Fundraising Consultants
Consultants have become a fixture in our modern world, prominent in many fields. Do you need to hire one for your fundraising efforts? Perhaps. The size and scope of the nonprofit organization is one determining factor. Another factor is the success or failure of recent fundraising efforts. Finally, there is the magnitude of what you are trying to accomplish in conjunction with the resources and manpower you have.
If you want to take on a fundraising activity much larger (or much different) than any other you've done before, some professional advice might be very welcome. In some cases, an organization is pressed for time because they have ongoing work to do in conjunction with the fundraising activities — this might also be reason to meet with a fundraising consultant.
According to the Association of Fundraising Professionals, organizations increasingly retain consultants for a range of services from special-event coordination and targeted fundraising campaigns to administrative functions. It is important to work with professionals who are both cost efficient and who help your organization meet its goals. To that end, get references before hiring a consultant.
Some fundraisers will ask for a percentage of the profits. This request, on top of a flat salary, should not be granted. However, if it's a choice between a set rate or paying a small sum plus a percentage of your profits, then you join an ongoing and sometimes heated debate.
There are staunch opponents of the idea of paying a fundraising consultant based on the success of the event. They believe the costs should be fixed and the dollars raised should go to the cause, not to a vendor. There are others, however, who feel such a percentage-induced arrangement provides incentives for the consultant to work harder.
Find out if a consultant has worked with your type of organization in the past and with your kind of fundraiser. Some consultants deal with government grants, while some deal with day-to-day operations, and others deal with special-event planning. Make sure to get the right consultant on board. Always check references.
Do keep in mind that the people contributing to a fundraiser are contributing to a cause or goal that is posted. As soon as money goes for something else, whether it is to pay a consultant or to cover some internal cost of the nonprofit group, you may find the donors very unhappy. After all, they pledged $50 to help abused children, not to see the money go to a highly paid consultant.
Of course, the other side of the argument is that paying on commission is fair. That way, you spend more money only if the results of the consultant's preliminary work bring in benefits. This is a choice you will have to make if you decide to hire a professional consultant.
