Using Consultants

Getting the Most from a Fundraising Post!

Fundraising as part of your overall plan

The outline of your fundraising strategy should always be considered alongside and integrated with the objectives of your organisation, and the overall business or operational plan. If fundraising needs and potential are considered as part of the planning process, it can be ensured that;

• the fundraising process is directed towards the priority needs of the organisation
• different fundraising targets can be carefully planned to reduce the possibility of saturation or overlap
• long, medium and short-term fundraising needs can be considered at the same time
• fundraising can be controlled by the organisation’s objectives, rather than the organisation falling into the habit of chasing money because it is available (because it might be available - but for things you don’t really want to do).
• Opportunities can be identified early on and packaged in attractive ways. By considering and planning fundraising in this way, an organisation is able to make choices about how the money is raised and who does it, in a way that best suits the needs of the organisation.

Making a Choice about Who will raise the money

There are two basic choices; using someone from inside the organisation, or contracting a freelancer. Either way, you need to commit to a regular outlay of money, as a fee or a salary.

1. the fundraiser is familiar with the organisation
2. the fundraiser is committed to the organisation, and/or the art-form and will be more knowledgeable
3. fundraising is more easily integrated into work-plans.
4. Board and staff have understanding of what the fundraiser does, and can offer support and back-up
5. the fundraiser is only raising money for one organisation
6. potential fund-givers know all of the above, and are reasonably sure that a big slice of their contribution won’t go in commission
7. the organisation can develop a relationship with the fund-giver
8. once money begins to come in, the organisation doesn’t lose a hefty slice in consultants fees or commission
9. the fundraiser can contribute to the PR of the organisation

1. it may take longer to start-up fundraising; recruiting, training, building up profile and contacts, than hiring a freelance
2. the costs for equipment/administrative support have to be added in
3. you have to pay a salary regardless of results, at least in the beginning
4. if you only have a small fundraising need, a specialist - full or part-time - can seem expensive in proportion to the results
5. if fundraising becomes part of someone’s job, it can be submerged by everyday needs and events (or the other parts of their job will)

1. hopefully, a proven track-record in fundraising!
2. contacts/relationships with potential fundgivers already exist, so only a short time (if any) needed for research.
3. faster initial results, because of the above points
4. experienced advice about the value of your products in the market-place
5. may only have to pay by results
6. may pass on skills to the organisation, so that in long-term fundraising can be done in house
7. contract can easily be terminated if results unforthcoming

1. can be very expensive, in terms of rates per day, or percentage benefit if a large gift is secured
2. a risk of no loyalty to the organisation, the art-form and a lack of detailed knowledge
3. may be raising money for other similar organisations at the same time
4. unlikely to be long-term or strategic, particularly if paid by results
5. may commit the organisation to services and benefits for sponsors which the organisation can’t deliver.
6. can be difficult to manage
7. unlikely to have a sense of the organisation as a whole
8. the organisation (and the freelancer) needs to be fully aware of the provision of Part II of the 1990 Charities Act
9. may be unfamiliar with local politics/history
10. the organisation doesn’t know how the freelancer is viewed in the private/Foundation sector
11. fundgivers may go with the freelancer, rather than stay with the organisation, at the end of the contract

In addition, you can use the services and expertise of a consultant or experienced free-lance fundraiser to structure and plan a long-term or on-going campaign for you, which you then undertake to do yourself. This is where a consultant’s high daily rate can be easily justified. There are consultants who provide an excellent service, but they are by no means all of high quality.

Targets, timescales, costs and rewards

Any fundraising campaign, however it is being carried out, needs its own set of targets and criteria for success. As we indicated earlier, the fundraising target is not automatically the expected gap between income and expenditure, but a careful consideration of what can be raised through all the fundraising means available - from donation boxes, through corporate membership and friends schemes, to a sole sponsorship deal with a company.

Structuring a long-term fundraising campaign means thinking about all the possible options you have to offer potential funders. It means dividing your artistic output - by series, production or one-off performance, education and outreach work - and having them available as packages for support. But it also means thinking up more general schemes - name a seat, buy a brick, be a patron - and working out what benefits people or companies will get.

You need to have a range of options up your sleeve, because the nature and size of the organisations you are approaching will vary, as will their willingness or capacity to give you money, and their reasons for doing so. If you plan your fundraising far enough ahead, you can research the background of the organisation you are approaching, find out what their interests are, develop a relationship and only ask for money when you are reasonably sure that you can offer a package they want, and that they are already committed enough to your organisation to want to say yes. Research can be tedious - sitting in libraries, combing newspapers and company annual reports, but the plain truth is that round robin letters don't work in fundraising, and you must have a clear sense of your potential fundgivers needs.

All the foregoing indicates that getting good results takes time. If you are starting a major capital campaign, don’t expect to get any money in the bank until 12 months after you’ve started.

More Information

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