FAQ

What size of nonprofit do you work with?

I work with small to mid-sized nonprofits. The ones with a development function held together by duct tape and one exhausted person. If your “department” is one human, zero humans, or a board that thinks growth mindset is a strategy, let’s talk.

Have you worked in my sector?

I’ve worked across health services, education, the arts, workforce development, and youth-serving organizations. The throughline isn’t sector. Successful projects happen when leadership is ready to look at all parts of the system.

We don’t have a development plan yet. Do we need one before working with you?

Not at all. That’s usually where we start. What I do need is transparency about where you actually are, not where the board thinks you are.

I have a plan, but I’m too burned out to implement it. How can I add working with you to my schedule?

The only way out is through. Invest the time now in a fundraising system that fits your actual workflow and schedule. We build in intentional stages, sized to what you can carry, so each piece we put in place lifts work off your plate instead of adding to it. (And yes, fewer fires to put out.) 

Do you write grants or build the strategy behind them?

Both, depending on what you need. But strategy always comes first. Writing grants without a strategy is just expensive paperwork. Let’s look at your pipeline before we polish your prose.

Can you step in as interim development staff?

Yes. Transitions are one of the most common reasons I get called — a departure, a new hire who needs ramp-up support, or a gap nobody planned for. I can hold the seat, train the replacement, or both.

What does an engagement actually include?

Depends on what we agree to solve. It could be a fundraising plan, a grants calendar and pipeline, a major gifts program built from scratch, or a diagnostic that tells your board what’s actually broken. Whatever it is, you get something concrete and usable. Not a binder that goes on a shelf.

How do you price your work?

Flat fee, by project, agreed before we start. No surprise invoices. No clock running while you wait for me to answer an email. For ongoing relationships, I also work on retainer. 

What do you mean when you say fundraising problems are leadership problems?

Honestly, they usually are. After 30+ years and tens of millions raised, I can count on one hand the times a “fundraising problem” turned out to be a fundraiser problem. Usually it’s an unrealistic goal, an unsupported strategy, or a structure that quietly assumes one person can do five jobs. Hope is not a fundraising strategy. Neither is hiring your way out of a design flaw.

Our last consultant told us we need a “culture of philanthropy.” What do you think?

I don’t deal in slogans. “Culture of philanthropy” is the consulting equivalent of telling someone to be more confident — true in some abstract sense, useless as instruction. I’ll tell you what’s actually broken and what it would take to fix it.

Why work with a nonprofit consultant vs. a bigger firm?

Quick start. No RFP, no procurement cycle, no 6-week onboarding. We work at the heart of the matter from day one. 

Zero turnover. Nonprofits have enough turnover to deal with. You don’t need to bring new consultants up to speed every few months, too.

Streamlined. You’re paying one person with minimal overhead and getting results. The board will like that.

Focused attention. The success of your smallest project means a lot to you, so it means a lot to me. 

Will you tell us what’s wrong even if it’s not what we want to hear?

Yes. I’ll tell you what I find, plainly. 

Do you guarantee a fundraising result?

I can guarantee a clear plan, an honest diagnosis, and a system built to hold up under real conditions. Results follow execution, and execution is partly yours. If it doesn’t work, it won’t be a surprise to either of us. (If someone hands you a dollar figure with a straight face, ask what they’re actually selling. It isn’t fundraising consulting.)

Will you just validate the plan our board already likes?

If the plan works, I’ll tell you why I think so. If it doesn’t, I’ll tell you that too. 

How can we get started with nonprofit fundraising consulting?

Just fill out the contact form, and I’ll get back to you ASAP. TKTK basic next steps

Have a question not answered here?

Let’s talk.