Hiring a Nonprofit Fundraising Consultant – What They Do
Chances are if you’re a non-profit fundraiser, you’re overworked, overwhelmed, and looking for a light at the end of a tunnel filled with annual appeals, donor demands, and operational needs. Is a fundraising consultant the light at the end of the tunnel? Quite possibly!
Chances also are that if you’re reading this you’re curious as to what a fundraising consultant even does, and how they shine light into your corner of the world.
Perhaps most important they provide knowledge and experience spanning the entire world of philanthropy that can establish firm footing under your weary feet. If you need it, they know it, and can help you build it out for your program.
They will help you determine which direction you should be going in and walk that path with you. Sure, they should provide templates, resources, and examples so you don’t have to recreate well rounded wheels, but more importantly, they should be able to decipher what will work best for your organization and the mission that you’re trying to further or sustain.
Consultants should be thought of as hiring several FTEs with deep expertise in areas you need help in, think major giving, planned giving, annual appeals, employee giving, grateful family program development, weaving a culture of philanthropy into your organization, cultivating and stewardship programs, recognition programs, collateral development, personal development, “ask” training, volunteer development, board engagement, board giving, etc. This barely scratches the surface of the depth of fundraising knowledge a consultant should be bringing to your organization but gives you a good start.
If you’re reading this and thinking “a couple extra FTEs” sounds great, but that’s not in the budget, and I don’t have time to train them anyway, and where do we even find qualified individuals with that breadth of knowledge?
A consultant might be just what you’re looking for, they work for YOU to help YOU be successful in a highly competitive fundraising world. They help you hyperfocus on the fundraising part of your job, helping you to become efficient, successful, and confident in your role which allows you to help your organization’s mission truly shine in the eyes of your constituents.
Ok, ok, you’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. A fundraising consultant might be just what you’re looking for, now what?
Find the right fit. A fundraising consultant should become part of your team, working closely with you, your board, and your leadership to empower philanthropy within your organization. The same as you would if you were hiring a new employee, make sure the firm and the consultant you’ll be working with is a good “fit”. Do you like them personally? Are they easy to talk to and understand? Would they fit in well with your organization, both internally and externally?
Do they have a strong track record? Check their references, phone a friend. Don’t just take their word for it, make sure that prior clients and current clients are getting their money’s worth. Consultants are a great investment if they’re good at what they do. As compared to hiring actual FTEs, which oftentimes isn’t in the budget, you can hire a consultant for a fraction of the cost, no need to pay benefits, approve PTO, onboard, train, and even better, you hit the ground running with them on day one.
Make sure that the person you would be working with is a good fit (and a good person wouldn’t hurt either) and also, take a look to see that their other clients are happy with their performance. Chances are that if they’re great at making other clients lives easier and increasing their fundraising revenue by leaps and bounds, you’ll find that to be the case for you as well.
Fundraising consultants are your greatest allies, your most valuable players, and the ones in your corner hyping you up before a big ask. They should be able to immerse themselves in your company’s culture and be your right hand, no matter what it is you need help with as you’re charged with unleashing the power of philanthropy for your mission.
At PRIDE Philanthropy, we do just that, and we invite you to take a look and talk with someone on our team about how you can start to see that lovely light and come into the bright beautiful world of generosity and giving.
