How to pick a consultant for your nonprofit

Whether you’re working on growing your donor base or are in need of ways to refresh your tried-and-true tactics and strengthen your board, a nonprofit consultant can be the objective perspective you need to enhance your nonprofit’s strategy across the board (and achieve goals that might ordinarily be out of reach).

With the help of a professional consultant, there’s no limit to what your organization can accomplish. Even so, searching for the right consultant can be a challenge in and of itself.

The right consultant can help you bring in more donations during your upcoming project, but more importantly, they can also bring a new energy to your organization that shakes up your strategy and rejuvenates your team’s dedication to the cause. This is honestly so much more important for sustainability and growth.

Before you start looking for a consultant, take some time to understand your organization and decide where a consultant should fit in by answering these questions as a team:

What are your nonprofit’s strengths and weaknesses? Look at past projects to see where you traditionally shine and where you fall short. For example, if you consistently plan packed fundraising events that bring in major dollars, it might not be the best use of resources to find a consultant who specializes in event planning. However, if you haven’t gone through a strategic board retreat or had a deep-dive into your bylaws and other legal documents lately, you might want to bring in someone who can help you!

What are your nonprofit’s short- and long-term goals? After you’ve identified areas where you could improve your operations or strategies, form actionable goals around them. You’ll need primary goals as well as secondary goals that serve as benchmarks along the way.

Is your nonprofit prepared to work with a consultant? A consultant might seem like the magic fix, but working with a consultant is just that: work…and for everyone who serves your nonprofit. Make sure you have time to give this partnership, as well as the budget and board-backing to support bringing on a new team member.

In answering these questions, you should have a rough sketch of your consultant strategy—that is, what you want to do and how a consultant can help you do it.

This strategy will serve as the jumping off point for your consulting partnership and can point you in the right direction as you search for the perfect choice.

What to do when you’ve found “the one” nonprofit consultant for you: Once you’ve settled on a top choice, you’ll need to meet again (before signing any contracts) to establish guidelines and expectations for the relationship.

It’s best to handle this conversation over the phone or in person, if possible, rather than via email, which can lead to miscommunication or misinterpretations. Clear communication is vital to getting your consultant-nonprofit partnership started on the right foot and optimizing the strategy you create together.

On the same note, it’s vital that your nonprofit staff and board are completely clear on internal expectations for your consultant, too. Don’t make promises you can’t keep, and don’t set yourself up for a confusing relationship that’s built on mixed messages! And, your consultant is just that – someone who consults and teaches and offers best practices. Usually this person is not going to be the frontline fundraiser for your organization. It all goes back to the old adage of teaching a boy to fish.

When you meet with your top choice, here are a few topics you should make a point to cover:

The consultant’s main responsibilities. Set forth a very clear set of long-term goals and daily or weekly objectives for your consultant and reinforce which aspects of the project your nonprofit will tackle on your own.

How hands-on the consultant will be. Make sure your consultant knows how often you’d like them to be in the office, if they’re expected on the ground at fundraising events, or if they’ll be working within your nonprofit software.

An exact time frame for the consultant’s involvement. Communicate the expected timeline for your overall project and any secondary benchmarks. For some projects, the consultant’s work will have a clear end date, but for others (specifically tech- or software-related endeavors), the consultant may stay on in a smaller capacity long-term.

If you’re unsure what to cover, keep in mind that it’s better to cover more ground at the beginning of the relationship rather than figuring it out along the way.

Clear expectations from the very beginning will all but guarantee that there are no crossed signals along the way, leading to a smoother partnership and greater success for everyone involved.

A nonprofit consultant can be a valuable piece of your organization. They’ll provide short-term guidance throughout a fundraising campaign and set your team up with lasting skills you can transfer to a variety of projects and situations.

At Polly Knelsen Consulting & Coaching, LLC, we believe that there is a “best fit” for every organization and we would welcome the opportunity to see if we are just that for yours.