Capital campaigns are time and resource-intensive but rewarding endeavors that can take your nonprofit to new heights. If you’re considering hosting one, you’ll need the support of your team, stakeholders and most notably, an experienced capital campaign consultant.

A consultant provides a fresh, unbiased perspective to ensure you’re ready to host a successful campaign. Once you’re given the green light, your consultant will walk you through every step to pull off a capital campaign that meets (and exceeds!) your goals.

We’ve put together this guide to help you understand the value of a capital campaign consultant and find the perfect partner to guide you through your next capital campaign. Specifically, we’ll cover:

• Understanding the Role of a Capital Campaign Consultant
• How to Determine if You Need a Consultant
• What to Look for in a Capital Campaign Consultant
• 6 Steps to Hire a Capital Campaign Consultant
• How Aly Sterling Philanthropy Can Help You Navigate Capital Campaigns

With a capital campaign consultant by your side, you’ll have access to expert opinions during each and every phase of the process, allowing you to supercharge your fundraising plan.

Understanding the Role of a Capital Campaign Consultant

A capital campaign requires all hands on deck—from formulating your goals and case for support to leading campaign kick-off activities. While you might have a sound internal team to prepare for and launch your campaign, you’ll still need the expertise of an unbiased, third-party consultant.

A capital campaign consultant can relieve the stress that comes with planning an enormous endeavor like a capital campaign, helping you to put together a strategic fundraising plan to reach your goals. Even before this stage, they’ll verify your project’s viability and identify potential challenges to ensure the road to success is as smooth as possible.

After all, a capital campaign can take several years to fully execute, and you don’t want to dive into a campaign that your organization isn’t prepared for or doesn’t align with your goals!

Backed by the support of the right consultant, you’ll have the guidance you need to confidently lead a capital campaign that advances your mission and makes all the time and investment you pour into it worthwhile. Specifically, a consultant will work with you to:

• Gather feedback from stakeholders during the feasibility study: During a nonprofit feasibility study, your consultant will conduct interviews with your key stakeholders to assess the viability of your fundraising goal, project details and other campaign plans. Then, they’ll candidly present the findings from the interviews to your leadership team and identify ways your organization can move forward and adjust its strategies for success.
• Shape your feasibility and campaign case for support: A consultant will help you develop a feasibility case for support that will provide stakeholders with an overview of your project, including its purpose, the benefits it will provide and how it will advance your mission. If you’re given the go-ahead to launch your capital campaign, your consultant will then take the insights from your feasibility study to shape and finalize your case for support, which will be shared with your entire donor base.
• Strengthen your fundraising plan: With your consultant, you can establish a goal, budget and timeline that make sense based on your organization’s current state and what you’re hoping to accomplish. A consultant will ensure that all elements of your strategic fundraising plan, including your major gift cultivation and stewardship strategy, are aligned with your goals and will set you up for success.
• Train your fundraising team: A sound capital campaign starts with a sound internal infrastructure and culture. Capital campaign consultants bolster your internal operations by equipping your board members, staff and volunteers with the best practices and tools they need to excel in their roles. Specifically, a consultant can prepare your team to preside over committees, build strong major donor connections, solicit gifts and more.
• Plan campaign communications: One of the most important elements of a capital campaign is the messaging you use to inspire generosity from donors. A capital campaign consultant works with you to hone your communication cadence and marketing plan so you can effectively highlight your fundraising needs and reach your goals.
• Provide ongoing campaign management: At a high level, your capital campaign consultant will follow your nonprofit’s progress through your campaign and determine whether you’re on track to meeting your key performance indicators (KPIs). If any unexpected obstacles appear or your nonprofit isn’t on track to hitting your benchmarks, your consultant will pull from their wealth of knowledge and experiences to suggest ways to hone your approach.

Keep in mind that a capital campaign consultant might also find that a projected campaign isn’t in your best interest. In this instance, they’ll suggest actionable ways to optimize your nonprofit’s internal operations and infrastructure so you can prepare yourself for a large-scale campaign in the future. A capital campaign consultant specializing in strategic fundraising planning can even work with your organization year-round to strengthen your nonprofit as a whole!

How to Determine if You Need a Consultant

If your nonprofit has a tight budget and is hoping to cut down costs, you might be tempted to tackle the entire capital campaign planning and execution process in-house. After all, you already have a core team of motivated staff, volunteers and board members, so you don’t really need to have a capital campaign consultant, right?

