Fundraising Consultants
Lowering net costs, realizing more money, and securing larger donations are just a few of the advantages to hiring a professional fundraising consultant. But how can you know you're picking the right consultant for your organization?
Filled with invaluable information to help you identify, select, retain, and work with development/fundraising consultants, Fundraising Consultants includes practical advice, tips, guidelines, possible outcomes of consulting, exemplary stories, and other useful information for nonprofit organizations of any size considering the use of development/fundraising consultants.
Author Eugene Scanlana leading fundraising consultantoffers step-by-step guidance and resources to help you in your decision to use consultants, and then shows you how to go about getting the right one for the job. Its numerous case studies and practical toolsincluding sample invitation letters to consultants, sample requests for proposal, sample consulting budgets, samples of reports, and recommendationsequip you to implement the concepts introduced in the book.
Part of the AFP/Wiley Fund Development Series, this guide covers everything you need to know to make critical decisions for selecting and working with fundraising consultants and explores:
- The request for proposal
- Where to find the best consultant
- Using the Internet and other sources in your search
- The proposal for services
- Pre- and post-proposal interviews
- Selecting the right consultant
- Drawing up a contract
- Working with your consultant
Brimming with ideas, concepts, and information that will help you and your organization through the consultant selection and working process, Fund-raising Consultants reveals what your nonprofit should look for when considering hiring a consultant or firm.
Intended as a guide for any nonprofit organization considering hiring a consultantto help the organization see if it is ready to raise money, to assist it in raising money, and/or accomplish the goals a good fundraising consultant can help the organization achieve Fundraising Consultants is your insider guide to using fundraising consultants effectively.
Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments xv
About the Author xvii
Introduction xix
CHAPTER 1 No, We Don’t Need a Consultant! 1
Summary 24
CHAPTER 2 Yes, We Really Need a Consultant! 25
Summary 54
CHAPTER 3 What Should We Do First? 55
Step One: Know Your Organization 55
Step Two: Identify Your Organization’s Real Needs 57
The Next Internal Steps 59
Some Possible Alternative Arrangements 61
Summary 69
CHAPTER 4 The Request for Proposal—A Short Introduction 71
The Written External RFP 71
The Written Internal RFP 72
The Unwritten Consensus RFP 72
Advantages of the Internal RFP and
RFP Contents 73
Summary 76
CHAPTER 5 Finding Consultants—Where Are They? 77
They’re Everywhere, They’re Everywhere! 77
Using Your Own Organization as a Source 79
Asking Other Organizations 81
Using Workshops, Seminars, and Conferences as Sources 81
Professional Organizations as Sources 84
Professional Organizations of Consultants as Sources 85
Using the Internet 87
Summary 87
CHAPTER 6 Information, Please! 89
Three Ways to Find Consultants: A Quick Review 89
Using the Consultant’s Web Site or Printed Materials 91
Using Examples of the Consultant’s Work 99
Reference Checks as Critical Sources 100
Using Informal Contacts with Colleagues 103
Using Colleagues Active in Professional Associations 103
Using an Online Search Engine 104
Summary 104
CHAPTER 7 The Proposal for Services 107
Overview of Proposals 107
Objectives of Proposals 108
A Sample Proposal Outline 109
Analyzing the Proposal’s Content 112
Who Does What 114
Confidentiality 115
Fee and Expense Structures in Proposals 116
Timelines 120
Who Will Deliver the Services 121
Reviewing and Editing Materials 121
Registration and Contract Filing Issues 123
Legal or Ethical Disclosure 123
Solicitor Registration 124
Product/Outcome Definition 124
Seeking a Revised Proposal and Negotiating 125
Summary 126
CHAPTER 8 The Interview 127
Overview of Interviews 127
Focus of Preproposal Interviews 127
Focus of Postproposal Interviews 135
Alternative Interview Methods 137
Summary 138
CHAPTER 9 Selection and the Contract 139
Importance of Group Process 139
Contract Preparation Alternatives 140
Contents of Consultant-Prepared Contracts 142
Review of Contracts by Attorneys 143
Summary 144
CHAPTER 10 Working with Your Consultant 145
Keeping Focused on the Project 145
Consulting Partnerships 146
The Staff Trap 148
The First Day and First Steps 150
Materials for Review 151
Sharing Unwritten Information 154
Working Arrangements 155
Timelines and Meeting Review 155
Procedures Defined 157
Defining a Process for Written Materials Review 158
The Case 159
Letter of Invitation to Prospective Interviewees 160
Interview Questionnaire 161
Campaign Materials 162
Policies and Procedures 163
Meeting Materials 164
Training Materials 165
Prospecting Materials 165
Other Written Materials 166
Consultants as Creative Resources 166
Events 167
General Advice and Counsel 168
Some General Considerations 169
Keeping the Consultant Informed 171
Planning and Scheduling 172
Meetings and Conference Calls 173
Your Consultant’s Other Skills 174
Dealing with Issues 176
Payment Issues 179
Some Background Points 180
Summary 182
CHAPTER 11 Wrap-up and After 183
The Consultant Always Leaves 183
Delivering the Report and Recommendations 183
What’s Next? 184
When Nothing Happens 185
Ensuring Follow-through 185
End-of-Campaign Debriefings 186
Summary 189
CHAPTER 12 Conclusions 191
Some Final Thoughts 191
Who Gets the Credit? 192
The Best Fundraising Consultant 193
Additional Selected Readings 197
AFP Code of Ethical Principles and Standards 203
A Donor Bill of Rights 204
Index 205
