What You Need to Know Before You Hire a Fundraising Consultant
Some of our clients have shared with us that before they became our clients, some consultants who were trying to earn their business offered to work on a commission basis.
That raises a HUGE red flag for us for two main reasons.
- According to the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) ethics, (for more information, click here) are not in favor of this method of compensation. For example, what if your board of directors decides to engage a fundraising consultant on a percentage-based amount of let’s say 10% on every dollar they raise? Let’s face it, it takes lots of people to raise money. Be aware of the “consultants” who say they can get you the money you need. Some donors do not want to see or hear about their generosity going to a consultant at the best of times. Furthermore, it is always the decision of the donor to give to the cause and the organization. We call this their ‘charity of choice’.
- If you are the fundraiser and you agree to work on a percentage based on what you raise, imagine you can be working hours and hours and not paid until you raise the dollar. This could mean you put in all those hours and are not financially compensated. This is just not a fair equitable way to go because it takes anywhere between 12 to 18 months to build a relationship with a new donor and funder.
At Pounce Support Services™ Our Way of Working is Simple
We are client-oriented. We do not work on a commission basis. We meet our clients where they are at. Our goal is to be your fundraising and communications partner. We have three compensation streams to provide flexibility and we do our best to work within the client’s budget.
Project-based – where clients work with a team member or multiple team members on a specific project identified by the principal navigator and the client. It is a fee for a project outlining specific timelines and deliverables.
Retainer-based – is an agreed-upon amount with the client for longer-term service. For example, one of our clients has retained our services for a block of time each month. This model provides support where needed.
Hourly-based – we don’t recommend this for projects as it can become more expensive for the client. We advise our clients to use this only when a couple of hours are needed. For example, the client wants to consult about a grant they are thinking of working on.
Clients tend to understand hourly because they work most often with employees. When you work with a consultant keep in mind that you are paying for their years of expertise which translates into a scope of work achieved quicker, hence less expensive overall.
We are helping organizations raise funds so they can move their mission forward.
If you would like to have a conversation, please reach out to Kat at 780.819.0095.