This is a common misconception when it comes to leading a project as large as a capital campaign. A capital campaign consultant isn’t just an external party that you bring on for advice here and there; they’re an invaluable asset and accountability partner, bringing years of experience and useful strategies that can improve the outcome of your campaign.

This is even more true for the most pivotal stage of the capital campaign planning process: the feasibility study. The feasibility study is your chance to collect feedback and opinions that will shape your entire campaign strategy and determine if you should move forward or not.

If you conduct your interviews with an in-house team member, you might accidentally influence your stakeholders’ feedback, leading to much more positive input than they actually feel. In contrast, a third-party consultant isn’t emotionally attached to your project and interviewees are much more likely to be open and honest with a third-party interviewer.

Plus, consultants are much more likely to be transparent about their findings than a team member who is closely tied to your organization. Drawing from the feedback they’ve collected, your consultant will identify opportunities and challenges and bring a fresh perspective to how to improve your organization and proposed project.

A capital campaign isn’t a quick fundraiser. There’s years of planning and hundreds to thousands of dollars going into its execution. With so much at stake, it’s not only recommended, but essential that you work with an unbiased party to avoid conflicts of interest and whip your organization into the best shape possible for your campaign. 

What to Look For in a Capital Campaign Consultant

Now that you understand the immense value of hiring a capital campaign consultant, it’s time to focus on who you should hire. After all, there are hundreds of consulting firms out there, but you don’t want to just work with any consultant; you want a true collaborator and partner with the necessary experience to enhance your nonprofit’s fundraising plan.

Before we discuss the steps to hire a capital campaign consultant, let’s cover the essential traits you should look for in a partner:

• Experience working on capital campaign projects with nonprofits similar to yours in size and sector.
• Open and honest communication to ensure your nonprofit is receiving the advice and support it needs every step of the way.
• Project management skills to provide high-level insights into your progress and mold your strategies throughout every phase of the capital campaign.
• Ethical standards that align with your nonprofit’s own values system and show that your consultant is a trustworthy, reliable partner.
• Good chemistry with your nonprofit’s leaders and team members to promote ongoing collaboration.

You’ll be able to uncover these traits in potential partners by exploring their websites, speaking with references and meeting with them in person. Keep in mind that hiring a capital campaign consultant shouldn’t be a rushed process! Take your time to find the perfect fit for your organization and your campaign will benefit.

6 Steps to Hire a Capital Campaign Consultant

Let’s take a closer look at how you can find, screen and hire the ideal consultant for your upcoming capital campaign.

1. Ensure your entire team is on board.

After you’ve determined a capital campaign is in your future, discuss the option of hiring a nonprofit consulting firm with key organizational leaders. First and foremost, your board and development committee must be involved in the conversation. These individuals will help lead and fund your campaign, so their input and buy-in are critical to your success.

You’ll also want to ensure that they can work effectively with a capital campaign consultant throughout the campaign. Address general questions and concerns board members may have about launching a capital campaign with a consultant by your side. Emphasize that capital campaigns are large endeavors with a lot of money at stake; a nonprofit consultant can bring valuable expertise to the table to bring your goals to fruition.

From these conversations, you should also determine the extent of the support that your nonprofit will need. For example, these questions can help you understand your campaign readiness and where a nonprofit consulting firm can fill in the gaps:

• Do you have a solid fundraising strategic plan?
• Do you have strong leadership from your administration and board?
• Do you hold your paid fundraising staff accountable to financial goals?
• Do you understand your nonprofit’s past ROI on campaigns and events?
• Do you have a solid understanding of your target demographics?

If you’re struggling to answer these questions with an affirmative “yes,” then you may need to hire a consultant who’s comfortable with building your nonprofit’s internal operations while managing a capital campaign.

