In your search for fundraising support, you will have likely come across two different ways to describe fundraisers who aren’t employed in-house; Fundraising Consultants and Freelance Fundraisers. The former can be an individual or a consultancy firm, whereas a freelancer is usually a sole trader (although they can sometimes be represented by firms).
Although the two are technically different, there is a great deal of overlap in the type of work
done by the two camps. ‘Consultant’ is used more often even by those who fall into the freelance category, simply because it sounds more professional. You may even come across those who call themselves “Freelance Fundraising Consultants.”
However, it is still helpful to know the difference, because this can help you figure out exactly what type of support you need. If you understand the different ways you can outsource your fundraising function, you are likely to build a better relationship with the service provider, and get the right service for your charity.
Fundraising Consultant
A fundraising consultant is a person, or organisation, who provides advice and guidance on your fundraising strategy. They may build you a full strategy from scratch, review and update your existing fundraising strategy, or they may focus on one area of the strategy such as fundraising events or online donations.
If you enter into a contract that is strictly consultancy based, you shouldn’t expect the fundraiser to do any hands-on fundraising. Their role is to use their experience to build you an effective strategy, that has the potential to raise significant funds. It is then up to your team of staff and volunteers to execute the strategy. This type of contract is common with larger charities that have a team of fundraising staff, but that need special expertise for a short period of time (often 3 months to a year.)
However, many consultants will carry out fundraising tasks and raise funds while in post. It is vital that both parties understand expectations on this before you begin your contract.
Freelance Fundraising
The definition of a freelance fundraiser is less defined. This can mean doing any type of fundraising-related work on a non-employed basis. Usually, however, those who class themselves as a Freelance Fundraiser will spend most of their time actually doing the fundraising. Although in many cases, they will advise on strategy too.
There are a wide variety of freelance fundraisers, many of whom are bid writers (i.e. they apply to foundations and trusts for grants). You will also find event planners, community managers, corporate partnership experts, major donor specialists, digital fundraising gurus… this list goes on. More and more fundraising professionals are moving into freelance work so you will find a specialist to suit any specific need you have, as well as plenty of all-rounders.
Why are so many making the switch to freelance? Well, that’s a whole other article… and perhaps a little too political to discuss here!
So which is right for you?
It should be fairly clear from a consultant or freelancer’s website which type of services they offer, but you will find that most offer a mix between consultancy and freelancing.
The question, therefore, isn’t ‘Which type should I work with?’, instead it’s ‘What type of support do I need?’
During a discovery call with the fundraiser, you should be able to gauge which type of support they are more inclined to offer, but it is in your terms of reference and/or contract where you need to set out your expectations very clearly.
Setting Fundraising Targets
We recommend setting specific, time-based targets for your consultant/freelancer. These can be strategy-based targets such as “The first draft of the Individual Giving section should be complete by 30th September”; action targets such as “Four email newsletters should be sent each year” or financial targets; “Raise £1,000 from online donations in 6 months”.
However, do expect to discuss and revise these targets. Remember that you are hiring an expert, so they are more likely to know what is and what isn’t achievable.
What do we do?
Ochil fundraising tends towards actually doing the fundraising over strategy development. While we will offer strategic guidance and advice, we are unlikely to take a consultancy-only contract where we aren’t responsible for raising any funds whatsoever.
The reason for this is that our speciality is working with small charities that have limited capacity. Most don’t have a fundraiser employed on a permanent basis. If we produced a 30-page strategy document and told your small, extremely busy team to action it all after we had left, chances are it would get shoved in a desk drawer and forgotten about.
We want to make sure that we leave you in a better position than when you started. In many instances, our goal is to build up your fundraising streams and raise enough money so that you can hire an in-house fundraiser, perhaps on a part-time basis.
We will leave you with a strategy that a more junior fundraiser can easily follow and succeed with, and we can provide support over the transition period where we mentor your in-house fundraiser, building up their confidence so they can go it on their own.
So… are we a consultant or a freelancer? Ochil Fundraising is both! But we like to think of ourselves as much more active and involved than the average consultant.
Should I work with a consultant or a freelancer?
There are a few reasons why you might want to hire a consultant or freelancer:
- You have a small team of fundraisers but need some expert strategy advice to provide more guidance
- You want support with a specific area of fundraising which your team doesn’t have a lot of experience in
- You are a very small charity and don’t have the budget to employ a full-time or part-time in-house fundraiser yet
- You need to bring in extra help quickly to help fund a major project or fill a gap within your team
- You are struggling to recruit and need someone to keep things going temporarily
Whatever the reason, working with a freelance or consultant fundraiser can be a cost-effective way to raise a great deal of funds. It gives the flexibility that many charities need and gives back valuable time to the rest of your staff.
