Soapbox Engage Blog

With all the moving parts involved in planning, launching, and managing successful fundraising campaigns, new nonprofit leaders can easily get overwhelmed. You may stick to the same fundraising strategy your nonprofit has outgrown or struggle to determine how to improve.

If you’re ready to scale your organization’s fundraising but feel underequipped or unsure where to start, hiring a consultant could be the right next move. These experts have the tools, expertise, and bandwidth to help your organization improve its fundraising strategy and thrive long-term.

However, consultants come in all shapes and sizes, and some board members are wary of hiring outside professionals. To set yourself up for success, your nonprofit should prepare for all that partnering with a fundraising consultant entails before you dive in. Use these tips to lay the groundwork for a healthy working relationship with your consultant.

Table of Contents

1. Be upfront about your needs and goals.
2. Find a consultant who shares your values.
3. Explain the consultant’s value to your board.
4. Be ready to enter a true partnership.

1. Be upfront about your needs and goals.

Everyone on your team—including your consultant—should be on the same page about what services you need and how you want to shape your organization’s strategic fundraising. What are the strengths and weaknesses of your current strategy? Why did you choose to seek a consultant’s help to improve it? What aspects of your strategy do you want to collaborate on?

The answers to these questions will help you determine what services to look for and what goals to set for the engagement. Some services that fundraising consultants frequently offer include:

• Campaign strategy development: Your consultant helps craft a detailed plan for launching a specific campaign, such as a capital campaign.


• Training for staff or board members: If you want to focus on developing your team’s skills for long-term fundraising improvements, a consultant can facilitate training on fundraising strategies and best practices.


• Prospect research: These consultants provide in-depth research and advisory services to organizations seeking to identify and secure additional major donors.


• Transitional development staffing: If you need to hire a full-time staff member but don’t have the time or resources to do so, a consultant can temporarily fill that role and help you manage the hiring process. Ongoing fundraising support: Some consultants offer long-term support, such as providing advice throughout a 2+ year capital campaign.

Based on these general services and initial discussions with your nonprofit’s leadership, clarify exactly what you need from a consultant. For example, say you’re overwhelmed with year-end fundraising and recently lost a few major donors. You might look for a consultant who can help you develop a year-end campaign strategy and step in as a temporary major gifts officer to get your major giving program back on its feet.

Once you know your needs and goals, discuss them openly with your chosen consultant. You should have these conversations before you hire a consultant (during initial interviews) and throughout your engagement with them to ensure everyone stays focused and aligned.

2. Find a consultant who shares your values.

You’ll likely work with a consultant for an extended period, so it’s important to choose someone who not only believes in your nonprofit’s mission but also shares similar values, communication styles, and approaches to working together. When you have shared fundraising philosophies, working together to achieve your goals becomes much easier.

For instance, say that you work for a forward-thinking nonprofit that’s excited to start prioritizing non-cash giving methods and new technologies in its strategy. You should choose a consultant with a similar mindset—someone who’s open to and familiar with emerging giving trends like donor-advised funds and stock donations.

To find out if a consultant shares your organization’s values, take the following steps during the hiring process:

1. Explore the consultant’s About page, case studies, and blog posts on their website to learn about their fundraising philosophy.
2. Discuss their approach to fundraising and consulting in your initial meetings and interviews.
3. Ask the consultant for references, then call them to learn more about the consultant’s values and consulting style.

In addition, when meeting with candidates, discuss your own approach to fundraising. Explain what methods have worked well for your nonprofit in the past and what your organization is or is not open to exploring.

3. Explain the consultant’s value to your board.

It’s crucial to get your board of directors on board with your new consultant early—they must be willing to work together and listen to their honest feedback and advice.

This is especially true if you plan to take advantage of a consultant’s board development services to improve your board’s fundraising capabilities. As Donorly’s capital campaign consultant guide explains, certain fundraising consultants can support your board by offering:

• Fundraising training for board members
• Committee development for major campaigns
• Major donor solicitation tips and best practices
• Campaign strategy development

To secure your board’s buy-in, prepare several arguments for why your organization needs a consultant and how they can help your nonprofit grow. Think about it from a board member’s perspective and consider your nonprofit’s current strategic goals. How will hiring a consultant help you further those goals?

With your reasoning and the benefits outlined, add hiring a consultant as a discussion point in the next board meeting agenda so they expect the conversation. Kwala recommends including relevant information in your board report or agenda so board members can peruse it ahead of time. This might include a link to the consultant’s website, their proposal, or a tentative action plan for working together.

4. Be ready to enter a true partnership.

Finally, remember that a fundraising consultant is not just an outside party looking into your organization—they’re a valuable partner in your nonprofit’s journey to fundraising success. Prepare to be honest with them about your challenges or concerns, open to their feedback, and willing to provide any resources they may need to help you.

For example, if you want your consultant to revamp your organization’s marketing strategy to attract more donors, you’ll need to provide them with resources like your current marketing collateral, branding guide, engagement metrics, etc. If you use the consultant’s prospect research services, they may need access to your database or certain donor data to analyze their giving capacities.

Your consultant will also likely ask you to agree to certain partnership expectations, such as attending monthly meetings and responding to their emails within 48 hours. You’ll only get as much out of the relationship as you put in, so be ready to commit to the partnership fully.

---

Whether you want to boost your online fundraising revenue or completely redesign a campaign plan, the right fundraising consultant can help you reach your goals. Keep these tips in mind to start your new partnership off strong, and you’ll pave the way for long-term fundraising success.