Nonprofit Consultants: 5 FAQs & Our Top Recommendations
Is your nonprofit organization experiencing growing pains? Are you looking to level up your fundraising strategy, but don’t know where to start? Or, do you simply feel like your organization’s progress toward accomplishing its mission is stalled and you’re not sure where to go from here?
If you find yourself in any of these situations, it may be time to call on the help of a nonprofit consultant (also known as a nonprofit development consultant). These experts can bring a fresh perspective to your organization and its current strategies, and support your organization in a number of key areas, all of which are related to the financial and physical growth of your nonprofit. In essence, a nonprofit consultant can empower your organization to scale up its operations in a realistic and sustainable way.
But how do you know if your nonprofit is ready to work with a consultant? And how do you find the right consultant that will serve as a true partner in your organization’s work to improve how it delivers its mission to your beneficiaries?
That’s where this guide comes in. In it, we’ll cover five frequently asked questions about nonprofit consultants and help you get a jumpstart on your search by providing a list of recommended consultants to work with. Specifically, we’ll cover:
Learning the ins and outs of what nonprofit consulting is and how to kickstart a professional relationship with the right consultant will benefit your nonprofit in a myriad of ways. Not only will you know how to choose a consultant to work with, but you’ll learn how to get the most mileage possible out of the funding you reserve for professional consulting services. Ready to get started? Let’s jump right in!
FAQ #1: What does a nonprofit consultant do?
The role of a nonprofit consultant encompasses a wide range of support. Though most consultants specialize in a specific service, you’ll typically find a range of offerings as you begin your consultant search, including:
Donor research (including prospect research and wealth screening)
Capital campaign planning and feasibility studies
Campaign strategy development and ongoing support
Fundraising training
Development support to replace or hire in-house staff
A consultant provides guidance on new techniques and your underlying strategies in the broader context of your organization’s structure, health, and capacity. Their insights and plans can then be directed towards growing your fundraising capacity and adjusting any other existing processes that aren’t as effective as they could be.
The most important point to remember about nonprofit development is that barriers to growth aren’t always located within your fundraising strategies or funding process. A nonprofit development consultant, then, can pinpoint problems that your team might be unaware of, has grown too accustomed to, or simply didn’t realize are problems at all. These might include:
Issues with board recruitment or motivation
Mission drift or irrelevance to new donors
Vague or undefined communications strategies
Poor internal structures or unclear chains of command
Scaling up your nonprofit’s operations involves more than simply increasing your capacity to raise money; identifying and resolving any obstacles to that growth is the key to sustainable development. With expert insights and fresh perspectives on your operations, a nonprofit consultant will help you find these issues and develop strategies to solve them, all working towards increasing capacity.
After all, true organizational growth requires a strengthened foundation to support and maintain it.
FAQ #2: How do consultants help nonprofits?
Nonprofit development consultants analyze your operations, identify problems, and craft solutions with the ultimate goal of increasing your fundraising capacity and growing your organization. But what does that work look like?
In the course of their engagements with nonprofits, consultants might employ a number of strategies, like:
Financial consultations. A consultant can examine your funding mix and internal systems to determine its overall health and find any necessary changes you’ll need to make as your organization grows.
Strategic communication support. A development consultant will help you draft more effective proposals and case statements and refine your overall marketing strategies as you work to increase capacity.
General analysis and recommendations. Their new perspectives on your flow of funding, fundraising processes, and internal structures make nonprofit development consultants invaluable resources.
Another question that might arise when learning about nonprofit consulting services is, “Why don’t I just do this myself?” Here’s why: Few nonprofits, no matter their size or whether they have their own dedicated development program, have the ability to take such a critical and comprehensive look at themselves. Instead, the right nonprofit development consultant can help your organization quickly find its weak points and develop a full battle plan for growth.
Additionally, organizations usually take on a nonprofit development consultant at a very specific time in their growth—when they’re preparing to enter a new level of funding development. The reason this entails so much hard work and critical consideration is that it extends beyond just your fundraising and funding strategies. Nonprofit development doesn’t call for a niche expert; a more generalized authority with a wide range of experience in nonprofit funding, development, and prospecting is a much better bet.
FAQ #3: How do you hire a nonprofit consultant?
Finding the right consultant for your nonprofit can be a major challenge, particularly if your team doesn’t have much collective experience with interviewing and hiring consultants.
There are many possible ways to approach hiring a consultant. Here are two ways an organization would typically approach the process.
