CAC Is Looking for a Strategic Planning Consultant

The Chilliwack Arts Council (CAC) has just released a Request for Proposals for a consultant to lead the development of its next three-year Strategic Plan, and if you work at the intersection of community engagement, arts advocacy, and organizational strategy, this one is worth your attention.

The CAC is seeking a qualified consultant (or consulting team) to design and facilitate a strategic planning process that will chart the organization's direction from 2027 to 2029. The project runs from June 22 to October 15, 2026, with a total budget of $7,500 and a proposal deadline of June 5, 2026.

This isn't a document-drafting exercise. The CAC is looking for someone who can lead a genuine, community-rooted process, one that brings together artists, cultural organizations, funders, municipal partners, and board members to co-create a vision for Chilliwack's arts future.

Why This Work Matters

Founded in the 1960s and rooted in the unceded traditional territory of the Stó:lō peoples, the Chilliwack Arts Council serves a city of roughly 110,000 residents. Its mandate is broad and meaningful: promoting local artists, widening access to cultural experiences, building community partnerships, and advocating for the arts at every level of government.

The CAC describes itself as being in a growth phase, building internal capacity while deepening its arts-based community development work. The 2024–2026 Strategic Plan laid important groundwork around financial sustainability, governance, decolonization, DEI, and community engagement. The next plan needs to build on that foundation, not start from scratch.

That context matters. The right consultant will understand that this organization is evolving, not rebuilding — and will design a process that honors what's already been built while opening space for what comes next.

What the Work Involves

The selected consultant will lead three structured engagement sessions with distinct interest holder groups:

• Session 1 — Community partners: arts organizations, funders, and municipal representatives

• Session 2 — Local artists: individual creators, collectives, and arts educators

• Session 3 — The CAC Board of Directors: governance-level strategic direction setting

Beyond facilitation, the scope includes an environmental scan of local, provincial, and national arts sector trends; strategic direction development informed by community input; a phased implementation roadmap; and an evaluation framework to support grant reporting and accountability. The full deliverables list includes session summaries, a key findings report, a best practices research report, draft and final strategic plans, and a final board presentation.

Who Should Apply

The CAC's selection criteria signal clearly what they're looking for. Competitive proposals will demonstrate:

• Hands-on experience facilitating strategic planning with arts councils, non-profits, or cultural organizations

• A community-centered approach that's inclusive and doesn't overburden participants

• Familiarity with BC's arts sector and genuine fluency with decolonization practices and equity, diversity, and inclusion frameworks

• Cost transparency and a realistic plan for delivering meaningful value within the $7,500 budget

  
  

The CAC explicitly encourages proposals from consultants with lived or professional experience in EDI and decolonization work, this isn't an afterthought in the process, it's central to it.

Key Dates at a Glance

How to Apply

Proposals must be submitted in PDF format by June 5, 2026 at 11:59 pm to office@chilliwackartscouncil.com. Submissions should include a consultant/team profile, proposed approach and methodology, a project timeline, a detailed budget breakdown, and contact information for three references from comparable engagements.

Questions? Direct those to the same email address.