 Issue 7 • August/September 2006
Farewell Tan Lines, Hello Deadlines:
An End-of-Summer Guide to Working with Consultants
 Dear Philanthropy Professional,
Happy August! Summer's nearly over so it's time to squeeze in the last of this year's warm-weather memories. Fire up the barbecue. Laze on the beach with a good book. Catch a jar full of fireflies and harvest a few ripe tomatoes. Whether you're in the city, at the beach or anywhere else, I hope you can take some time to soak up this last bit of summer doing the things you most enjoy.
Before you know it, Labor Day will have come and gone and you'll be back at work, wondering how on earth you're going to get everything done. No need to panic: take a deep breath and consider the benefits of hiring a consultant. In this issue of IdeaMail, we offer some tips so you can make the most of your decision to reach out for a little extra help on those upcoming projects. Here's to the end of summer and the start of new working relationships!
Warmly,
Kris Putnam-Walkerly, MSW
President
17 Ways Consultants Can Make Your Life Easier
Consultants can assist your foundation or nonprofit in just about any aspect of your work. Call on consultants to help you to:
1. |
Perform needs assessments |
2. |
Conduct environmental scans |
3. |
Research grantmaking strategies |
4. |
Advise on program development |
5. |
Review proposals |
6. |
Conduct site visits |
7. |
Help with organizational development |
8. |
Explore ideas for new foundations |
9. |
Assist with foundation management |
10. |
Facilitate board retreats |
11. |
Negotiate multi-generational dynamics for family philanthropies |
12. |
Help with leadership development and coaching |
13. |
Conduct executive searches |
14. |
Perform evaluations |
15. |
Develop marketing communications |
16. |
Provide technical, legal or financial advice |
17. |
Explore new funding sources |
4 Reasons to Hire Consultants
Here are the four main reasons most foundations and nonprofits enlist the help of outside consultants:
1. Extend Staff Capacity
When staff is short on time or you simply lack sufficient staff capacity, consultants can be a great help. A consultant can fill in for a staff member who is on leave or serve as a "staff extender" to add focus to an existing team. Here's a recent example: One of Putnam's family foundation clients was growing quickly. The CEO planned to hire more program officers in the future, but wanted to wait until she developed new grantmaking programs. In the meantime, she retained Putnam to serve as a "consulting program officer" to review proposals, conduct site visits, and research new grantmaking strategies. The CEO succeeded in adding
staff capacity without making any long-term commitments.
2. Add Expertise
Even with the most meticulous hiring, it's rare to have all the skills you need on staff at any given time. Consultants can fill in those gaps with specialized expertise in areas such as quantitative research, evaluation, facilitation, strategic planning, marketing and more. Many consultants also offer expertise in specific fields such as workforce development, health care financing, or substance abuse prevention. You can decide whether you prefer to hire a consultant with both skill levels, or one without content expertise who can bring a fresh perspective to the issues at hand.
3. Gain Objectivity
The best solution is not always the most obvious one. For example, when you want to get at the underlying reasons teens don't succeed in school, increase the effectiveness of a health care outreach program, or communicate the benefits of a
new service to a target audience, an outside consultant can provide much-needed objectivity.
Consultants often function as a "neutral voice" by conducting objective research, assessing opportunities and developing new solutions. Also, keep in mind that potential grant recipients are more likely to be more open about sharing their concerns with a consultant than with the foundation program officer who holds the power to accept or deny their request for funding.
4. Increase Credibility
Very often, organizations hire consultants to increase the credibility of their project among a target audience. For example, an organization seeking to replicate a program across multiple states might hire a nationally known evaluation firm to inspire greater confidence from national funders. Conversely, if you are undertaking a grassroots effort, you may be better off hiring a community based consulting firm with experience in your target region.
5 Tips for a Successful Consultant Engagement
Simply choosing to hire a consultant isn't enough to guarantee a successful engagement. You need to clearly communicate your goals at the outset, and take the time to provide feedback on whether those goals were met upon project completion. Here are few guidelines to help you succeed with consultants:
1. Understand All Your Goals
Before you choose a consultant, take the time to fully understand the problems you want to resolve. Be clear about what you expect the consultant to accomplish and identify all the key stakeholders. It's also essential to identify any barriers that could influence the project, and to be very clear about your timeframe and budget.
2. Identify the Right Consultant
Once your goals are clearly outlined, you're ready to find a consultant with the right skills and experience. For instance, you may need someone who speaks fluent Spanish, knows how to conduct qualitative data analysis, and has the interpersonal skills to get along well with your staff. Would you prefer to work with a sole proprietor or a large consulting firm with more capacity? Will you need to develop an RFP to establish a field of candidates or can you source your consultant using referrals from colleagues or professional networks? Once you have your "short list" be sure to check references and conduct due diligence before finalizing an agreement.
3. Establish a Clear Relationship
When you initiate a project with a new consultant, you are laying the foundation for a relationship that could prove to be highly beneficial for you and your organization for many years to come. Take the time to explain your needs clearly and answer any questions the consultant may have. Be sure to agree upon the scope of work: Include specific deliverables, a clear timeline and a set budget. Agree on how you will work together: Do you want to stay informed via email or phone? How often? Do you want to schedule face-to-face meetings at key project milestones? Finally, provide your consultant with all the necessary introductions along with background information and, if needed, infrastructure support.
4. Manage for Success
Even with the best consultant on your team, you won't be able to delegate everything, so be sure to build in enough time to manage your project. You may want to check in with your consultant on a regular basis to air any concerns, troubleshoot potential problems, review draft surveys and reports, or discuss preliminary findings. Be sure to pay the consultant on time, and remember that if you add deliverables to the contract, the fee and timeline may also need to be extended.
5. Conclude and Debrief the Engagement
It seems obvious, but it is important to officially conclude your engagement when it is complete — or when you're ready to move on to the next phase. Set a time to meet with your consultant to provide feedback on the deliverable and tell them how you intend to put their findings to work in your organization. Have an honest and productive conversation about the consulting relationship and discuss ways you might work more effectively together in the future. We all learn from experience, and this is where you both have the greatest opportunity to voice what you learned.
Additional Resources
Online Resources
"Working with a Consultant or Technical Assistance Provider: A Resource List" This listing from the Foundation Center provides consultant directories and tips on hiring and working with consultants.
Professional Development Needs of Consultants Serving the Nonprofit Sector See these findings from a survey of 322 consultants conducted by LaPiana Associates, Inc. and Fieldstone Alliance.
American Evaluation Association has a searchable online directory of evaluators.
Publications
Succeeding with Consultants: Self-Assessment for the Changing Nonprofit By Barbara Kibbe and Fred Setterberg, The Foundation Center, 1992.
Networks
National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers This brand new organization for philanthropy consultants will soon offer a searchable online consultant directory. In the meantime, be sure to let your consultants know about it so they can get involved.
Philanthropy Consultants Network This is an all-volunteer network of philanthropy consultants who live in or have clients based in Northern California. I co-founded this network and interested consultants are welcome to email me to learn more.
Acknowledgments
We gratefully acknowledge the following sources for providing inspiration and input for the information contained in this issue of IdeaMail.
Success with Consultants A Powerpoint presentation by Barbara Kibbe and Melange Matthews to The Foundation Incubator on November 13, 2003.
Succeeding with Consultants: Self-Assessment for the Changing Nonprofit By Barbara Kibbe and Fred Setterberg, The Foundation Center, 1992.
National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers
Foundations and Consultants: Making the Most of the Relationship A workshop presented to Northern California Grantmakers by Alexa Culwell, Lisa Spinali, and Kris Putnam-Walkerly on February 18, 2004. |
