Market Research Consultant/Facilitator
Scope of Work
Community Listening Session Initiative — Facilitator & Research Consultant
Issued: May 28, 2026 • Proposals Due: June 13, 2026
ABOUT LTA
The Little Theatre of Alexandria (LTA) is a nonprofit community theater founded in 1934 and located in Old Town
Alexandria, Virginia. We produce seven mainstage productions per year, offer year-round educational
programming for youth and adults, and depend on a dedicated community of volunteers to bring every production
to life. With a 90-year history and a loyal audience that regularly fills our house, LTA is a well-regarded cultural
institution in the Washington, D.C. region — and an organization at an important inflection point.
We are a small nonprofit with a lean staff and a volunteer board. This engagement reflects our commitment to
listening to our community and investing thoughtfully in our future. We are looking for the right consultant — not
the largest firm — and we believe this project offers genuine value to an individual or small practice seeking
meaningful nonprofit and arts sector experience.
LTA has started work on a brand update and new website. A designer has already been contracted for
rebranding. New website proposals are under review with the goal of selecting a vendor by end of June so work
can commence in July. Launch of the rebrand and new website will coincide with implementation of a new ticket
platform in January 2027.
BACKGROUND & PURPOSE
Following a year of post-production surveys with cast and crew, and a spring 2026 marketing analysis conducted
by three independent graduate student teams at George Mason University, LTA's Board of Governors has
approved a Community Listening Session Initiative. The initiative is designed to gather candid, qualitative
feedback from volunteers, cast, crew, and members about their experience at LTA — and to translate that
feedback into actionable recommendations for the 2026–27 season and beyond.
An outside facilitator is essential to this work. Participants must feel confident that the conversations are
confidential and that their candor will not affect their standing with the organization. The consultant will bring an
objective lens that strengthens both the process and the credibility of the findings.
SCOPE OF WORK
• Review background materials provided by LTA, including post-production survey data from the 2025–26
season, the GMU marketing analysis summary, and all three student team reports
• Meet with key board members — President, Governor for Production, Governor for Membership, and
Governor for Seasonal Planning — to establish organizational context prior to session design
• Design listening session structure, discussion guides, and an anonymous written reflection exercise in
collaboration with LTA leadership
• Facilitate Phase 1 sessions with cast and crew from the 2025–26 season (July–August 2026), small groups
of 10–12 participants
• Facilitate Phase 2 sessions with LTA members, with intentional outreach to Millennial members (August–
September 2026), small groups of 10–12 participants
• Synthesize findings across all sessions into a written report with clear, actionable recommendations for
board review
• Present findings to the LTA Board of Governors in a virtual session following delivery of the written report
(September 2026)
MATERIALS & ACCESS PROVIDED BY LTA
• Post-production survey data, 2025–26 season cast and crew
• GMU marketing analysis summary memo and all three student team reports and presentation decks
• Introductory meetings with the Business Manager and four board members prior to session design
• Participant outreach and scheduling coordinated by LTA
• Venue coordination — sessions will be held at a private dining room at a local Alexandria restaurantTHE LITTLE THEATRE OF ALEXANDRIA • 600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 • thelittletheatre.com
TIMELINE
Milestone Target Date
Proposals due June 13, 2026
Consultant selected & engaged Late June 2026
Background review & board member
Late June – early July 2026
meetings
Session design finalized Early July 2026
Phase 1 sessions: cast & crew July – August 2026
Phase 2 sessions: members August – September 2026
Written report delivered to LTA Mid-September 2026
Virtual board presentation September 2026
COMPENSATION
LTA is a small nonprofit and we want to be transparent about what we are offering. We are targeting a consultant
fee of approximately $4,000. We recognize this is below standard market rates for facilitated qualitative research,
and we have structured a compensation package that we believe makes this engagement genuinely attractive to
the right consultant:
• Consultant fee of approximately $4,000
• Complimentary season subscription for two for the LTA 2026–27 season
• Acknowledgment in LTA playbills for the 2026–27 season
• Recognition on LTA’s lobby digital display board
• Permission to list LTA as a nonprofit and arts sector client on your website and in your marketing materials
We are looking for a consultant who sees value in this combination — meaningful work, a tangible deliverable,
and the opportunity to deepen or establish a portfolio in the nonprofit and arts community.
TO PROPOSE
Please send a brief expression of interest — no more than one page — describing your relevant experience and
your approach to this kind of work, along with any questions, to Luana Bossolo, Governor for Public Relations,
LTApr22314@gmail.com, by June 13, 2026. We will follow up promptly with all respondents.
