So you survived the apocalypse. Now what the hell do you do? I liked the Shamen on the beach in Lima warding off the impending EoTW* that's the bet to take. I have a colleague, Professor Bruce Lloyd, a very erudite fellow at LSBU who does a lecture to my students every year on "Forecasting the Future" so if you want to know what's going to happen, just ask Bruce. In reality, of course, he reminds us that nothing is certain but some things are more certain than others. So it's a question of balancing risks and asking the right questions. Let me know if you'd like a copy of his last session it is worth thinking about.
So 2013 is upon us what is the outlook for fundraising in the UK? Double or triple dip resession looks horribly likely. The government's retreat from the Big Society continues. A lot of the cuts have not yet hit the proverbial fan. From April onwards I predict a steady stream of charities and groups going out of business or, at best, merging with others who are struggling. Some larger charities will be able to help out (National Trust to bail out the English Heritage Blue plaques for example?) but they themselves are at risk of beign squeezed by the bigger commercial providers of contract services.
What's more whilst there are some individual winners the predicted rises in legacies is yet to happen as the baby boomers really do try and live forever (or at least til beyond 2020). So there is still time to get a legacy strategy sorted. And I mean a real strategy with a vision that will appeal to the baby boomers and not more of the same old,same old.
Doing a session at the Institute of Fundraising Consultants Group in the afternoon of the 30th January at the DSC so come along if you'd like to hear more of my Cassandra and EoTW* predictions plus a couple of nuggets that I think could be gems in 2013.
Meanwhile may 2013 bring you everything that you've worked your fundraising socks off for. What's more, if you don't believe we've got to work even harder have a look at what NfP Synergy is saying about trust and confidence and be very afraid!
*End of the World
Showing posts with label consultants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label consultants. Show all posts
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
Friday, 2 March 2012
What do you think of Fundraising Consultants?
The original Grumpy Old Fundraiser, John Sauve-Rodd sent me a very interesting survey about what clients think of their consultants and (and why not) what consultants think about their charity clients! Makes for some interesting reading, have a look at: http://www.theagitator.net/dont-miss-these-posts/clients-consultants-punch-bowl-survey-results/
Of particular interest is the observation that "we only used them to persuade our boss to do what we wanted" because in my book that is one of the three worthwhile times to invest in the fundraising consultant. When you are a prophet in your own land, you often need the external "objective" voice to help win the arguement. My old friend Redmond Mullin, who sadly died last year was a consumate professional at persuading trustee boards and senior managment teams of the need to invest in fundraising. They would listen to Redmond in a way that they, sadly, would not listen to their own director of fundraising. (Yes that is the voice of experience speaking).
The second of the usual reasons for employing consultants is simply to provide the expertise or capacity that does not exist in-house. The capital campaign feasibility study, the fundraising audit in an under performing area and so on.
The third and I think least understand, is that of the change agent. The consultants can come in on an interim or time limited project basis, help to implement and manage change and then leave with all the monkeys on their backs. Its what they're paid for and helps the new team or reorganised department function far more effectively.
Each of these areas benefit from the use of consultants, provided that the brief was clear, unambiguous, without unrealistic expectations and, most importantly, fully agreed by both parties. It goes without saying, I hope, that you've got to find the right consultant with the right skill set and approach to be able to work within the culture of your organisation.
Anyway, do let me know what you think of the survey results.
Of particular interest is the observation that "we only used them to persuade our boss to do what we wanted" because in my book that is one of the three worthwhile times to invest in the fundraising consultant. When you are a prophet in your own land, you often need the external "objective" voice to help win the arguement. My old friend Redmond Mullin, who sadly died last year was a consumate professional at persuading trustee boards and senior managment teams of the need to invest in fundraising. They would listen to Redmond in a way that they, sadly, would not listen to their own director of fundraising. (Yes that is the voice of experience speaking).
The second of the usual reasons for employing consultants is simply to provide the expertise or capacity that does not exist in-house. The capital campaign feasibility study, the fundraising audit in an under performing area and so on.
The third and I think least understand, is that of the change agent. The consultants can come in on an interim or time limited project basis, help to implement and manage change and then leave with all the monkeys on their backs. Its what they're paid for and helps the new team or reorganised department function far more effectively.
Each of these areas benefit from the use of consultants, provided that the brief was clear, unambiguous, without unrealistic expectations and, most importantly, fully agreed by both parties. It goes without saying, I hope, that you've got to find the right consultant with the right skill set and approach to be able to work within the culture of your organisation.
Anyway, do let me know what you think of the survey results.
Monday, 11 October 2010
e-fundraising - a core strategy or a bolt-on gizmo?
Interesting isn't it? The consultants group at the Institue of Fundraising are holding what looks to be a really interesting meeting on 24th November with some really good speakers. We try to do the same at LSBU each year with guest speakers looking at the latest trends and what's working well. As do a number of other organisations. Problem is it all changes so quickly, doesn't it?
Well at the risk of being labelled a ludite I wonder if it does. It goes without saying, (well ought to) that one must consider the changing state of technology and our uptake of it and that must be built into our communications strategies to avoid redundancy and being unnecessarily overtaken. However first into the market rarely triumphs. Remember Betamax and later the video laser disc both technologies that were superior to those that followed and cleaned up. I'm not sure if its the hare and the tortoise or simply following the first entrants and making a better job of it. Either way you have to be well informed but an element of risk aversion and pragmatism makes a compelling argument.
As Ralph Waldo Emerson famously said, "The world will beat a path to the door whoever makes a better mousetrap" but not necessarily the person who tries to eradicate mice altogether.
Well at the risk of being labelled a ludite I wonder if it does. It goes without saying, (well ought to) that one must consider the changing state of technology and our uptake of it and that must be built into our communications strategies to avoid redundancy and being unnecessarily overtaken. However first into the market rarely triumphs. Remember Betamax and later the video laser disc both technologies that were superior to those that followed and cleaned up. I'm not sure if its the hare and the tortoise or simply following the first entrants and making a better job of it. Either way you have to be well informed but an element of risk aversion and pragmatism makes a compelling argument.
As Ralph Waldo Emerson famously said, "The world will beat a path to the door whoever makes a better mousetrap" but not necessarily the person who tries to eradicate mice altogether.
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