Hiring a consultant is a critical step that involves a series of important choices. However, guidelines and suggestions can help. The following article is excerpted from a presentation by Ketchum Canada Inc., a leading fundraising consultancy.
What should you expect from a fundraising consultant?
Technical expertise: The firm you hire should have demonstrated success in areas that are becoming more sophisticated and integral to success. These include development office audits, prospect research, management of capital campaigns and annual appeals, proposal writing, computer services, direct mail, preparation of communications materials, and planned giving.
Objectivity and experience: Consultants should provide an objective and candid analysis of your development operation and your fundraising potential. Volunteers and leaders sometimes accept advice from experienced, “arms length” consultants that they would not accept from an in-house development staff.
Initiative and momentum: Your consultant should be single-minded enough to keep your project on the front burner. They should help solve day-to-day strategic and tactical problems, and inspire your staff and volunteers to keep the effort on track.
What should you not expect from a consultant?
Institutional planning: A consultant cannot and should not make final decisions regarding your institutional priorities and the projects that should become part of your fundraising appeal. In addition, though they can also help package your needs as attractively as possible, they cannot produce a strong case for support if none exists.
Leader and volunteer commitment: A consultant cannot manufacture the total commitment of institutional leaders and the high level volunteers that are crucial to the success of any initiative. It is up to you to supply that leadership.
Soliciting funds: While consultants will prepare a strategic plan, research prospects and train volunteers, they will not raise funds for your organization. Similarly, they cannot produce donors or financial support for a cause which a community is not prepared to endorse.
Getting started
Professional associations can help you assemble a field of candidates. The National Society of Fund Raising Executives, the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy, the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education, and the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy are some of those associations.
Send a detailed Request for Proposal (RFP) to each candidate. The RFP should state clearly what you require from a firm. This may include a brief history of the firm, a description of their services and staff, a timetable and an outline of how the firm proposes to serve you. Some firms may wish to meet with you personally in order to obtain a better understanding of your situation before submitting a written proposal. In most cases, this will be helpful.
You should then evaluate the RFPs and come up with a short list of the firms you want to interview. Choose the people you want to serve on a selection committee. Ideally, you should interview all prospects on the same day. Set a friendly but firm environment for the interview, and don’t allow the consultant to control the process.
To be consistent, draw up a list of selection criteria. These should be weighted, and should include:
- Integrity/general reputation
- Quality of the written proposal
- Quality and professionalism of the oral presentation
- Depth and capability of specialist services such as research and technology
- The level of innovation versus standard responses to your questions
Word your questions to elicit the precise information you want. You should also include some unusual questions such as, “Tell us about one of your assignments you consider a failure”.
Each person on the committee should complete the rating chart for each consultant before proceeding to the next interview. All members should discuss the interview and, when all candidates have been seen, the committee should develop a final ranking.
Once you’ve chosen the firm you’d like to work with, obtain and check references, and also pay a visit to their offices. Once you’re positive, ensure that the firm is still willing and able to accept your project. Then contact the unsuccessful firms, and thank them for their work and interest.
