Toptal is one of the best platforms to source freelance talent in a variety of industries. The site was founded on the principle of accepting only high-end experts who can pass Toptal’s rigorous vetting process. Employers who want to recruit freelancers can find the top 3% of fundraising consultants by reaching out to Toptal. The company employs experts within the fundraising field to match you with highly qualified candidates to help you with strategic planning and fundraising—the whole process can happen as quickly as 48 hours. And Toptal offers a no-risk trial period, so you only need to pay if you’re completely satisfied with the fundraising consultant you hire.
Guide To Hiring a Great Freelance Fundraising Consultant
Fundraising consultants can work with nonprofit organizations to help them meet their financial goals. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over the next 10 years, demand for businesses looking to hire fundraising consultants is predicted to rise by 16%. When hiring fundraising consultants, you need to use high-quality tools to recruit the most productive people efficiently. The list of sites this article collects are valuable resources hiring managers can use to find expert freelance fundraising consultants for their organizations.
What Is a Fundraising Consultant?
A fundraising consultant is a professional who strives to raise money for a nonprofit organization or private business. Fundraising consultants reach out to donors or investors and foster relationships to solicit financial contributions. They may also be part of the planning process for fundraising campaigns or events that promote a cause or raise funds.
The Demand for Fundraising Consultants
The demand for the best fundraising specialists continues to increase as more organizations need funding for projects, operations, and initiatives. Additionally, numbers for charitable donations have climbed each year, with 2019 being a record year for giving, offering fundraisers more opportunities.
Companies are now looking for people with proven track records and demonstrated success at raising significant funds for ventures or nonprofits. When hiring managers want to find a qualified freelancer, they should ask to see the professional’s credentials or reference list to make sure there is a proven record of success.
How To Hire Freelance Fundraising Consultants
Today’s flexible workplace options also give employers more choices when recruiting new fundraising consultants. Some companies may choose to have a full-time fundraising team, but smaller organizations can save their resources by hiring freelance fundraising consultants. Additionally, the popularity of remote work makes it easier to hire a remote freelancer. This helps save on human resources expenses and frees up more capital.
Essential Skills To Consider When Hiring Freelance Fundraising Consultants
The top fundraising specialists are college-educated. Common majors for fundraising professionals include communications, marketing, business, or social sciences. They usually get started by doing internships or taking volunteer positions to gain experience and network. In the workplace, they may be writing grants, managing donor databases, planning fundraising events, leading a team of volunteers, or operating social media accounts for their organization.
- Communication - People in this field must have strong written and oral communication skills to persuade individuals and companies to invest in or donate to an organization.
- Relationships - Securing donations or investments from private individuals or companies requires excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
- Organization - Fundraising professionals often work with large computerized donor databases and financial information, so they must be able to organize these details.
Fundraising Consultant Salary Trends
According to Salary.com, the average hourly rate for a fundraising consultant is between $25 and $35. Full-time salaries range from $52,000 to $72,000 per year. Some regions and industries may pay more for the best fundraising experts.
Where To Hire an Experienced Fundraising Consultant for Your Organization
Busy organizations and nonprofits may already have their personnel and resources stretched too thin. When it’s time to hire fundraising consultants, these organizations have to choose the easiest and most effective strategies to find talented people who can help them reach their fundraising goals. Online freelance marketplace websites and digital recruiters in specific industries are the best sites to hire fundraising consultants because they offer pre-vetted, highly skilled consultants matched to your organization’s needs. It may also be helpful to try different avenues for talent recruitment so companies can get a steady flow of potential candidates ready to hire.
How Fundraising Consultants Can Help Your Business
Companies that rely on fundraising efforts may depend on talented fundraising professionals to get them enough operating capital. Without having a successful team of fundraising experts on your side, you risk not being able to pay for business necessities and fund payroll. There are multiple benefits of hiring a more qualified freelance fundraising expert for your organization:
- Get fresh ideas - A new fundraising team member may be able to look at your funding problems with a different lens and offer more innovative approaches that you haven’t tried before.
- Improve donor participation - Someone with a fresh approach or external perspective may also help improve donor engagement and participation, which could boost fundraising efforts.
- Discover more opportunities - The best fundraising consultants can help your organization find more opportunities for raising capital from diverse sources.
- Bring in more money - The ultimate benefit your firm could get is more money to meet or exceed your yearly fundraising goals.
Tips To Hire Fundraising Consultants for Your Company’s Needs
When you’re aiming to get better results from your fundraising campaigns, you need a talented team of creative fundraising experts with a firm understanding of the project description and its core idea. The sites above can help you in your search for the top fundraising consultants. The best sites offer large numbers of users and some sort of vetting system to screen talent. Here are some other tips to hire fundraising consultants that get you results:
- Ask for metrics - Before committing to hiring someone in fundraising, ask for a list of their fundraising campaigns and results.
- Look for personable people - Fundraising professionals need to be comfortable working around and communicating with large numbers of people. Make sure the person you hire has the right combination of tact and personality that will convince donors to invest in your organization.
- Read reviews - When using sites to hire fundraising consultants, read over previous client reviews carefully. Look for examples of success with projects similar to your own.
A capable fundraising consultant can boost your organization’s value and contribute the expertise necessary to help your organization meet its financial goals.