Most social organizations go for fund raising programs focusing upon certain social benefit. People, by their inherent human quality, are concerned about well being to society and want to be a contributor. But, the question comes up is how to motivate them by conveying the exact purpose of financing a fund raising program. Once this is done, the fundraising drive becomes successful and there is not a doubt about it.
A Fundraising Consultant works as an expert in the domain of understanding the specific concern of society to a particular fundraising drive, and which specific group of the society could be mostly involved with it. The consultants are naturally gifted for this purpose, and aim at seeing a successful drive instead of merely providing the guidelines of who to approach and the ways to approach it. The ways to go about it definitely make a difference. Marketing to those who will most willingly contribute to a cause is the most effective way to raise more money and get more people to attend.
It is essential to know what inputs an individual needs to become a successful Fundraising Consultant. One does not require going for a specific academic certification, but should have certification in pursuance to the statutory requirements of a place. The National society of Fundraising Executives provides certification of the affiliation. The next and perhaps most important is a socially generated certification or what may be called word of mouth.
To establish social credibility, the intending professional will have to prove that he is one who understands society, understands what motivates each class of people and what could be the best way to market the cause having all updated knowledge about what is the objective, the best gainers from the program and who is behind the fund raising program.
The Fundraising Consultants should work on a long range vision of their objective more than just trying for an overnight success. They must first see how much they know of a particular field or purpose to provide the best marketing approach. It helps tremendously if the intending consultant has worked with some non-profit or charitable organizations. This becomes his or her readymade input of the way people respond to fund raising, and how to motivate. He or she should be good at public relations and of course sales.
Having the experience of working with such social well meaning organizations, the incumbent should come forward and voluntarily participate in a fund raising program in his or her own immediate community, make an approach to the community people who are prospective donors, and also share with others who are involved with the specific experience gathered on the particular derive, not only to help others but also enrich his own self in the profession.
The consultant should be resilient and have the quality to adapt to geographical and cultural variations of a society to make up viable campaign guidelines for the increasing number of charitable fund raising opportunities. The clients should able to feel the confidence the consultant radiates with his experience and the knowledge to effectively guide the organizers to the success of a program.