The first is how a nonprofit might hire a nonprofit consultant for a large campaign, such as a capital campaign:
Define your needs. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your current strategies with your board and other top leadership before getting started. Securing buy-in on the idea of working with a consultant will be critical to keeping everyone on the same page. Don’t forget to identify your budget for working with a consultant.
Develop an RFP. A request for proposal (RFP) is a document that helps potential clients communicate their needs and expectations to a consultant. Using your RFP, a consultant can build a strategy pitch that’s catered to your organization’s needs. Considering a potential consultant’s proposal will be a major part of deciding whether or not you should work together.
Begin your search. Identify potential consultants by using directories, searching online (including on lists like the one below!), and asking professional colleagues for recommendations.
Reach out and submit RFPs. Call or email the consultants you’re interested in to kick off communication. Then, submit your RFP with a specific due date for when you’d like the completed proposal (two weeks is typical). You can also request a list of references from the potential consultant.
Review proposals and make your pick. Once you have received proposals from your potential consultants, assemble a team to review those proposals and consultants’ references. One or two proposals will likely stand out, and you should reach out to the consultants who submitted those proposals to workshop any logistical changes. After you’ve found a consultant you want to work with, reach out to start hammering out the logistics of your engagement. Sign a contract and get to work!
For smaller projects, the process is fairly similar to these five steps, albeit less formal and structured. Here’s how it might go:
You reach out to the consultant you’re interested in working with. You may submit an RFP or a list of initial questions for the consultant to consider.
The consultant sets up a discovery meeting with you, and together you explore the possibility of working together.
If both parties agree that working together is the best step forward, the consultant will prepare a draft proposal for further discussion or begin gathering more information to inform a future proposal.
Then, both parties meet together again to refine the proposal and begin working together.
Want a deeper dive into the process of hiring a consultant? Our guide to working with a fundraising consultant covers it in detail!
FAQ #4: What does a consultant charge?
As with any specialized consulting service, nonprofit consulting requires a fully-customized approach. Therefore, the final costs for a consultant’s services will vary greatly depending on the needs your organization brings to the engagement—your goals, your timeframe, and your budget.
Of course, the pricing structure for the firm you choose to work with will play a major role in determining the final cost for your project. Nonprofit consultants typically price their services in the following ways:
Customized per-project flat fees
Flat monthly or annual fees for retained services
Hourly pricing for scheduled support
Certain types of nonprofit consultants naturally favor one pricing structure over another. Capital campaign consultants, for instance, typically work on a per-project basis, while fundraising consultants managing an organization’s annual giving program might bill monthly for ongoing services.
As you begin researching your options, remember that clearly understanding your own goals goes a long way in helping prospective consultants provide you with more precise quotes and prices.
For instance, if you have a strict budget, tell the consultant up front. That way you can work together to determine if you are a good financial fit without wasting time in your search.
FAQ #5: How do you get the most out of working with a nonprofit consultant?
Even when you hire an outside expert to provide guidance on your nonprofit’s development, you’ll still need to take an active role in the process in order to get the most value possible out of the engagement.
Start by working with your consultant to set actionable goals for the engagement. Your nonprofit development consultant can help you identify and resolve issues in your funding and operations, but without a central growth goal to direct all your efforts, you’ll end up with a piecemeal set of solutions but no clear way to increase your capacity and funding. Data from sources like your CRM or prospect research tools will be essential for establishing specific nonprofit development goals that are truly actionable and achievable.
Another way to ensure that you’re getting the most out of working with a nonprofit consultant is to ensure your professional relationship with the consultant is a true partnership. You’ll want to work with someone who takes feedback well and who can workshop ideas with your organization’s specific needs in mind. Remember that at the end of the day, a consultant should respect and work toward your nonprofit’s interests. You don’t want to work with someone who sees their recommendations as “my way or the highway.”
15+ Recommended Nonprofit Consultants
Now that you know the basics of working with a nonprofit consultant, you’re likely ready to dive into the process of researching different consultants to consider for your own development needs. Here are some of our top recommendations!
1.Donorly - Growth and Change Specialists
At Donorly we focus on donor research and collaboration, which gives us a serious edge in every service we provide to small and mid-size nonprofit organizations. This means our strategies are completely customized to the scope of your needs and goals. We know that understanding your organization and mission is the key to developing a truly successful strategy that delivers results.
Our services include:
Transitional Nonprofit Staffing: We’ll step into your open position and provide support while also helping you search for and prepare for an in-house hire.
