Your nonprofit organization does great work. You’d like more people to know about it. So you squeeze time for writing newsletters, sending email, and posting to social media into your schedule.
And still, people don’t know what you do.
You realize you need outside help…but there’s a problem. How are you going to pay for the help you need?
Four Ways You Can Afford a Consultant
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Four ways, in fact. And none of them will break the bank.
- Ask a donor. Most people give to your organization to produce immediate results. A few of your supporters understand that better communications now means a stronger organization later. Find a major donor like that, and ask him or her to give you the seed money you need.
- Write a proposal. Communications is “capacity building.” Foundations will give grants if you show them what difference your improved communications will make. Businesses will also invest if you make a strong case.
- Do some crowdfunding. Zach Brown raised $55,000 online by making potato salad. How about you? Be very human and a little bit funny, and you just might get enough small gifts to pay your consultant.
- Build it into the budget. Communications are just as important as staff training and other items you budget for every year. It will be a lot easier to pay for help if you’re planning for it.
When you have the money in hand, here are seven tips on what to look for when you’re hiring a communications consultant. And I’d love to talk with you about your project. Drop me a line at dennis@twofisch.com: maybe we can work together!
Dennis, you’ve provided four excellent suggestions for how nonprofits can get the funds they need to hire the outside services they need. I’d like to suggest three additional ideas:
1. If the outside services will be helping to raise money (e.g., a phone fundraising company, a direct mail copywriter, etc.), a nonprofit can secure a challenge grant that will match each donor’s contribution. This has the benefit of providing extra resources to fund the effort while also providing donors with an incentive to give and give now.
2. “Borrow” from another budget line item. This works if the money will be used to raise funds that will come in quickly and if the “borrowed” money is not needed until later in the year.
3. Depending on timing, an organization might be able to spread the expense over two fiscal years rather than one.
Thanks, Michael! I particularly like the idea of a challenge grant that includes funds for consulting. Some of the smart funders who will put up a challenge grant are the exact people who understand that using a consultant can be a wise investment.