You’re a fundraising consultant. How can you stand out from the crowd?

In one word...DELIVER! Fundraising consultants can bring specialized skills, contacts, experiences and solutions. But successful consultants must DELIVER. They deliver impact and have direct impact on funds raised. Super important for consultants to stay away from the worst sin of all....Over Promising and Under Delivering. I have worked with some outstanding consultants, they first seek to understand and then seek to be understood. They don't overpromise and under deliver. They DELIVER!

As a fundraising consultant my clients pay me to give them advice, to help them see risks that they might otherwise overlook, and to help them envision and enact change that will yield increased revenue and mission impact. One of the key elements of this is speaking truth, even when someone doesn't want to hear it. Many times in my career I've had people tell me that they chose me out of a field of other consultants, some more experienced, others more credentialed, etc., because I was the only one willing to tell it like it is, even if that meant saying something unpopular. The consultants that truly stand out are those that tell you want you need to hear, not just what you want to hear.

1) Leverage social media like LinkedIn, don't use it to 'sell' instead use it as a platform to show your skills and credibility and this will act as a magnet to bring people to you. 2) Decide how you want to present, are you a freelancer, a consultancy or would you prefer associate work? this will drive your networking behaviour and help shape your marketing and communications, 3) Work with skilled PR and marketing specialists to develop and promote your brand, 4) Network, network and network some more. Local SME networking may seem irrelevant but it is actually a powerful way to reach a huge number of people and receive valuable warm introductions, 5) Run webinars and try and get public speaking opportunities or guest spots on podcasts.

What makes me to stand out as a Fundraising consultant is my willingness to give out a good crafted, straightforward advice to my clients on how to prepare first a well drafted database analysis of their targeted audience, before, during and after, their fundraising events. I advise them to be open, sincere and converse with their audience, when necessary while doing their fundraising.

Stand out is being unique in the way you relate with who you are are, vision and culture. That's this say "your band is like your local food, serve your local dish to the world, so that someone can taste the beauty of your food.. All am saying is create professionalism from your local ideas, strength, resources and core values. People should be able to relate with your vision when they touch your products. And with you can be a good fundraiser consultant because you can connect from you to the international market.

Be a contrarian! Go against the mainstream. Zag where others zig! Offer a perspective that goes against conventional wisdom, and you will immediately stand out. Not always to your benefit mind you. But stand out you will. Jesus called out the religious leaders of his day for their hypocrisy and obfuscation of the truth. He preached real truth in love and power. Doing so definitely made Him stand out and be recognized. He got killed for it. His followers continued preaching His message and they stood out and got killed for it too. However, they also had the biggest impact in history on the world. So, if you truly want to stand out and make a real difference, then speak the words God gives you and watch what happens. Maranatha!

Empower others through teaching and coaching! Lead by example! I agree that passion, compassion, and results are top with high ethical standards while advocating for the Donor Bill of Rights.

Results are king. Instead of just talking, show what you've achieved. Metrics speak volumes. Use tools like Canva or Piktochart to create eye-catching visuals illustrating your successes. People remember numbers more than words. Be the one who demonstrates tangible outcomes, not just promises.

I want to take this one step further. Your goal is to become a trusted advisor for the nonprofit sector as well as for the local philanthropic community. I am asked daily my opinion on nonprofit matters, board governance issues, challenges a donor is having with an organization they support as well as CSR people asking me what causes do I believe are doing outstanding work. In this role, you can help change the landscape with your expertise via your network.

Find events and groups where you can interact with your ideal clients. These could be virtual or in-person. Speak to people you respect and share your vision with them. Listen to their advice, take little bits from each and then tweak/adapt your vision. A fresh set of eyes from talented contacts you value can help summarise your vision more succinctly. Use LinkedIn to follow potential clients and showcase your knowledge, skills and the value you could bring to their organisation with regular posts and article contributions!!!

Using the tools of social media platforms to showcase your activities, experience and result is very important. Secondly be willing to help those in your networks and connections like LinkedIn, without waiting only for a paid service before supporting the Fundraisers in your networks. Sometimes free services can lead to more paid clients.

Learning in life leads to continuous self improvement and development. So reading the books of experience experts and consultants in your fundraising field of carrier are always advisable. I do this personally.

A successful fundraiser does two things most do not: 1. Take a team approach to engaging everyone in the organization to become a fundraiser. 2. Smart leaders know that donated income is seed money for more sustainable earned income streams and plan accordingly. If we all took this approach, our organizations would be much more successful overall. Help leaders plan for earned income streams that are sustainable.

As a fundraising consultant, standing out means meeting clients where they are, with energy and empathy. Organizations seek help in challenging times, not just for solutions but for optimism and a path forward. My approach combines understanding their unique challenges with a positive, empathetic stance, reassuring them that together, we'll find a way. This not only differentiates me but also fosters trust and open communication, essential for innovative solutions. Empathy and optimism are my tools for not just navigating, but thriving through challenges alongside my clients.

Joint Venture with others. Your problems and the problems you identify are opportunities for entrepreneurs to profit from. Partner up and let them go to town. Every successful JV you setup creates additional streams of passive income that you can direct anywhere you want. These can be evergreen. Set them up once and profit from them over, and over, and over again Scale the JV and take it public or sell all or part of it to a bigger company for even more capital gains. Do this and I guarantee that you will stand out from the crowd of also ran fundraisers. While they are begging others for donations, you can be partying with the profit producers for even more cash. And cas that continues to come in long after you did your part.