Fundraising is a vital part of every charity’s strategy; it enables them to continue delivering life-changing and life-saving work. Yet, fundraising can be a complex and challenging endeavour, and often charity founders find this increasingly takes up too much of their time and resources. Unfortunately, hiring a full-time fundraiser to take on this load isn’t an option for many small charities; they simply can’t afford it. This is where hiring a fundraising consultant comes into play.
Larger charities may already have some fundraisers within their team but feel they need some specialist expertise for a limited period of time to improve their fundraising strategy or output. Once again, hiring a fundraising consultant could be the answer.
However, before you take the leap and hire a fundraising consultant, there are some crucial steps to consider. This blog will explore what fundraising consultants are, the roles they can play, the importance of preparation, and the questions you should ask to ensure a successful partnership.
What is a Fundraising Consultant?
Fundraising consultants are experienced professionals who provide specialised guidance and expertise to charities and nonprofit organisations, to help them generate funds effectively. A great consultant is well-versed in the intricacies of fundraising, having honed their skills through years of experience in the field.
However, you can’t just hire any consultant; they all have a different set of skills and specialities. Most offer a range of services, tailored to the specific needs of their clients. Here are some of the various roles a fundraising consultant can take on:
1. Bid Writing
Fundraising consultants can assist in preparing grant applications, ensuring they are well-crafted and compelling to potential funders. This is also known as Trusts and Grants or Trust and Foundations fundraising.
2. Strategy Development
They help organisations formulate a comprehensive fundraising strategy, outlining objectives, timelines, and key performance indicators.
3. Corporate Fundraising
Consultants can guide charities in building relationships with corporate partners and developing strategies for securing corporate donations.
4. Individual Giving
These experts specialise in cultivating individual donors and crafting targeted campaigns to encourage personal contributions.
5. Digital Fundraising
Fundraising consultants can navigate the digital landscape, helping organisations harness the power of online platforms for fundraising campaigns.
6. Interim Cover
In times of transition, parental leave or absence within an organisation, consultants can step in temporarily to provide continuity in fundraising efforts.
7. Event Management
They are skilled in planning and executing successful fundraising events, from fun runs to charity auctions.
8. Mentoring or Coaching
Consultants can mentor your in-house fundraising team, helping them build their skills and expertise.
9. Case for Support Writers
If your charity lacks a compelling case for support, consultants can craft a persuasive document outlining your mission, impact, and funding needs.
10. Major Donor Giving
Experts in cultivating relationships with major donors who can provide substantial financial support.
11. Legacy Giving
Consultants can help charities develop and promote legacy giving programs for long-term financial sustainability.
12. Capital Appeals
For organisations embarking on significant capital projects i.e. to build a new centre or renovate a building, fundraising consultants can assist in raising the necessary funds. Often this involved a mixture of bid writing, major donor fundraising and corporate fundraising.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Fundraising Consultant
Before starting the process of hiring a fundraising consultant, it’s essential to reflect on your organisation’s previous fundraising experiences and understand what has worked and what hasn’t. This self-reflection can provide valuable insights for your future collaboration with a fundraising consultant and help you answer the following questions…
1. Do we Need a Specialist or an All-Rounder?
The first question to address is whether you need a specialist or an all-rounder. Some organisations may require a consultant with a specific skill set, such as grant writing or major donor cultivation, while others may benefit from a consultant with a broader skill set. Consider your organisation’s immediate and long-term fundraising needs, what you have done previously, and your current strategy.
2. Where Should They Focus Their Time?
To maximise the consultant’s impact, clarify where you want them to concentrate their efforts. Should they focus on grant writing, corporate partnerships, or individual giving? Do you have administrative support for the consultant or will you expect them to update your database, send thank you letters etc?
3. Who Will Handle Research and Development of Project Budgets?
This is an important one for any charity hiring a bid writer. Successful trusts and grants fundraising relies on detailed research and well-defined project budgets which take a lot of time to develop. Clarify whether your organisation or the fundraising consultant will be responsible for conducting research and developing these budgets, or if it will be a collaborative effort. If you are expecting the consultant to do this, it will impact their ROI initially.
4. What do you Want to Achieve?
Define your fundraising goals and objectives. Be clear about the financial targets you hope to achieve with the consultant’s assistance. Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals is crucial. Be prepared that when you approach a consultant, they may advise that you adjust your targets.
