Proposal Due:
Monday, December 1, 2025
RESERVATION OF RIGHTS: By submitting a proposal, the respondent understands and agrees
to the reservation of rights by Inland Counties Legal Services (ICLS) as listed in this Request for
Proposal. ICLS reserves the right to amend or cancel this Request for Proposal at any time.
Request for Proposal (RFP) NEEDS ASSESSMENT
for Inland Counties Legal Services
Introduction
ICLS, incorporated in 1958, is a nonprofit poverty law firm that has been providing free
legal services to lower income residents of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties for more than
60 years. ICLS provides legal services in the areas of landlord-tenant law, elder law, public
benefits, immigration, family, housing discrimination, consumer protection, health, federal tax
disputes and many other subject matter areas. ICLS has three branch offices, two in San
Bernardino County, and one in Riverside County, with presence in Superior Courthouses
throughout both counties. ICLS currently has over 160 employees.
Purpose of Needs Assessment:
The needs assessment will be used as a key strategic planning tool to assist in better
understanding how to best allocate resources, track and improve client/case outcomes, and
identify Riverside and San Bernardino counties’ most pressing needs in providing civil legal
services for its low-income client-eligible population.
The assessment will also be used to educate ICLS and other key stakeholders about the
issues and legal needs of low-income and vulnerable families in Riverside and San Bernardino
Counties, including government officials and relevant policy professionals, the California Bar
and its pro-bono attorneys, the media, as well as donors and funders.
Results of the completed needs assessment will help identify:
1) Predominant civil legal issues currently facing Riverside and San Bernardino Counties clienteligible
low-income population and whether those issues are being adequately addressed;
2) Demographic and other relevant trends likely to affect the legal needs of low-income
communities in the reasonably foreseeable future;
3) Populations (demographic and geographic) considered over-served, well-served, moderately
serviced, and underserved;
4) Barriers to civil legal aid services that eligible clients currently face when seeking assistance,
either when accessing a civil legal services attorney or navigating the court system on a pro-se
(self-represented) basis;
5) Barriers to eligible clients who need civil legal services but are unable to identify that the
problem they face has a resolution through civil legal help;
6) Whether particular services ICLS provides are duplicative and in need of consolidation,
reduction, or elimination;
7) How future funding, programming, and staff might be best allocated across the service area to
better serve eligible populations;
8) Whether technology should play a greater or different role in civil legal service delivery and if
so, how;
9) What constitutes effective consumer/client/stakeholder outreach in Riverside and San
Bernardino Counties for the civil legal services community;
10) The impact of specific legislative or court rule changes on the civil legal services target client;
and
11) What particular standardized data sets statewide civil legal aid providers, and the courts, could
collect in order to benchmark collective progress moving forward.
Request for Proposal (RFP)
ICLS has issued this Request for Proposal (RFP) from qualified companies, nonprofits,
academic institutions, and independent consultants (Respondent/Contractor) to conduct a
regional needs assessment of its service area as described in Section 1, above. The goal is to
select the most capable contractor offering the most competitive price.
Timeline/Due Dates:
RFP Release Date: 11/12/25
RFP Questions Deadline: 11/19/25
Response to RFP Questions: 11/25/25
Proposals Due to ICLS: 12/1/25
Notice of Award Released (on or before): 12/15/25
Contract Start Date: 2/1/26
Timeline of Deliverables:
February 16, 2026 – Identification of community partners, resources, and data collection –
including all surveys, focus groups, and interviews completed.
March 16, 2026– ICLS receives draft of community needs assessment report.
April 15, 2026– ICLS returns any comments on draft report.
May 1, 2026 – ICLS receives final community needs assessment report.
NOTES:
As part of the selection process, ICLS may conduct interviews with a shortlist of RFP
respondents being considered for this contract. ICLS must proceed through a fiscal process prior
to award. Should the announcement of the award be delayed due to this process, all respondents
will be advised as to the delay and anticipated release of Notice of Award.