2. Request referrals from your network.

To launch your search for qualified candidates, start by using your network to ask for consultant referrals. Specifically, look toward the following sources:

• Your peers: Respected peers in neighboring nonprofits can not only share names of consultants they recommend working with, but also provide personal insights into that consulting firm. For example, they might share whether they had a good working relationship, met their fundraising goals and any other relevant details that would shine more light onto the qualifications of a prospective consultant.
• Professional organizations: A professional organization, such as The Giving Institute or the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), can provide your nonprofit with a list of vetted fundraising consultants they recommend working with. This takes out the guesswork of whether a prospective fundraising consultant is trustworthy and worth your time to research further.
• Community-based organizations: Similar to professional organizations, community-based organizations can also provide directories of fundraising consultants. However, they can provide lists that are more relevant to the area your nonprofit primarily operates within. For example, if you’re based in Indianapolis, a community-based organization can give you a list of fundraising consultants in your city.

Make sure to start this research process early before you make any headway on a proposed capital campaign project. You’ll want to give your team plenty of time to find the right partner, so by the time you’re ready to begin a capital campaign, you have the support you need.

3. Research firms that are the right fit for your nonprofit.

Now that you have a working list of prospective consultants, you’ll need to do some personal research to assess whether they’d be a good fit. Take a close look at the following factors for each candidate:

• The consultant’s specialty: Check to see if the consulting firms you’re considering have experience with capital campaigns in the specific areas in which you need assistance.
• The location of the consultant: Both local and remote consultants have their advantages. Local consultants can meet in-person more regularly, while remote consultants can offer a fresh, outside perspective to your capital campaign. Weigh whether a remote or local consultant would best meet your needs.
• Historic clients of the consultant: Consultants may serve nonprofits of a particular type or size. Look to see if their past clients have similarities to your own organization. By partnering with a consultant who already has a track record in supporting nonprofits similar to yours, you’re more likely to produce successful outcomes.
• Founding philosophies: Your consultant’s founding philosophies should complement your nonprofit’s mission and culture. This will make it easier to create a positive, collaborative relationship that benefits both parties throughout your campaign.
• Testimonials and references: Examine the consultant’s testimonials and case studies on their website. If possible, reach out to these nonprofits directly to learn more about their experience in working with a given consultant. You can always ask a consultant to provide the contact information of clients they’ve worked with after you meet in person.

Once you know this information, you’re one step closer to finding a capital campaign consultant who will serve your organization exceedingly well. Plus, you’ll know what’s valuable to them and how that will play a role in their work with your organization. For example, with consultants who specialize in organizing first-time capital campaigns, you know you’ll be getting advice perfect for beginners.

It’s in your best interest to choose a long-term partner who can assist your fundraising and awareness-generating efforts from start to finish. Specifically, you’ll want a partner who can provide accountability, expertise and extra hands as your needs change throughout the campaign.

Even if you’re only anticipating that you’ll need one specific service, your consultant’s skill set should be comprehensive. It can be difficult for us to see our own flaws in campaign planning, but a capital campaign consultant with a well-rounded understanding will be able to find areas of improvement you may not have seen before.

4. Meet with your top candidates

Once you’ve identified potential consultants, it’s important to have conversations with them to determine how their services and approach fit your organizational goals. After all, a capital campaign consultant will be in it for the long haul, so you want to choose the right person.

Your capital campaign consultant should be someone who is competent, personable and trustworthy. You should enjoy working with your consultant! Therefore, during your conversations, remember to look for a consultant with qualities indicating that they can form a strong working relationship.

Be sure to take notes during each of your conversations with potential capital campaign consultants. Make a list of questions to ask each one about their background and experience, approach to managing capital campaigns and the pricing structure for their services. This way, you won’t get distracted from the core purpose of these conversations.

Whether you have an in-person discussion or talk over the phone, it’s important that you also take the time to explain what areas of support you need. Explain your nonprofit’s vision, project details and how you’re hoping to work with a consultant to optimize your approach. This will give your candidate a good idea of how they can best help you, which will be described in more detail in their proposal.

5. Request proposals from your top candidates.

To help finalize your decision, write a request for proposal (or an RFP) to send to your top nonprofit campaign consulting firms. A proposal is an overview of a consultant’s approach to accomplishing your goals. This will help you determine who is truly the best fit for your needs.

In your RFP, you’ll need to provide a clear deadline to your top picks, as well as any specific information you want them to include. A good proposal in response to your request will contain the following information:

• Explanation of the consultant’s process and expected outcomes
• Estimated timeline for your project
• Estimated fees and project scope

Review whether each proposal addresses the problems or concerns you’ve discussed and answers the questions you present. A strong proposal will not only provide logistical details, but also display a deeper understanding of your nonprofit’s needs.

