Fifty Miles and a Watch...The Consultant's View
Thursday, July 9, 2009
By: Dave Sternberg

Martina has a right to be frustrated! Choosing to pay for outside counsel is a significant undertaking even for the most financially secure nonprofit organization. However, there is no guarantee that the results will be what the client expected...

(View Part 1)

Martina’s organization wanted to conduct a feasibility study and she was given the approval to hire a consultant.  Consultants should be hired by the board, not the staff, for two good reasons:  1) the board is the body in charge of the organization, and 2) having board buy-in on choosing a consultant sets the tone, indicating that the entire organization supports the project. In Martina’s case, she hired the consultant…what message does this send to the firm hired? A good planning study requires direct involvement from the board to oversee the process and be involved with its execution.

The board should have insisted on interviewing multiple firms. Doing so would have brought to light a number of important issues that ultimately had an impact on the relationship.  Interviewing multiple firms would likely have helped identify the differences between a smaller firm and a large national consulting firm. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. In Martina’s case choosing a smaller firm would likely have resulted in a project managed by the partners, not a junior member.

Drawing from Martina’s experience, the following advice is at least minimal to consider when hiring a consultant.  Different firms have different philosophies.  Determine what is important as an end  product and make that a deal breaker. Be specific about what you want in the final report and agree on the number of interviews before a contract is signed. Finally, ask to see the questions that will be asked during the interviews. Martina would have been well served to see the questions, thus having a sense of whether or not they would yield good information, avoiding information that is “scant” in nature.

Don’t rely only on the references that a consulting firm offers. Visit their website and get the names of other organizations that have used their services. Check with those as well. It is not often that a firm will give you the name of a reference that will offer poor feedback.

Martina was absolutely correct to follow her hunch and find a firm that fit the chemistry of her organization. A planning study takes time and no one should dread the “meeting with our consultant.” Often this is in part an initial impression and in part the result of authentic conversations. An experienced consultant should be willing to tell Martina’s organization what they need to hear, not what they want to hear.

On that note, sometimes a planning study finds that conducting a campaign should wait. The reasons are many, but this is not a reference to the quality of program, but instead speaks to the organization’s readiness and ability to execute a fundraising initiative. Don’t be insulted, but trust that your chosen consultant is assisting you in setting a positive course for the future.

About the Author

Dave Sternberg is a  Partner in Achieve, a nonprofit consulting firm based in Indianapolis, Indiana. He can be reached at dsternberg@achieveguidance.com.