5 things a fundraising consultant can help you with
Fundraising is hard, especially at this time when there are growing needs but charities know that many of their supporters are feeling the pressure of the cost-of-living crisis. Have you considered looking for a fundraising consultant to improve your strategy and help you get more donations?
What a fundraising consultant does is help you identify and execute a strategy. They will help you get into the right areas where you can be successful. It will take more time, be more involved in the actual implementation, and it may cost more, but it will get you more money for the bottom line.
Here is a list of five things a fundraising consultant should be able to help you with:
1. Identify Your Key Metrics for Success
What are the most important things for you to measure? Is it the number of donors? Amount raised? Average gift? Fraction of the month or year you’ve raised from your fundraising platform? How about how much you’ve raised from each donor? Knowing what you are trying to accomplish is critical.
2. Set up a fundraising programme
Don’t know where to start in setting up a fundraising programme? A fundraising consultant can help you set up the basics, from developing a compelling case for support to determining your level of fundraising, to identifying the systems and resources you need.
3. Conduct an audit
If you have an established programme but want to look at what’s working, what’s not and what else you can do, then a consultant can provide a helpful external perspective. An audit can review, benchmark and evaluate your whole fundraising programme or a specific element.
4. Plan and fundraise for a new project
Too busy raising funds for your core target? If you have a new large project on the horizon but no time to research or plan how to fundraise for it, a consultant can step in to give that extra input so you can see how to proceed. If necessary, they can continue to support the implementation, whether directing a large capital campaign or bid writing for a new pilot service.
5. Work as a Partner on Your End-of-Year Report
A consultant can be a helpful partner, providing external perspective, on your end-of-year report. An end-of-year report is an activity report that records your progress and accomplishments to date. You can use it as a management tool for your programme and board.
How Do You Find a Fundraising Consultant?
Like everything, you get what you pay for. A list of names will not do you any good. You need to do some research and reach out to different parties to see who might be the best fit for you.
They should be able to articulate your fundraising plan and what’s needed to get the plan executed. It is helpful for you to interview at least three consultants.
Furthermore, ask to see their previous clients, deliverables, references and consider doing a trial project.
Lastly, find out what the process is. If you need a fundraising consultant, you will get a proposal, a small contract and a fee schedule. Make sure you know what you are getting into.
Planning for success
If you are just scratching the surface of fundraising with your organisation, we recommend you start with the basics and hire a consultant who can help you with some of the fundamentals like an overall strategy, setting up processes, and creating a fully fleshed-out program. When you have a fully fleshed plan, you will have a huge advantage over other organisations struggling to figure out where to start, why they aren’t fundraising or what they should do next. A consultant who can do this for you is worth every penny.
Craigmyle Fundraising Consultants is one of the most reputable fundraising consultant firms in the UK. Take a look at our approach to working with charities. Let us know how we can help your organisation.