Above-listed deadlines are an estimate. Actual deliverable deadlines will be negotiated
with the Respondent/Contractor. (There may be advantages to spreading the study over a longer
period; we will discuss this option with our shortlist of RFP respondents during the further
interview/negotiations.)
Project requirements and project objectives:
The qualified consultant will be responsible for the coordination of a fully completed
Community Needs Assessment that includes specific data and analysis in addition to the
following:
1) A Community Needs Assessment Report, with Executive Summary;
2) Collection of demographic data and analysis of population currently residing in the ICLS
service area (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) from multiple sources. This description
should include, but is not limited to data from the Census, Riverside and San Bernardino
Counties’ social service agencies, GIS data, ICLS case management system data, and data
gathered from conducting community forums, focus group meetings, community partner oneon-
one interviews and surveys, and client one-on-one interviews and surveys;
3) Collection of information from key sectors of the community to assess needs and resources.
These sectors would include at minimum: community-based organizations, faith-based
organizations, private sector, public sector, and government institutions;
4) Identify stakeholders for one-on-one interviews and focus groups. Interviews and discussions
should be conducted to contextualize research findings. Focus groups will need to be
conducted in other languages, including Spanish.
5) Stakeholder input of the needs within the communities and recommendations for further
addressing those needs;
6) An analysis of information collected directly from low-income individuals to assess needs and
resources;
7) Collection of current data specific to poverty and its prevalence related to gender, age,
disability, and race/ethnicity;
8) Collection and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data for each area served;
9) Description of key findings;
10) Collection and analysis of demographic, data and economic trends including, but not limited
to:
a) Basic needs trends (i.e. food, nutrition, housing, food, childcare, health costs,
transportation);
b) Population trends;
c) Location of low-income persons and seniors 60+;
d) Health (including pre-natal care, health insurance, immunizations, oral health, etc.)
e) Aging trends;
f) Household composition;
g) Type of disabilities;
h) Service providers for residents with disabilities;
i) Housing data: rental vs. ownership/affordable housing availability;
j) Transportation;
k) Technology comprehension and use (specifically related to remote service delivery).
11) Data Analysis and Presentations – The consultant will provide an in-depth analysis and
recommendations to assess ICLS’s success in meeting the needs and priorities of clients and
community members, including:
a) Demographics summary;
b) Process approach;
c) Results of survey and data collection at county, city, community partners, other nonprofits
and client levels including trend data if available;
d) Develop an asset map of existing community services in ICLS’s service area along with a
detailed description of those services. Additionally, identify other non-local community
services providers and the specific types of services delivered within the service area;
e) The analysis should determine services that are needed (and those not currently provided)
by ICLS and future trends (short-and-long term). The gap analysis should prioritize
services that ICLS should address as a result of research;
f) Formatted tables and charts illustrating major points;
g) Project findings, including an analysis of the match of demographics and current services
received by ICLS clients. This analysis will also include the language ability of the current
service area and the providers of services. Equity, diversity, and inclusion are a high
priority for ICLS;
h) Policy recommendations as a result of the research, short-and-long term trends and
analysis;
i) Conclusions; and
j) Presentations to ICLS’s Board and leadership team.
Timeline of Deliverables:
June 3, 2025 – Identification of community partners, resources, and data collection – including
all surveys, focus groups, and interviews completed.
July 1, 2025 – ICLS receives draft of community needs assessment report.
July 15, 2025 – ICLS returns any comments on draft report.
August 1, 2025 – ICLS receives final community needs assessment report.
Project budget: $20,000 – $30,000
A line-item budget will be required from consultants invited to prepare a Scope of Work.
Questions and required information:
1) Preference given to minority-owned and diverse firms.
2) Consultants with the capacity to conduct both the Community Needs Assessment and Strategic
Planning are encouraged to apply.
Selection Criteria:
The successful consultant will be chosen through a qualitative review of these factors. The
following criteria will be used to evaluate proposals received:
1) Companies should possess knowledge, expertise and experience in the planning, project
management, and execution of the services for which they are responding.
2) Experience and past performance.
3) Capability of proposed solution.
