If your group is holding a fundraiser, hiring a consultant may be the best way to maximize profit, and sample fundraising consulting contracts will give you a baseline as to who and how to hire. It's no secret that fundraising is difficult and often frustrating. The reasons organizations hold fundraisers are diverse; however, chances are if you need to raise funds for your organization or charitable group, you don't have too much money or time to spend planning out the logistics of the event. That's why a consulting firm that specializes in fundraising can be of help to you.
What are Fundraising Consultants?
Fundraising consultants look at the big picture of the event you're trying to hold. The best consultants will be passionate about your organization or cause and will help you determine a course of action and provide constructive criticism, guidance, and feedback along the way. Although a fundraising consultant might not be cheap, the success of your fundraiser will hopefully pay for his service several times over.
The problem with hiring a fundraising consultant is the logistics of the decision. Your organization will likely want to write up a contract detailing the responsibilities, compensation, and expectations of the person you decide to hire. Many organizations do not have a team that develops and reviews contracts to be signed by outside parties contracted by the organization. This can leave nonprofits wondering what to include in such a contract.
Where to Find Sample Fundraising Consulting Contracts
Sample fundraising consulting contracts are valuable resources available online, sometimes even for free, that can help you cover all the practical and legal angles associated with hiring a consultant so you get exactly what you expect. If you're not sure what kind of fundraising consultant to hire, or you're not sure what a contract should look like, check out the following links for a bit of insight into consulting contracts.
Sample Agreement
Thompson & Thompson is a professional full-service law firm that deals with nonprofit organizations on a regular basis. Their sample fundraising consulting contract is viewable online and the resource is available in full for purchase.
This contract is extremely detailed and lists many of the things that your organization would likely miss without the aid of a sample contract, such as compensation for mileage, advice of counsel, and liability issues. If you're serious about getting the contract right the first time, you can use this agreement as a framework for your contract.
Non Profit Grant Writers
Non Profit Grant Writers provides a free, if slightly simplified, sample version of a contract between an organization and a fundraising consulting firm. While the contract is specific to the organization represented by the website, it can easily be modified to fit the needs of your group or organization. Although this contract goes less in depth than some other sample contracts available for viewing and purchasing online, it certainly provides for the basics necessary in a fundraising consulting agreement.
Fundraising Forum
As far as nonprofit fundraising resources go, the Fund Raising Forum is among the best free information resources for organizations that need to raise money. Not only does this firm have a sample contract that can be filled out by your organization for free, but it also includes an addendum of helpful tips for filling in the blanks on the contract in order to make it as legitimate as possible.
This list is a great place to start, as it details what your organization can expect to pay a consultant during the term over which you need their help. Once you have read the information, it is extremely simple to fill in the blanks of the contract and make them specific to your organization, cause, or fundraising event. Unlike many fundraising contracts, which are written in "legalese" and difficult for the layperson to decipher, this contract is extremely easy to read and interpret for both parties.
Writing a Contract
While sample contracts can help, sometimes there is simply no substitute for legal advice. If you want to ensure your standard consulting contract is high quality and that it will protect your organization, you may wish to have it reviewed by an attorney. This investment could pay off, especially if you use the contract repeatedly, and can help protect your organization's rights.
