First off, because I AM a fundraising consultant, let me say this: I may not be the right fundraising consultant for your group.

With that disclaimer, I have gained a lot of perspective on this question from ten years’ experience talking with groups exploring whether they need a consultant:

How do you know if your group needs a fundraising consultant?

Let’s be clear, we’re not talking about a general management consultant here, but rather a fundraising consultant, or as some call it, a development consultant.

Following are a few of the situations that have brought nonprofit leaders to me for exploratory conversations:

1) Board members are concerned that fundraising efforts aren’t producing enough funds to support the mission.

2) The demand for the organization’s services is fast outpacing its fundraising results, and at the same time the fundraising programs have remained static.

3) A special initiative or major programming change will require extra funding, and the group’s fundraising seems to be maxed out. (A capital or endowment campaign falls in this category as well.)

4) The organization is small, but leadership intends it to grow and wants to hire their first development staff leader. How do they know what fundraising skills and experience to hire for if they will be simultaneously designing new strategies for fundraising, i.e., which comes first?

5) The group’s business model is changing due to cuts in public funding. How can they replace the public funds or reconfigure their private support to continue delivering their mission?

6) A very experienced and effective fundraiser leaves. Someone else needs to be hired, but the new person will likely not bring the same level of experience, and the leadership realizes that several fundraising efforts may need assessment and re-strategizing.

Now let’s move on to a somewhat different but related question:

What can a fundraising consultant do that no one in your organization or on your board can do to help your organization raise more money?

Here are some answers, from my experience (and these should also help you know what to look for when interviewing consultants):

a) They can be laser-focused on the concerns or challenges you bring them. A consultant’s whole work life is composed of relatively brief, problem-focused engagements with groups like yours. They are not usually burdened with managing other people or long-term projects that require maintenance and routine meetings. As long as they have related experience to your project, have the space in their calendar to take on your work, and strong references for their consulting results, you can benefit from their laser-focus.

b) They can bring technical and/or specific knowledge and expertise that your organization needs, but can’t afford to hire in a regular employee. A few years ago, I was hired by a group that was existing mainly on bequest distributions from their donors’ estates. They needed someone very knowledgeable about deferred giving and all other forms of giving, but they also needed a strategist who could help them quit relying so heavily on estate giving. And they only needed the help at a high level over about a year and a half. Hiring a regular employee with this expertise was not an option.

c) They have extensive experience and success in fundraising, and they understand the world of philanthropy deeply. Consultants who help with assessment and strategy will have worked professionally or managed most of the fundraising activities in which your group might engage. They often possess great contacts with foundations and major donors, but they don’t open their Contacts list for you. Instead, they bring their understanding of what motivates and is meaningful to these critical donors. By their work, they help you develop your rationale for support in ways that get at the heart and purpose of philanthropy.

d) They don’t bring preconceived notions about what your group should be doing in fundraising, although they do bring knowledge of best practice and common metrics from the field. Ideally, they do not have a close working or personal relationship with any of your group’s board or staff. They can bring the most objectivity when they are an outsider, but an outsider with special skills and experience, focused on learning about your organization quickly in order to recommend improvements and changes. The need to learn quickly causes most consultants to be great listeners and to ask good questions. They can be great coaches once they’ve assessed your organization and worked with the leadership to form new or revised strategies.

e) They can bring the credibility that your board and major donors need for you to move forward with changes and improvements that will raise more funds. Familiarity with each other sometimes leads people to take each other for granted, and this happens in organizations, among board and staff as well. The consultant needs to come with great recommendations and if possible, be referred by someone outside the organization that is admired by those inside the leadership. Another sign of accomplishment (and credibility) for fundraising consultants is the CFRE credential, “CFRE” standing for Certified Fundraising Executive, the international credential in the fundraising profession. Any consultant you choose to help you with fundraising should have attained (and maintain) this credential.

While I hope the above information is helpful to you, there’s also the factor of personal chemistry to consider. If you think you need a fundraising consultant, interview two or three of them in person so you can understand the fit on a personal level. Personal warmth, gravitas, sense of humor and communications skills can vary significantly from consultant to consultant.

If you hire a fundraising consultant, I hope you have a great experience!