Chaplain opportunity now open with Philadelphia Department of Prisons

Chaplains play an essential role in addressing the spiritual, emotional, and personal development of incarcerated individuals. The Philadelphia Department of Prisons is looking for proposals from qualified Chaplains to provide consistent and equitable services across our facilities.

This is a professional services contract opportunity designed for ordained clergy. Successful contractors will be expected to:

• Provide direct pastoral care, counseling, and crisis intervention for incarcerated people and staff.
• Deliver or facilitate regular worship services, prayer groups, and faith-based events.
• Support religious volunteers and maintain accurate documentation of their participation.
• Respond to urgent needs such as end-of-life care, death notifications, and grief counseling.
• Collaborate with other Chaplains to ensure balanced scheduling and equitable access across faiths.
• Submit monthly reports and participate in ongoing planning and staff meetings with the Chaplaincy Services Director.
• Serve approximately 20 hours per week.

How to submit a proposal

All proposals must be submitted online using the eContractPhilly portal. Proposals submitted via email or other means will not be considered.

Deadline: October 28, 2025

• Proposals must be received no later than 5:00pm EST on October 28, 2025.

Find our opportunity

1. Visit the eContractPhilly portal and select "New Contract Opportunities" on the lefthand side of the page.
2. At the top of the page, use the Departments dropdown list to select "PRISONS". Then, select "Search".
3. Select contract #21250911093948 from the list. The status will be "Open" as long as we're accepting proposals.
4. Review the opportunity attachments, including the full RFP details and terms.
5. Select "Apply for Contract". You'll need to create an eContractPhilly account if you don't already have one.

Create an account

The eContractPhilly portal is set up for business proposals. However, individuals can also use it to submit proposals for open contracts. If this is your first time applying for an opportunity using eContractPhilly, you'll need to register an account. When you register, you'll be asked for your "Tax ID":

• If you're applying as an individual: enter your Social Security Number (SSN) without dashes as your Tax ID.
• If you're applying as a business, church, or organization: enter the organization's Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) as the Tax ID.

Tips for new contractors

Be sure to:

• Provide your correct Tax ID information. Your Tax ID determines how the City will pay you for contracted services and taxes to be paid. You cannot change this information later!
• Provide an accurate email address, and check your email regularly. If you submit a proposal, you'll receive communications about the opportunity via email.

Need more support?

If you need help using the eContractPhilly portal, you can:

• Email [email protected].
• Visit eContractPhilly and select "Instructions" from the menu at the top of the page to find an instruction manual, FAQs, and troubleshooting tips.

If you have questions about the chaplaincy opportunity and creating your proposal, email the official Request for Proposals (RFP) contact, Deborah Snyder, at [email protected].