Frequently asked questions
Why should I work with you?
Hiring a consultant provides a fresh and outside perspective on your organization's work and is typically less expensive than employing full- or even part-time staff to perform the same asks because you won’t be responsible for benefits or taxes.
Do you accept work on a project basis?
Overall, I prefer to work with clients on a retainer basis that allows us to accomplish more together over a specified time period. However, if your needs are project-based, then I'm happy to help.
Do you ever work on commission?
No. Accepting commission or percentage-based compensation is a violation of both the Grant Professionals Association’sand the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Code of Ethics. Grants are awarded based on a variety of factors, including the community need, the efficacy of the project, and the organization’s capacity to implement, deliver, monitor, and sustain the project - not the technical expertise of the grant writer.
How is this different from hiring in-house?
Usually small organizations have limited budgets for staffing, which means they end up hiring someone junior without much fundraising strategy or expeirence. That person usually ends up spending a lot of time and energy on things that are not moving things forward. Instead, with that budget you can hire a Fractional Fundraiser who brings over 10 years of fundraising experience to the table with a passion for implementation and getting it done. Our clients love this solution to help them grow strategically.
An added benefit is that a Fractional Fundraiser require less supervision meaning less stress for the ED! Bonus!
What work is included?
Each organization is unique and your fundraising strategy should be unique to you. Fractional Fundraisers are fundraising generalists and can do it all - from individual giving and major gifts, to grant writing or sponsorships. The only thing we don't do are large events.
We start each engagement with a Strategic Planning process to develop a clear fundraising plan with goals and activities to move your fundraising forward. Then, we do the work!
Implementation means writing appeals, managing your data, working with your program team to write and submit grants, building relationships, managing sponsorships, doing social media, etc. We help you figure out which activities are a priority and then we do them.
Do you guarantee results?
If a fundraiser or fundraising consultant offers guaranteed results, RUN. That is probably a sign they are doing something unethical.
Fundraising success takes time and consistency. Your results depend on where you are starting and what your fundraising priorities are.
How many hours a week do we have our Fractional Fundraiser?
Here's a novel approach - we don't track hours! That's right - we focus on deliverables and outcomes. Fractional Fundraisers are experienced and efficient and take on only the amount of clients they can handle as well as how much they want to work (shocker - not everyone wants to work 60 hours/week - LOL). Our clients are delighted at the level of support they receive.