4) Cost of services provided.
The consultant will be selected solely by the judgment of ICLS. The final decision is the sole
decision of ICLS and the respondents to the RFP have no appeal rights or procedures guaranteed
to them. Vendor(s) selected will be evaluated in part on the ability to deliver products on time
and within budget, and their demonstrated understanding of the solution required based on their
responses and subsequent interviews.
Process:
Following receipt and review of the proposals, selected consultant(s) may be invited to an
interview at ICLS’s sole discretion based on the evaluation of each respondent’s proposal. ICLS
reserves the right to reject any and all responses, and to waive any irregularities of information in
the evaluation process. The selected consultant(s) will be given an opportunity to present their
proposal in detail. Those directly responsible for the design of this project will be expected to
attend. Although ICLS may conduct interviews to select among the final candidates, it is not
ICLS’s intent to seek extensive clarification of the proposals received. Therefore, it is to the
benefit of the respondent to provide an explicit, detailed, and complete discussion of the work in
the proposal.
The proposal should be organized in the following manner with the subject headings and
sequence indicated.
1) Introduction
2) Experience and Past Performance
3) Organization and Personnel
4) Proposed Solution(s) – Based on Description of Services
5) References
6) Pricing, Hourly Rates and Other Fees Please answer all questions in the format provided.
All final proposals and supplementary attachments must be emailed to Tessie Solorzano at
tsolorzano@icls.org by 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time (subject line: “ICLS Needs Assessment
Proposal”) on Monday, December 1, 2025. If the RFP respondent would like to send an
additional hard copy of the proposal or additional materials to supplement the e-mailed version,
please ensure delivery to: Inland Counties Legal Services, Attn: Tessie Solorzano, 1040 Iowa
Avenue, Suite 109, Riverside, CA 92507 by 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Monday, December 1, 2025.
Proposals must be formatted on letter-size paper. Each page should be numbered with the
RFP respondent’s name.
RFP respondents shall bear all costs associated with the proposal meeting(s), interview(s),
preparing, and submitting their bids. ICLS shall in no event be responsible or liable for those
costs.
Submitted responses to this RFP will become the property of ICLS. ICLS reserves the right
to use any and all ideas included in any response without incurring any obligations to the
responding consultant or committing to procurement of the proposed services.
Inquiries
Questions regarding this RFP are to be submitted to Tessie Solorzano,
tsolorzano@icls.org (subject line: “ICLS Assessment Questions”) by Wednesday, November 19.
Questions regarding this RFP will only be accepted by email at the e-mail address provided.
Supplementary Information
RFP respondents may find it useful to review the following links and documents before
submitting a proposal. If there is additional relevant information, RFP respondents would like to
review prior to submission of a proposal, please notify us.
Legal Services Corporation’s section on Comprehensive Needs Assessment and Priority Setting:
https://www.lsc.gov/i-am-grantee/model-practices-innovations/planstrategically/
comprehensive-needs-assessment-priority-setting
Common civil legal aid services provided by ICLS (Attachment A)
List of current nonprofit civil legal service providers and office locations in our service area
(Attachment B)
ATTACHMENT A
List of Common Civil Legal Services Provided to Client-eligible population (at or below 125%
of poverty or up to 200% of poverty with qualifying conditions):
Family Law
Provides assessment, legal advice, and representation in court on issues involving
contested custody/visitation, child support, spousal support, the division of assets and debts,
dissolution of marriage, establishment of a parental relationship (paternity) and domestic
violence (DV) also known as intimate partner violence (IPV).
Consumer Protection
Assists with a wide array of consumer protection issues, including medical debt, auto
fraud, debt defense, identity theft, fair credit reporting and bankruptcy protection. Defense in
lawsuits brought by collection agencies, garnishments and/or seizures, and Chapter 7
Bankruptcies. Represent in affirmative actions against creditors, when appropriate, pursuant to
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
Taxpayer Assistance
Representation of taxpayers before the IRS. Providing outreach and materials to
communities to assist with understanding and resolving tax issues. Advise eligible Riverside
County, San Bernardino County, and Nevada residents with IRS controversies/disputes during
consultations. If a taxpayer has a meritorious case, the LITC team will also represent taxpayers
in IRS Audits, litigate in Tax Court, advocate in the IRS Office of Appeals, and negotiate IRS
tax liabilities through Offer-in-Compromises. May also assist with similar CA Franchise Tax
Board issues if they are tangential to the IRS issue. Provide outreach and education on taxpayer
rights and responsibilities.