Keep in mind that these proposals aren’t set in stone; in fact, you may negotiate the details of the proposal at a later stage in the hiring process. However, these proposals should give insight into which nonprofit consultants can best serve your organization and how their unique skill sets would support your campaign.

6. Review proposals and make your final choice.

Now that you’ve had conversations and have a stack of proposals, you have all of the materials you need to make a final decision for your capital campaign consultant!

The first step to making this call is reaching out to the references provided by your top capital campaign consultant picks. Make sure you ask the references:

• How did the consultant manage the capital campaign?
• Did they stay within the campaign’s budget?
• How did they communicate with your team?
• Did they meet your deadlines?
• How was their quality of work?

These references are third parties who can provide honest insight into the work your capital campaign consultant has done in the past. Once you’ve reached out to their references, you can determine which nonprofit consultant you’d like to work with. Then, you’ll need to finalize the agreement with them. The next steps to finalize this agreement include:

• Reviewing proposals and determining if there are any changes that need to be made. You can even hold these conversations before selecting a final nonprofit consultant. The point is to discuss a consultant’s proposal so that you’re both satisfied and on the same page before a contract is signed.
• Signing the contract, which should outline the details of your agreement. These details include the timeline, cost and deliverables.

A capital campaign consultant will most likely be paid through a retainer fee (an upfront cost to cover a large or long-term project), so be sure to have room in your budget for this initial expense.

Once all the details are finalized, it’s time to cultivate an amazing nonprofit consulting partnership that will enable the success of your capital campaign. Remember to listen to your consultant and heed their advice; you hired them for a reason! This will set up the building blocks for a strong relationship that will benefit your nonprofit long-term.

How Aly Sterling Philanthropy Can Help You Navigate Capital Campaigns

If you’re ready to hone your fundraising strategies and meet your capital campaign goals, look no further than Aly Sterling Philanthropy’s consulting services. Aly Sterling Philanthropy is the leading capital campaign consultant, helping organizations across all sectors execute powerful campaigns and optimize their internal operations in the process.

Aly Sterling Philanthropy starts by leading your nonprofit through a thorough feasibility study, helping to assess your organization’s readiness for a large-scale project. Our expert consulting team will determine how much you can expect to raise and provide best practices and recommendations of tools to adopt to increase your campaign’s chance of success.

Then, we’ll guide your organization through every step of your capital campaign, including:

• Setting ambitious yet realistic goals and identifying associated key performance indicators to measure progress over time.
• Honing all elements of your fundraising strategy to improve outcomes and strengthen donor relationships.
• Creating a compelling communications and marketing plan that is personalized to your target audience and keeps your capital campaign top of mind.
• Drafting a strong case for support to articulate the big picture and create a donor-centric story.
• Training your leadership team in cultivation, stewardship and solicitation best practices and organizing well-structured committees to carry out your campaign.
• Optimizing your major donor strategies to identify qualified prospects and inspire their generosity during the quiet phase.
• Managing your campaign and suggesting tangible ways to maximize fundraising results.
• Developing a robust donor recognition program to express your gratitude and retain donors’ support for the long term.

Backed by the expert consultants at Aly Sterling Philanthropy, you’ll be well-prepared to take your mission to new heights and secure a brighter future for your nonprofit. Contact us today to learn how we can guide your nonprofit through capital campaign fundraising.

Wrapping Up

Capital campaigns may be large-scale and intimidating to even the most experienced nonprofit fundraising professionals, but with the right support, you can lead your campaign with confidence. If you’re thinking about hosting a capital campaign, start researching skilled consulting firms today that can fill gaps in your approach and optimize your fundraising.

Eager to learn more about capital campaign fundraising? Check out these additional resources:

• Capital Campaigns: The Ultimate Guide to Meet Your Goals: Read through our step-by-step guide to plan a successful capital campaign.
• Nonprofit Feasibility Studies: 9 Tips to Maximize Results: A feasibility study will help your nonprofit assess the viability of your proposed project and steward strong relationships with stakeholders in the process. Use these tips to run an effective feasibility study.
• 10 Easy Steps to Supercharge Your Fundraising Strategy: To launch a capital campaign, you need a strong fundraising strategy to work from. Use this guide to create a well-designed fundraising plan and maximize results.