How to Work with a Fundraising Consultant

You’ve gone through the process of finding the right fundraising consultant for your organization and now it’s time to get to work. Working with a consultant is an investment in your organization’s long-term sustainability, so make the most of it! Here are some tips:

Make time - Working with a fundraising consultant requires some investment of time. Make sure you understand what is required of you and your team/board and make it a priority to create time in your schedule for this work.

Give and receive feedback - Fundraising consulting is a collaborative process and open dialogue is key to a strong working relationship. Sharing ongoing feedback with your consultant, and being open to receiving it, will ensure that everyone is on the same page. This is key!

Be responsive - Your consultant will likely share a timeline and plan for the scope of work to be done. Try to be as responsive as possible when your consultant needs something from you. This will keep your project on track! If for some reason you can’t get your consultant what they need in a timely manner, or there are delays on a project, communicate that instead of leaving your consultant hanging. A good consultant will help you problem solve!

Trust your consultant - A good fundraising consultant will have deep and diverse development experience prior to consulting (if they don’t, run!) and should have a track record of working with many different nonprofits. Trust your consultants' advice! If you are uneasy with a recommendation, talk it through with them to better understand their thinking. And remember, if nothing changes at your organization, your results will stay the same.

Missed the beginning of the series? Check out Part 1 and Part 2.

Sage Advancement Group is a nonprofit fundraising and executive search consulting firm in Greater Boston. For more information on how we can help your organization raise more money and build successful fundraising teams, reach out to us!