Housing
ICLS’ Housing Practice Group provides legal services to low-income tenants across
Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, with a focus on preventing displacement, preserving
affordable housing, and enforcing tenants’ rights. Services include:
Unlawful Detainer (Eviction Defense): Full-scope representation for tenants in unlawful
detainer (eviction) proceedings in both counties, including pre-litigation negotiation,
settlement assistance, trial representation, and post-judgment relief (e.g., motions to set
aside defaults or extend lockout dates). Assistance includes both Shriver-eligible and
non-Shriver-eligible clients, particularly where landlords are unrepresented or other
qualifying circumstances exist.
Tenant Landlord Hotline and Advice Clinics: Provides advice, brief services, and
referrals to tenants facing housing-related issues, including rent increases, habitability
problems, lease terminations, and lockouts.
Subsidized Housing Advocacy: Representation in administrative proceedings and
informal hearings related to Section 8 voucher terminations, denials, overpayment
demands, VASH vouchers, and other subsidized housing programs (including public
housing, LIHTC properties, and project-based vouchers).
Habitability and Repairs: Legal advice and representation to tenants facing substandard
living conditions, including issues related to mold, vermin, lack of utilities, and code
violations. Assistance may include demand letters, housing code enforcement referrals,
and affirmative litigation under the warranty of habitability and California Civil Code
§1941.1.
Fair Housing: Investigation and enforcement of rights under the Fair Housing Act,
California Fair Employment and Housing Act, and local ordinances for tenants
experiencing housing discrimination based on race, national origin, disability, gender
identity, sexual orientation, familial status, source of income, or other protected
characteristics.
Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protection: Legal assistance related to local and state rent
control and just cause eviction protections, including the California Tenant Protection Act
(AB 1482) and local ordinances (e.g., rent stabilization)
Mobilehome Residency Protections: Advocacy for residents in mobilehome parks,
including assistance with evictions, unlawful rent increases, park rule violations, and
enforcement of the Mobilehome Residency Law.
Foreclosure and Post-Foreclosure Evictions: Representation of former homeowners and
tenants in post-foreclosure evictions and advice on rights under the Protecting Tenants at
Foreclosure Act (PTFA).
Anti-Displacement Strategies: Partnership with community-based organizations and local
governments to prevent displacement of vulnerable tenants, including through targeted
outreach, community education, and participation in grant-funded initiatives such as the
Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) program.
Public Benefits
Income Maintenance: Disputes regarding CalWORKs cash aid benefits, Welfare-to-Work,
CalFresh (formerly known as Food Stamps), General Relief, Cash Assistance Program for
Immigrants (CAPI), Foster Care, Kin-GAP, and Adoption Assistance. Our services include
advice and representation at state and county administrative hearings.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI): Provides services to those who are applying for or
seeking to maintain Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”) and Social Security Disability
Insurance (“SSDI”) Benefits. In addition, the HDAP team provides advocacy services to
minors and clients enrolled in the Housing Disability Advocacy Program (HDAP).
California Unemployment Insurance Benefits Assistance: Advice and representation for
those needing assistance with California Unemployment Insurance Benefits. Providing
outreach and materials to those in the communities regarding UIB.
State Disability Insurance Benefits Assistance: Advice, limited scope legal services, and
representation for those needing assistance with the application or denial of State Disability
Insurance Benefits.
Education Rights
Help parents obtain assessments for special education services and advocate for families
at school meetings to ensure that children with special education needs are receiving a free and
appropriate public education and are making meaningful progress in their education.
