How to choose a partner who will actually help you raise more money.

Hiring a fundraising consultant is a major decision for any nonprofit. The right partner brings clarity, momentum, and measurable growth. The wrong one leaves you with a

binder of ideas and no results.

These ten questions will help you evaluate any consultant through a clear, practical lens and ensure your organization selects someone who can truly move your mission forward.

1. Do they hold credible fundraising credentials (like the CFRE)?

When you hire a professional, you expect professional standards.

You wouldn’t trust your taxes to someone who isn’t a CPA (Certified Public Accountant). You wouldn’t hand your legal matter to someone who doesn’t have a J.D. (Juris Doctor). You wouldn’t entrust your investments to someone who isn’t a CFP (Certified Financial Planner).

In the fundraising world, the CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) is the equivalent benchmark.

It signals:

• Verified years of fundraising experience

• Demonstrated results

• Mastery of the fundraising body of knowledge & passing of a comprehensive written examination

• Adherence to an ethical code

• Required ongoing training, continuing education, and recertification every three years

A consultant with a CFRE has validated their expertise at the highest level. A consultant without it should clearly explain how they maintain equivalent professional standards.

2. Can they provide recent references with actual names and contact information?

Most consultants will tell you they’ve had great results. Fewer can prove it. When evaluating a consultant, don’t just accept vague statements or anonymous testimonials.

You should be able to ask for:

• Names of past or current clients

• Email addresses or phone numbers for references

• A description of the engagement

• Clear outcomes or measurable improvements

Willingness to provide direct access to real clients shows confidence, transparency, and integrity. If a consultant hesitates, that’s often a sign their track record may not be as strong as they claim.

3. Do they have a track record of raising money, not just creating plans?

This is one of the clearest differentiators between consultants.

If a nonprofit simply wanted information or strategy, they could buy one of the many excellent fundraising books already available. What organizations truly need is a partner who can help them implement those insights in real life.

A strong consultant should demonstrate experience in:

• Building donor pipelines

• Improving messaging and positioning

• Coaching leaders on major donor conversations

• Helping organizations execute campaigns

• Strengthening systems and processes

• Guiding staff through real fundraising actions

Strategy without implementation is education. Strategy with implementation is transformation.

4. Do they understand nonprofits of your size and stage?

A consultant who only works with multimillion-dollar nonprofits may not understand the realities of a lean, understaffed organization. Likewise, someone who only works with very small orgs may not know how to help you scale.

To discern whether they truly understand your world, ask questions like:

• “What challenges do organizations at our size typically face?”

• “How do you support nonprofits with small teams or no development staff?”

• “What would you prioritize first for an organization like ours?”

• “Can you share a story of how you helped a nonprofit at our stage grow?”

Their responses should feel tailored, not generic. If their examples don’t sound like your organization, they may not be the right fit.

5. Do they begin the engagement with an audit or assessment?

A reputable consultant never guesses. They diagnose.

If your organization already has some type of development operation (even a small one), a thoughtful consultant should start the engagement with a development audit or assessment, not just a free discovery session or surface-level review.

This audit should include:

• Review of donor data

• Evaluation of systems and tools

• Assessment of messaging and materials

• Conversations with staff or board

• Identification of gaps and opportunities

• A summary of findings and priorities

Quality audits take significant time and expertise, they shouldn’t be free, and they shouldn’t be optional.

6. Is their pricing aligned with the value they claim to provide?

Clarity in billing is essential, but so is appropriateness.

A strong consultant will have:

• Standardized pricing

• Clear scopes

• Predictable monthly or project-based fees

• Written deliverables tied to the cost

• A professional contract

• Transparent communication

Just as importantly: Avoid hiring the cheapest consultant you can find.

In consulting, extremely low fees usually mean:

• Minimal experience

• Limited availability

• Lack of confidence in their work

• No established processes

• Little commitment to deep partnership

Price should not be the only factor, but it should absolutely be a signal.

7. Will they help your team grow or make you dependent on them?

The best consultants operate with the heart of a teacher.

By the end of the engagement, your team should understand why each action or strategy matters, not just be handed tasks to execute.

A consultant with a teacher’s mindset will:

• Explain concepts clearly

• Help staff understand donor psychology

• Walk through the reasoning behind each decision

• Leave your organization smarter and more confident than they found it

Think of it like hiring a great financial advisor or attorney. Yes, they do the work, but they also help you understand the principles behind the decisions so you can grow stronger over time.

If a consultant tries to keep everything in a black box, that’s a red flag.

8. Can they clearly articulate their fundraising philosophy and does it align with yours?

Fundraising is deeply philosophical work.

Some consultants focus heavily on data. Some prioritize relationships. Some emphasize storytelling or brand. Some blend all of the above.

A consultant should be able to clearly articulate their philosophy on:

• Donor engagement

• Stewardship

• Strategy

• Messaging

• Long-term sustainability

Their philosophy should make sense, feel grounded, and align with your organization’s values and culture.

If they can’t explain their worldview on fundraising clearly, they may not have one.

9. Do they offer both strategic guidance and hands-on implementation?

Plans are important, but plans alone don’t raise money.

A strong consultant provides:

• A clear roadmap

• Coaching and accountability

• Hands-on execution support

• Regular check-ins

• Guidance during donor meetings, campaigns, and appeals

• Practical help with messaging, systems, and strategy

Think of strategy as the blueprint. Implementation is the building crew.

Your organization needs both.

Otherwise, your plan becomes just another document that sits on a shelf.

10. Do they feel like a partner and not a vendor?

Trust matters. Chemistry matters.

Your consultant should feel like someone who:

• Understands your mission

• Communicates clearly

• Fits your culture

• Brings clarity, not confusion

• Strengthens your team

• Respects your board and leadership

Fundraising is relational work.Choose a consultant who honors that reality and elevates your mission through partnership.

How Onyx Nonprofit Strategies Aligns With These Questions

When nonprofits use these criteria, Onyx consistently rises to the top:

• Led by a CFRE-certified fundraising professional with real executive nonprofit fundraising experience.

• We provide full transparency, including references, contact info, and real-world examples of our work.

• We are known for hands-on implementation, not just strategy, helping organizations actually execute their fundraising roadmap.

• We specialize in nonprofits with under $5M in revenue, which means we deeply understand the realities, limitations, and opportunities facing small & medium-sized organizations.

• Every engagement begins with a full development audit, ensuring our recommendations are grounded in reality.

• Our pricing reflects professionalism, structure, and the level of partnership required to drive meaningful results.

• We operate with the heart of a teacher, ensuring your team understands the why and becomes stronger by the end of the engagement.

• Our fundraising philosophy blends donor care, clarity, messaging, systems, and relationship-driven strategy aligned with sustainable growth.

• Most of our clients renew or expand engagements because they see clear, measurable progress.

Onyx exists to bring clarity, confidence, and long-term fundraising strength to nonprofits ready to grow.

Ready to explore whether we’re the fundraising consultant for your organization?

You can schedule a free discovery call anytime at onyxkc.com. No pressure, just a conversation about your goals and where you want to go next.