Prospect Research Subscriptions: Leverage Donorly’s expertise and an arsenal of prospect research tools to connect with new donors—and do it at your pace with a 5, 10, or 20-hour subscription.
Four-Part Fiscal Year Fix: Using our Assess, Plan, Activate, and Donor Research process, we can help you improve your fundraising strategy over the course of one fiscal year.
Telefundraising Training: Donorly can help you tap into the power of telefundraising by training your team to make effective fundraising phone calls and setting up your in-house call room.
Capital Campaign Strategy and Feasibility Studies: We’ll coach you through every part of your capital campaign, including your fundraising feasibility study.
With help from Donorly’s team of nonprofit consultants, you’ll have constant support as you scale up your nonprofit’s operations and fine-tune your strategies—no matter if you’re launching a large-scale campaign or looking to implement general improvements! We’ll be your partners every step of the way.
2. Meyer Partners - Marketing Consultants
As a nonprofit marketing agency, Meyer Partners provides a wide range of multichannel communications solutions for nonprofits that help your organization share its story, acquire new prospects, and retain donors. Meyer Partners is dedicated to crafting communications that are catered to every part of the donor life cycle, prioritizing lifelong engagement and giving.
Their services include:
Digital Channel Communication: From email and video to social media and telemarketing, Meyer Partners can help you leverage the digital channels your donors are using to cultivate relationships first and support fundraising second.
Direct Mail Solutions: This marketing agency embraces the power of direct mail as a revenue driver and can help you tap into its effectiveness.
Data Analytics: Meyer Partners believes in making data-driven fundraising asks, and can help you understand your donors’ needs and preferences.
3. Aly Sterling Philanthropy - Holistic Approach to Consulting
Aly Sterling Philanthropy is a consulting firm that prides itself in providing partnership-driven counsel for nonprofits of all sizes and missions. They offer a variety of services, and specialize in helping nonprofits navigate turbulent times.
Their services include:
Fundraising Solutions: Whether you’re planning a capital campaign or looking at general strategies for raising more for your cause, the Aly Sterling Philanthropy team can help you elevate your approach.
Strategic Planning: The Aly Sterling strategic planning method will help your leadership take a birds-eye view of your organization’s operations and work toward sustainable improvements.
Board Leadership: Looking to assess, strengthen, and re-energize your board? This consulting firm can help you with its special Board Catalyst approach.
4. RealHr Solutions - HR Consultants
As an HR consulting firm, RealHR Solutions can help nonprofits with one-time projects as well as holistic human resources support. RealHR believes in developing flexible processes that align HR practices with your business goals. After nearly 20 years in HR consulting, they’ve established themselves as the go-to consultancy for delivering reliable and relationship-driven HR services.
Their services include:
HR Audit and Assessment: RealHR Solutions can help you develop HR policy benchmarks, evaluate best practices, and identify project priorities.
HR Setup: If you don’t have an HR department,RealHR can help you build a comprehensive HR program or serve as your outsourced HR solution.
HR Infrastructure Development: RealHR can help you with employee recruitment, hiring, and retention that simultaneously meets your organization’s goals.
5. Byrne Pelofsky + Associates, LLC - Creative & Customized Consulting
The Byrne Pelofsky team brings 100+ combined years of nonprofit experience to their work with clients, and has helped nonprofits raise $2.7 billion dollars. This firm is committed to putting nonprofits on the path to fundraising success and equipping their clients with a comprehensive and complete set of tools to reach their goals.
Their services include:
Campaign Management: This firm can help you plan and course-correct major gift, capital, endowment, and integrated campaigns.
Grant Writing: Byrne Pelofsky + Associates will take care of the research and writing processes of securing grants as your nonprofit builds relationships with funders.
Executive Search: If you’re in need of a new executive director or CEO, they’ll help you refine your approach to searching for candidates and onboarding the new executive.
6. Westfall Gold - Major Donor Fundraising Consultants
Westfall Gold’s services focus on major donor fundraising through events. They help you get your donors to move past transactional giving and inspire them to become not only supporters of, but ambassadors for your work.
Their services include:
Strengthening Major Donor Programs: This team can help you build trust with your major donors through inspiring weekend-long major donor events.
Major Donor Communication Strategies: Westfall Gold understands that fundraising asks need to be built around a fully-fleshed-out case for your mission, and will help you build out major donor messaging in a way that is transformational.
