Non-profit organisations rely on donations and funding to carry out their missions and serve their communities. However, securing funding can be a daunting task, especially for smaller charities who may not be able to afford to hire a full-time fundraiser. That’s where a fundraising consultant or freelancer can help.
In this blog we will use the terms consultant and freelancer interchangeably, but check out our blog on “Fundraising Consultant vs Freelance Fundraiser: What’s the difference?” to find out more about how the two terms are used.
What is a Fundraising Consultant?
Fundraising consultants may work independently or as part of a consulting firm. They typically have extensive experience in fundraising and may have specific expertise in certain areas, such as major gifts, grant writing, or capital campaigns.
Freelance fundraisers can be hired for short-term projects or longer-term engagements, depending on the needs of the organisation.
What Does a Fundraising Consultant Do?
Different organisations have different needs. Some may already have a small fundraising team and they need an expert to drive strategic growth and change. Some may have done very little fundraising and need someone to come in and write as many grant applications as possible.
It’s up to you! But here are some of the common tasks a Fundraising Consultant might do:
Conducting a Fundraising Assessment
A fundraising consultant may begin by conducting an assessment of the organisation’s current fundraising efforts. This assessment will identify strengths and weaknesses in the organisation’s fundraising plan and suggest ways to improve.
Developing a Fundraising Strategy
Based on the assessment, a fundraising consultant will work with the organisation to develop a fundraising plan tailored to their needs and goals. The plan may include specific strategies for major gifts, grant writing, direct mail campaigns, online giving, or other fundraising methods.
Individual Giving
One of the most challenging aspects of fundraising is identifying potential donors. A fundraiser can use a variety of research tools and techniques to identify and prioritise potential donors and create a donor database. They will then develop fundraising appeals with the aim of triggering an emotional response that leads to donations. This type of work requires the fundraiser to be a talented persuasive writer.
Organise Fundraising Events
Race nights, galas, auctions and challenge events; there is a certain set of skills required to run a successful fundraising event. All involve event planning, volunteer management, marketing, time management, and a knack for getting things for free!
Partnership Management
Partnership Managers develop relationships with businesses and other organisations for the benefit of both the charity and the charity partners. Some partnership managers also conduct major donor fundraising, i.e. seeking sponsorship from high net-worth individuals.
Training and Coaching of Staff and Volunteers Fundraising consultants can train and coach the organisation’s staff and volunteers on how best to execute the fundraising strategy. The type of training will depend on the needs of the organisation, but could include fundraising pitches, how to cultivate relationships with donors, handling donor objections, event planning, how to write appeals, etc.
So how do I know which service I need?
I would always recommend that you contact several fundraising consultants and freelancers and find out what they can offer you. They may be somewhat inclined to steer you in the direction of wherever specialised expertise is, but most will give you fairly impartial advice. If they think you need something that they can’t offer, they will point you in the direction of someone who can.
You could also ask a fundraiser at another charity for advice if you aren’t sure where to start.
In terms of Ochil Fundraising’s offering, we are more ‘do-ers’ than strategisers (although we do plenty of both). Our speciality is working with small Scottish charities who either need an overall fundraising boost or who need someone to write their funding bids for them.
For more details, take a look at our Kickstart Your Fundraising service and our Grant Writing service.
