Choosing a Development Consultant A Partnership of Expectations and Determination PEJE Leadership Assembly, Boston MA October 12, 2004

Choosing a Development Consultant

A Partnership of Expectations and Determination

PEJE Leadership Assembly, Boston MAOctober 12, 2004

NFP Achievement, LLC 2

Today’s Agenda• Your objectives?• Why go the consultant route?• Figuring what you need• Achieving resolve• A partnership of expectations

– Your school’s– Your consultant’s

• Issues that will impact Terms, Expectations and Success

• Real-time evaluation • Your questions?


Why go the consultant route?• Know-how• A first-hand familiarity with what works

– Analysis of Obstacles, Opportunity & Feasibility– Goal Setting, Plan Design & Organization– Skills– Training skills– Troubleshooting

• A practiced ambassador• Focus and focused accountability• A time-limited, high-return, non-recurring

expense• ‘Hit the ground running’


Figuring what you need…• Can you articulate candidly your predicament?• Can you the detail of what you’ve done and

what you’ve accomplished– Campaigns– Leadership / Exemplars / Heroes– Donors and Gift Histories– Results: Successes and shortfalls

• Are you seeing your whole picture? – Fundraising is always a challenge but not

always the firstfirst challenge


Achieving Resolve• A Board authorization to explore• A Leadership ‘Study and Action’ Team• ‘Homework’ done: Formulation of Predicament,

History and Need• Shop, Interview and Select• Recommendation to the Board

– Obstacles, Opportunity and Objectives– Mutual expectations– Cost and Duration

• Board authorization to launch


A Partnership of Expectations…Your school’s of the Consultant• Know-how / Experience / References• Day school experience capable of a “nuanced”

insights and guidance about:– Mission and Vision– Budget and operating discipline– Leadership strengths/weaknesses and development– Relationship-building/Stewardship/Competition/

Communication– Tuition/Scholarship strategies– Admissions/Competition/Marketing/Recruitment

Giving is a donor’s/prospect’s way of telling you how well you’re doing – more than how well you’re asking.


A Partnership of Expectations…Your school’s of the Consultant• Ability to listen, replay… and respond with new

ideas and plans• Ability to discern the parts just as well as the whole

– Dynamics of Leadership and Example– Constituencies of support – actual and prospective– Mission, Vision, Case, Positioning and Communication– The details of organization, tasks and chronology– Stewardship and recognition

• A willingness to articulate an Objectives Statement as part of the contract

• A disposition for action and results: Ready, FireFire, Aim.


A Partnership of Expectations…Your school’s of the Consultant• Respectful assertiveness that promotes a certain

amount of discomfort – and confidence, too• A comfortable level of impatience. Time is money.• A presence you have confidence to be seen out

with, and to send out alone (when appropriate) on your behalf

• Ready to be measured by the Objectives Statement

• A determination to leave you with more and stronger relationships PLUS the insights, schemes, team(s), and skills to carry on independently


A Partnership of Expectations…Your school’s of the ConsultantCAVEATCAVEAT• He/she probably isn’t for you IF…

– He doesn’t think out loud• Not only ‘what to do’ and ‘how’ but ‘WHY’

– Her first impulse isn’t to show you how– He’d prefer to do it for you … OR– She’s too willing to do it for you!


A Partnership of Expectations… The Consultant’s of your School• Board resolve• A leader and team ready to work with• The homework done: An informed sense of

predicament/opportunity and fundraising history• Willingness upfront to develop mutual,

measurable expectations – the Objectives Statement – As part of the contract: Accountability is mutual!

• A matching ‘Ready, FireFire, Aim’ attitude• Readiness to allocate the resources (mainly staff

and volunteer) to get the work done– Especially, a designated point person, preferably staff


A Partnership of Expectations…The Consultant’s of your School• Listeners and Learners

– “How do others do this?” instead of “We’re not like others. It won’t work here.”

All of us think we’re different, and we’re right, of course. But that’s the first thing to make us all the same!

• Courage for change• An eagerness to do it yourselves – with

guidance and accompaniment, as needed• Open to be pushed beyond what you think you

can, or need to do. Fundraising success is the unfailing result of pressing beyond what you think you can do.


A Partnership of Expectations…The Consultant’s of your SchoolCAVEATCAVEAT• Understanding that you’re purchasing know-

how, guidance, presence and time… – Not my rolodex, or someone to solicit

yours– Not ‘for you’, with you

• My mission: Reveal your assets and enhance your return on them. Build your plan, your skills, your organization and your relationships.


Issues that will impact Terms, Expectations and Success• Do you have a development professional on

staff?– Having a professional will accelerate learning

curve and implementation– Improve the ‘bang for the buck’

If not…– Volunteers must play staff roles, too– Where appropriate, the foundation can be set

for hiring a development pro, and improve the cost/benefit proposition for doing so


Issues that will impact Terms, Expectations and Success• Impact of no development staff on:

Terms and expense: More is required of the consultant, costing more.

Expectations: Volunteers must do more, more dependably and accountably in order not to compromise planning, execution and deadlines.

Success: With appropriate volunteer diligence and support the impact can be modest. However, renewal and continuity of success are more likely to be impaired.


Issues that will impact Terms, Expectations and Success• How long should it take?

– Shorter is better.– More intensive is better.– Focus and compact-ness are keys to high-

energy• The variables:

– Predicament, objectives and history– Development staff


Issues that will impact Terms, Expectations and Success• Impact of longer duration

Terms and Expense: With a fixed budget allocation for the consultant, negligible.

Expectations:With or without staff, achievement can be compromised by diminished intensity. With staff, more opportunities for diversion.

Success:School calendars leave precious little for analysis, design, organization of forces, and mobilizing timely action. Elongating the time of execution will more likely reduce effective attention, productive energy – and results!


Real-time Evaluation• Near the start, apply an action timeline to the

Objectives Statement• Near the start, team leader(s) and consultant

present to the Board• Board leadership, team leader(s) and consultant

meet/conference regularly to review actions, timeline, results – and problems.

• Consultant and team leader(s) make closing report to the Board

• Consultant and Team leader(s) create a ‘brief’ of issues, recommendations and next steps for the sake of post-consultation continuity


Robert L. Gurmankin

23 Timothy Court Morristown, NJ 07960

Tel: 973-998-4709 Cell: 201-513-4252

Fax: 866-802-1122 (Toll free) Email: [email protected]

Documents

Choosing a Development Consultant A Partnership of Expectations and Determination PEJE Leadership Assembly, Boston MA October 12, 2004