Community-Building Approaches: The Westfall Gold team will empower you to keep all of your strategies donor-centric, taking care of event logistics so you can focus on building long-lasting relationships.
7. DNL OmniMedia - Nonprofit Technology Consultants
DNL OmniMedia provides a wide range of technology, marketing, and analytics services and works exclusively with nonprofit organizations. They have a goal to ensure that their clients are freeing up their schedules to focus on their missions instead of technology troubles.
Their services include:
Technology Strategy Design: Whether you’re looking to integrate different platforms with your CRM or find the right fundraising solution, DNL OmniMedia can help you find the right tools and make them a part of your everyday operations.
Analytics Projects: This firm understands the value of getting to know donors through data, and can help you make sense of the information you gather through tools like Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics.
Web Development: DNL OmniMedia can assist you in designing your nonprofit website and manage it so you can effectively engage supporters online.
8. Astron Solutions - Nonprofit HR Consulting
Astron Solutions can help you improve how your nonprofit operates internally. By working with Astron Solutions to leverage their compensation consulting and talent management solutions, you can ensure that your nonprofit is running smoothly and providing the best employee experience possible.
Their services include:
Total Rewards Consulting: Astron Solutions can help you take a holistic approach to employee compensation, empowering you to design a compensation strategy that includes both financial and non-financial ways employees are rewarded for their work.
Performance Management Support: Whether you need a new talent management system or simply need to iron out your performance management process, Astron Solutions can guide you every step of the way.
Employee Retention Surveys: Astron Solutions can help you conduct surveys to learn more about the employee experience and help you use that information to retain top performers.
9. The Bridgespan Group - Management Consultants
The Bridgespan Group is a nonprofit organization that provides management consulting to nonprofits and philanthropists. They typically work with social change organizations to help individuals get access to the opportunities they need to improve their lives.
Their services include:
Growth Support: If your nonprofit is growing and you need to figure out how to serve more people in the best possible way, The Bridgespan Group can help.
Strategy Refinement: This organization can help you make sure you’re using your resources effectively and making all the right moves.
Network Optimization: The Bridgespan Group can empower you to work with affiliates and members of your industry’s network to get the best possible results.
10. Getting Attention - Google Grant Consultants
Getting Attention specializes in Google Ad Grant management, helping your nonprofit to increase its reach online. With a set $499/month fee, Getting Attention will help you with all parts of the Google Ad Grant application, setup, and management processes.
Their services include:
Google Grant Applications: This firm’s team of experts can check your Google Ad Grant eligibility and take care of the application process so you’ll be approved in no time.
Google Account Hygiene: Keeping your account current is key to leveraging every aspect of the Google Ad Grant, and Getting Attention can make sure you’re never getting bogged down with outdated or unnecessary data.
Keyword Research: Targeting the right keywords for your nonprofit is a priority for Getting Attention, and they can provide the expertise and research that will help you select the perfect keywords for your mission.
11. Bristol Strategy Group - Productive Fundraising Consulting
The Bristol Strategy Group, founded by Ellen Bristol in 1995, believes that fundraisers can learn a thing or two from the world of sales. With its own unique methodology, the Bristol Strategy Group can help your organization overcome the inefficiencies that hold you back from fundraising success.
Their services include:
Leaky Bucket Assessments: The Bristol Strategy Group’s assessments provide a deep dive into your current fundraising approaches, technologies, and results to help you understand where your strategy is springing a leak.
The SMART Way Methodology: This firm’s unique SMART Way method encompasses a variety of services, from prospect research to performance tracking and pipeline management and reporting.
12. Marc Pitman - Nonprofit Training Consultant
Fundraising expert Marc Pitman is the face of The Fundraising Coach and Concord Leadership Group. Pitman uses his expertise to train your team in fundraising best practices, empowering you to gain the knowledge you need to improve your nonprofit’s operations.
Pitman’s services include:
Training Courses: Pitman has developed a wide selection of training courses, which you can use DIY-style or that Pitman himself can guide you through.
Speaking Engagements: You can book Pitman as a speaker for a one-off event or a conference, where he will present a high-energy presentation that re-invigorates your team and helps you come up with new ideas for moving your mission forward.
Board Retreats: Through courses like “Boards 101,” Pitman can teach your top leaders their appropriate roles and how to increase their effectiveness.
13. Aspire Research Group - Fundraising Research Consulting
The Aspire Research Group helps nonprofits strengthen relationships with their donors. Through the exploration of donor data, they’ll help you improve how you’re raising money so that you can get closer to accomplishing your mission.
