Home Library Translate
A A A
Share »
Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on LinkedIn
Connect »

Blog: Fundraising for Nonprofits

Menu

  • This Blog's Home
  • Guest Writer Submissions
  • Policies
  • To Subscribe to a Blog
  • About
  • Feedback

Professional Fund Raiser vs. Fundraising Professional

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on April 24, 2012

Last week I went off on “professional fund raisers,” and, in passing, referred to Fundraising Professionals.  I think I made it clear that I was opposed to the use of the vast majority of those “professional fund raisers” who raise the money for you.

And, now, to clarify the differences between the two, and the reasons you should favor one over the other, I offer the following:

The, so called, “professional” fund raiser
•     Has little, if any, background/training/experience in development
•     Is interested in dollars, not people
•     Usually gives the NPO an unethically-small percentage of the total dollars raised
•     Has no commitment to establishing relationships between “donors” and the NPO
•     Has no interest in helping the NPO create a donor base
•     Doesn’t always provide the NPO with a list of who gave what amount
•     Has no interest in helping the NPO create an ongoing funding stream – unless
       you hire them on an ongoing basis
•     And, most States that require registration by fundraising consultants and professional
       fund raisers require (only) the latter to be bonded.  Wonder why that is ??

Fundraising Professionals
•     Have an understanding of the relationships that must exist between donor and NPO
•     Have had mentoring and/or formal training in development
•     Have broad experience in development
•     Have developed expertise in one-or-more areas of the development process
•     Work with you to create a constituency
•     Work with you to create a donor base
•     Work with you to create relationships between your donors and your NPO
•     Work with you to establish realistic fundraising goals
•     Who are employees of NPOs, work for a salary, never a commission/percentage
•     Who are consultants, work for a fee (agree upon in advance, but not paid in advance)
       based on services/expertise to be provided, never a commission/percentage

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Have a comment or a question about starting, evaluating or expanding your fundraising program? With over 30 years of counseling in major gifts, capital campaigns, bequest programs and the planning studies to precede these three, I’ll be pleased to answer your questions. Contact me at AskHank@Major-Capital-Giving.com

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

If you would like to comment/expand on the above, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply” at the bottom of this page, click on the feedback link at the top of the page, or send an email to the author of this posting.

« Previous Next »

Search Our Site

Meet the Blog’s Host

Hank Lewis with Development Consultant Associates has over thirty years as a fundraising consultant and is a specialist in Board and Leadership Development, Capital Campaign, Bequest Program and Major Gifts. [Read more ...]

Recent Blog Posts

  • Show Me … Don’t Tell Me: Say It With Video
  • Video – An Often Overlooked Development Tool
  • Using Video in the Development Process … And Increasing Dollars
  • Corporation Solicitation Programs: Not For Every Nonprofit
  • The Gift Table: An Essential Fundraising Tool
  • The Planning Study: Implementation
  • The Planning Study: Conceptualizing & Preparing
  • Leadership: The Key to a Successful Major Gifts Program
  • Ensuring The Future of Your Nonprofit: Major Gifts Are The Way
  • Top Ten “Rules” of Fundraising

Categories of Posts

  • Accounting For Fundraising
  • Basics and Overviews
  • Board and Fundraising
  • Fundraising & Social Media
  • Fundraising Basics: Concepts & Philosophy
  • Fundraising: Beyond The Basics
  • Fundraising: Capital Campaigns
  • Fundraising: Consultants
  • Fundraising: Corporate
  • Fundraising: Database/Software
  • Fundraising: Direct Response
  • Fundraising: Grants
  • Fundraising: Hiring Development Staff
  • Fundraising: Major Gifts
  • Fundraising: Millennials In Development
  • Fundraising: Planned Giving
  • Fundraising: Planning
  • Fundraising: Special Events
  • Fundraising: The Combined Federal Campaign
  • Uncategorized

Related Library Topics

  • Boards of Directors
  • Capacity Building
  • Consultants (Using)
  • Executive Director Role
  • Financial Management
  • Fundraising and Grantwriting
  • Marketing
  • Program Evaluation
  • Program Management
  • Social Enterprise
  • Staffing
  • Starting Nonprofits
  • Strategic Planning
  • Taxation
  • Volunteers

Library's Blogs

  • Boards of Directors
  • Building a Business
  • Business Communications
  • Business Ethics, Culture and Performance
  • Business Planning
  • Career Management
  • Coaching and Action Learning
  • Consulting and Organizational Development
  • Crisis Management
  • Customer Service
  • Facilitation
  • Free Management Library Blogs
  • Fundraising for Nonprofits
  • Human Resources
  • Leadership
  • Marketing and Social Media
  • Nonprofit Capacity Building
  • Project Management
  • Quality Management
  • Social Enterprise
  • Spirituality
  • Strategic Planning
  • Supervision
  • Team Building and Performance
  • Training and Development
About Feedback Legal Privacy Policy Contact Us
Free Management Library, © Copyright Authenticity Consulting, LLC ®; All rights reserved.
  • Graphics by Wylde Hare LLC
  • Website maintained by Caitlin Cahill

By continuing to use this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy.X