Nonprofit managers might consider hiring a consultant for a variety of reasons. For example, consultants may be able to provide an objective voice, fix a problem, or help an organization take advantage of a unique opportunity. Before hiring a consultant, an organization should first determine if it needs help from an outside expert. Then it should carry out a search process, select a consultant, and negotiate a contract. On this page you will find links to several useful resources to help you with this process.

Guidelines on How to Screen, Hire and Manage Consultants

• Why hire a consultant
• How to select and hire a consultant
  • Sample Request for Proposal (RFP)
  • Sample consultant proposal
  • Interview questions for consultants and references
• How to manage a consultant

Guidelines for Choosing the Right Consultant
By Terrie Temkin, Nonprofit Management Solutions

• This page provides a list of questions that organizations should be able to answer prior to and during the consulting project.

How to Hire and Work with Consultants
Excerpted from Succeeding With Consultants, by Barbara Kibbe and Fred Setterberg

• This piece explains the selection process for consultants. It provides questions to ask in interviews as well as questions to ask references.

Sample Contract
From the Management Assistance Program for Nonprofits

• This provides sample contract language for consulting services.

The Ethics of Consulting Fees
From the Association of Fundraising Professionals

• This article explores why percentage-based compensation of professional fundraisers is not ethical.