Frequently Asked Questions

Can we hire do good Consulting to fundraise on commission?

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We get the question quite a bit. It certainly does on the face of it look like a plausible idea. Our consultants are, after all, highly skilled fundraisers. However, there is more to it.

do good’s consultants, as with most other professional fundraising trainers or consultants, view fundraising not just as the pursuit of cold hard cash to serve immediate organizational needs, but a part of a critically important relationship-building (and therefore sustainability-building) process for organizations. For this reason, it is essential that members of the organization – those truly invested in the work and mission of the organization – be the ones asking for financial support, developing the fundraising skills, and forming those critically important relationships.

By having do good Consulting doing the actual asking for money – on commission or not – you lose several important things:

The passion and genuineness in your ask. The people best poised to present passion and genuineness in an ask for financial support are your clients, board members, staff members, and volunteers. While do good consultants are very skilled at raising money, what we bring to your organization is the know-how in developing and organizing short- and long-range sustainable and achievable fundraising plans in partnership with you and your team members.

The training to continue to raise money once our contract with your organization is over. You will need to learn how to do this once our contract with you (commission or not) is over.

The relationships that must be formed to develop a long-term, sustainable fundraising system for your organization. Having do good Consulting asking for money for your organization encourages donors to form relationships with us, and not you and your clients. This jeopardizes long-term relationship forming essential to your group’s continued fundraising. You want your donors as your contacts, not ours, and to do that, you must be the ones asking for the money.

Finally, if do good consultants are the ones to appear before donors asking for support, they are they are less likely to give, knowing that some percentage of what they give goes to pay us. As cool and well-loved as do good consultants are (!), when your donors donate, they want to donate to your group, your cause, your development, your future, not ours.

As a last point, it should be pointed out that according to all reputable professional fundraising organizations/associations, fundraising on commissions is highly frowned upon and usually considered unethical.

So, as much as do good consultants love to fundraise for their favorite causes – including yours! – forming those donor relationships must be something your group does, not us. We can – and will – help you form solid and achievable plans to raise the money you need to run and grow your programs and will help to train and guide your throughout the fundraising process. From time-to-time, we might even come along with you on a major donor visit as a training tool, but in the end, you (and your clients) will thank us when your donors have made strong – and lasting – connections with you and your group.

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We'd like to know what you want to know. Send your questions to us at dogood @ dogoodconsulting.org.