Their services include:
Boutique Research: This firm’s in-house research team can turn prospect profiles into actionable next steps so you know which prospects to pursue to achieve your goals.
Major Gifts Strategies: Through a la carte-style or ongoing support, The Aspire Research Group can assist you in securing the major donor information that can lead to successful fundraising asks.
Prospect Research: If you’re ready for your in-house staff to train in prospect research, The Aspire Research Group also offers the Prospect Research Institute, where your staff will find step-by-step, convenient training opportunities.
14. Pennington & Company - Fraternity and Sorority Fundraising Consultants
Pennington & Company is a recognized leader in the world of fraternity and sorority fundraising. So, if your chapter is looking to raise money for a new member house or to improve how you connect with your alumni, this is the consulting firm for you.
Their services include:
Fundraising Consulting: The Pennington & Company team can help you with feasibility studies, capital campaign planning, data mining, and prospect research.
Alumni Engagement and Communications: This firm knows that alumni engagement is key to the success of every fraternity or sorority chapter, and provides newsletter creation services and member management help that will ensure members stay within your chapter’s reach.
Website Development: The Pennington & Company website platform will set you up to streamline all of your digital communication efforts, from your events calendar to your alumni directory.
15. Jitasa - Nonprofit Accounting Consulting
Jitasa is a team of nonprofit accounting experts. This firm recognizes the unique financial needs of organizations in the nonprofit sector, and is dedicated solely to working with nonprofit clients.
Their services include:
Bookkeeping and Accounting: This team can assist you with any aspect of bookkeeping and accounting, including expense reports and budget creation, which will help you kickstart sustainable growth.
Tax Filings: It’s no secret that nonprofit taxes are a little tricky, so relying on experts is critical. Jitasa can complete your Form 990 and your state filings.
Advisory: Tapping into the expertise of a team of former CFOs from nonprofits around the U.S., Jitasa is there to work out your toughest problems, using technology to help you prepare for the future.
16. Brian Lacy and Associates - Donor Data Consultants
Brian Lacy and Associates is committed to helping your nonprofit increase its capacity to fundraise. This firm works with nonprofits focused on higher education, health care, religion, and community. They can provide solutions regardless of your budget size.
Their services include:
Wealth Screening: With wealth screening and prospect research services, this team will set you up to find new fundraising prospects and secure major donations.
Data Cleansing: Keep your database up-to-date and accurate with the Brian Lacy and Associates team, who can assist in everything from correcting addresses to enriching donor profiles with email and cell phone number information—and more.
Matching Gifts: This firm can help your nonprofit create and grow its matching gift program, so you can tap into extra funds without asking donors to reach back into their wallets.
17. Whole Whale - Digital Marketing Consultants
Whole Whale is a digital marketing agency that uses data and technology to help nonprofits and social good companies fully leverage their digital tools. They have a variety of offerings, including a product that helps you test web pages for inclusivity and a number of online courses.
Their services include:
Digital Impact and Web Analytics: Using Google Analytics, the Whole Whale team can help you measure how your nonprofit’s audience interacts with your website so you can maximize conversions.
Google Ad Grant Management: Whole Whale is part of the Ad Grant Certified Professionals Community, which means their team can get you up and running with the Google Ad Grant and avoid suspension.
SEO Marketing: If you’re looking to drive more traffic to your website, Whole Whale can teach you to write valuable web content that attracts attention from your audience and search engines.
Wrapping Up
Working with a nonprofit consultant is a wise move for any nonprofit looking to scale up its operations and improve its internal processes. Use this guide to nail down your understanding of nonprofit consulting, and leverage the list of recommended firms to begin your research.
Remember, no matter how you choose to approach your next development challenge, you should partner with a nonprofit development consultant who takes the time to craft a fully-personalized strategy that draws from a wide range of resources and methods. This will set you on the path to success!
Looking for more information about improving how your nonprofit operates? Check out these recommended resources:
Choosing the Right Prospect Research Consultant: 5 Factors. If you need assistance with prospect research specifically, you should know what to look for in a prospect research consultant. Get a full rundown in this guide.
Finding Major Donors: The Definitive Nonprofit Guide. Many nonprofits hire consultants to help them strengthen their major giving programs. Learn more about major donors here!
How to Start a Nonprofit Organization: A Step-by-Step Guide. Are you looking to start a nonprofit centered on a cause you’re passionate about? This guide can help you kickstart the process!