6. How Will you Monitor and Quantify Success?
Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) or other methods for measuring the consultant’s success. This could include tracking the number of successful grant applications, the amount of funds raised, or the growth in your donor base.
7. How Quickly do you Need the Funds to Be Raised? What is Realistic?
Be realistic about your fundraising timeline. Great fundraising takes time. For instance, the first year you run an in-house event, your aim may simply be to break even. Often you have to run the event for a few years to start making a real profit. For trust and grants fundraising, it is unlikely that you will receive many major donations within the first six months, which is why many consultants ask for a six-month (or more) minimum contract.
8. How is your Record Keeping?
Do you have a system in place to keep track of your fundraising efforts, including applications, donor communications, and reporting? Effective record-keeping is essential for future success. Your consultant is likely to ask you for a lot of data when they start, so if you can prepare all of this in advance, it will speed things up.
What to Prepare Before Hiring a Fundraising Consultant
Before engaging a fundraising consultant, it’s crucial to have a few key elements in place:
1. Case for Support and Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
Develop a compelling case for support that highlights your mission, impact, and funding needs. Identify your unique selling proposition that sets your charity apart. Unless of course, this is what you are hiring the fundraiser to do!
2. Defined Projects and Detailed Budgets
Create clear project proposals and detailed budgets for which you require funding. Specify how many people benefit from your services and how the funding will enhance their lives. This one is mostly for funding applications but project budgets are also useful for community fundraising and individual giving as it can strengthen the case for support. At Ochil Fundraising, we send all of our clients our Project Plan Template which we require them to complete before we begin our work.
3. Robust Monitoring and Evaluation Procedures
Establish strong monitoring and evaluation procedures to track the impact of your work. Collect data, testimonials, and case studies to illustrate the difference you are making.
4. Organisational Policies
Ensure you have policies in place that reflect best practices in safeguarding, equal opportunities, diversity, and inclusion. Demonstrating a commitment to fair work practices is also essential.
5. Financial Compliance
Keep your financial records up to date, submit them to relevant authorities on time, and have your annual report ready to provide transparency about your organisation’s activities.
6. Sustainability Initiatives
Consider how your charity is improving its sustainability and protecting the environment – many funders will ask about this.
7. Create a “Shopping List” or Sponsorship Tariffs
Create a list of things that supporters can fund e.g. “£50 will pay for one counselling session for a young person who is struggling in school”; “450 will fund our community workshops for a whole week”. This helps your consultant quantify how your supporters can make a difference. The price points will depend on the type of fundraising you are doing.
8. Visual Materials: Pictures, Quotes, and Case Studies
Visual materials, such as photographs, videos, quotes from beneficiaries, and case studies, are powerful storytelling tools. They bring your organisation’s work to life and allow potential donors to connect on a more emotional level. Collecting these materials in advance will enable your consultant to incorporate them into your fundraising campaigns, making them more compelling and relatable. It is well worth investing in a professional photographer.
9. Consult with Beneficiaries and the Local Community
Your beneficiaries and the local community play a pivotal role in your organisation’s success. Before hiring a fundraising consultant, consult with those you serve and the local community to ensure that the work you plan to undertake aligns with their needs and desires. Their insights and support can bolster your fundraising efforts by demonstrating community involvement and endorsement.
Preparing to Hire a Fundraising Consultant
The tasks outlined in this blog might seem overwhelming! But if there is anything you aren’t sure about, you can hold off until you have a consultant in mind and ask them for help. They will be able to guide you on how to best prepare for their start date.
So, how do you find one? There are several avenues to explore when searching for fundraising consultants. Of course, we can help you with a number of areas of fundraising, you can find out which services we offer on our homepage. But if we aren’t the right fit, here are a few places we recommend you look:
LinkedIn: Find fundraising consultants by using the search function or advertise the position on the platform.
Think: Think is an organisation that specialises in providing consultancy services to nonprofits and charities. They offer a platform where you can connect with experienced consultants who can assist with various aspects of fundraising.
Facebook Groups: There are numerous Facebook groups dedicated to the nonprofit sector and fundraising. These groups often have members who are fundraising consultants or experts willing to offer advice and services. Look out for job threads to post on.
Hiring a fundraising consultant can be a game-changer for your organisation, but it is essential to be well-prepared before taking that step. By addressing the key preparations outlined in this blog, you can set your organisation on the path to fundraising success.
If you would like to find out more about what Ochil Fundraising can do for you, book a discovery call.
