignment with HF values
• Ability to adhere to project timelines and deliver high-quality work on schedule
• Strong collaborative skills
• Ability to meet all federal contractor requirements, including the Uniform Guidance for Federal Awards (2 CFR 200) and other federal requirements as relevant
• Registration on SAM.gov and an EIN number

Subcontracting must be disclosed and approved; the prime contractor retains full responsibility for deliverables. Proposal Submission Requirements Applicants must submit all required materials to [email protected]. Due date: June 18, 2026 Proposals must include the following:

• Technical proposal describing evaluation approach
• Detailed budget (modules separated)
• Budget narrative and level of effort
• Timeline
• Resumes of key evaluation staff
• Sample evaluation report (a portion of a report is acceptable) that demonstrates the evaluator’s abilities in detail
• Sample evaluation tool
• Three references

Hispanic Federation is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against actual or perceived race, color, religion, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, creed, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, and/or other protected categories. Proposals must remain valid for 90 days following the proposal due date. For questions on the RFP or the proposal submission process, please contact [email protected].