When Should You Hire a Consultant?

• When you are embarking on a new method of fundraising, such as direct mail, a capital campaign or a planned giving program 
• When faced with the sudden necessity for a significantly larger funding base 
• When the organization has outgrown past, ad hoc fundraising activities and needs to transform itself from a small, volunteer-run group into a larger, stable and professionally managed organization 
• When you feel that your staff, board members and fundraising volunteers would benefit from in-house training sessions 
• When you feel the need to reconsider and evaluate your present fundraising methods so as to make them even more effective 
• When you are setting up your first development office and hiring fund-raising staff who may not be experienced in all of the techniques of fund raising that need to be employed. You may wish to employ a consultant short-term or on an ongoing basis 
• When hiring fundraising staff you may need a consultant to supervise the selection process
• Consultants, being outsiders to your organization, judge its strengths and weaknesses with objectivity 
• Consultants see beyond the day-to-day routine and can help you position your organization for long-term growth 
• Consultants are people with experience in the field, they can suggest ways and means of operation that are new to you 
• Consultants are blessed with imagination, they can create effective direct mail appeals and other written material such as annual reports, newsletters, case statements and public relations articles