Immigration
Provides limited-scope legal assistance and full affirmative and defensive representation
for survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and other forms of gender-based violence
and their families to obtain legal status through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) selfpetitions,
U and T visas, asylum, waivers, and other immigration benefits; migrant youth to
obtain Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), asylum, U and T visas, and other immigration
benefits; and immigrants before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for matters
such as adjustment of status, naturalization, asylum, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and
employment authorization documents.
Pro Bono
ICLS’ Pro Bono Program engages volunteer attorneys, paralegals, law students, and other
professionals to advance our mission of increasing access to high-quality legal services for
residents of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The Program operates several volunteerdriven
programs, including:
Expungement: Helping individuals reduce the barriers of past convictions through recordclearing
services. Volunteers review RAP sheets, prepare petitions, and support clients
through the legal process, offering life-changing opportunities for housing, employment,
and stability.
LGBTQ+ Services: Providing affirming legal support to LGBTQ+ individuals and
families. Volunteers assist with name and gender marker changes, immigration screenings,
and healthcare access, including for people living with HIV+/AIDS.
Guardianship: Supporting clients seeking legal guardianship of vulnerable loved ones.
Volunteers prepare court documents, address procedural issues, and represent clients
throughout the guardianship process.
Disaster Preparation and Response: Offering legal assistance before and after natural
disasters. Volunteers help with emergency planning, FEMA benefits, and legal issues
related to housing, employment, and access to services.
Small Business and Nonprofit: Strengthening local economic and community development
through legal support. Volunteers assist small businesses and nonprofits with formation,
contracts, compliance, and risk management.
The program also integrates volunteers across the organization to expand capacity in core
service areas, including Immigration, Public Benefits, Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, and
Systemic and Impact Litigation. In 2024, the Program worked with hundreds of volunteers
collectively donating thousands of hours of their time to support ICLS’ mission and serve our
community. ICLS also operates several law student programs that provide hands-on legal
experience and training, helping to prepare the next generation of attorneys to serve the Inland
Empire and beyond.
Health Law Practice Group
Provides health education and advocacy services to ensure that San Bernardino and
Riverside County residents have health coverage and can access needed services in a culturally,
linguistically, and otherwise accessible manner. The Health Law Practice Group elevates the
lessons learned from individual case advocacy to inform local, state, and federal decision-makers
regarding the issues that impact consumers. Our advocacy covers all forms of health coverage
programs and insurance, including Medi-Cal, Covered California, Medicare, Medicare Savings
Programs, Dual Special Needs Plans, County Medical Services, In-Home Supportive Services,
long-term care, and private and employer-sponsored insurance. Additionally, the Health Law
Practice Group assists clients with resolving billing issues, medical debt, and hospital financial
assistance programs.
Elder Law
The Elder Law Practice Group provides the highest level of legal assistance to empower,
educate, and enhance the lives of seniors aged 60 and over in our community who are in the
greatest social and economic need. We commonly assist in the following areas of law: estate
planning such as Advanced Health Care Directives, Powers of Attorney, Last Wills and
Testaments, Medi-Cal Estate Recovery, Revocable Transfer on Death Deeds, Transfer on Death
Beneficiary, Affidavits of Death of Joint Tenants, Small Estate Probate, and title changes;
Grandparent Visitation Rights; Elder Abuse, Domestic Violence, and Civil Harassment
Restraining Orders; Elder Abuse Scams and Fraud, including financial abuse; and Consumer
issues, including small claims court.
ATTACHMENT B
Inland Empire Latino Lawyers Association, 5041 La Mart Drive, Suite 210, Riverside, CA
92507
Riverside Legal Aid, 45561 Oasis, St, #101, Indio, CA 92201
Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino, 588 W 6th Street, San Bernardino, CA 92410
California Indian Legal Services 609 S. Escondido Blvd.
Escondido, CA 92025
California Rural Legal Assistance 1460 6th Street, Coachella, CA 92236
Disability Rights Legal Center, 1950 Third Street, LA Verne, CA 91750
TODEC, 234 S D Street, Perris, CA 92570