25+ Top Fundraising Consultants to Boost Your Revenue

“25+ Top Fundraising Consultants to Boost Your Revenue”


Fundraising, Comprehensive Campaign, Nonprofits

Whether you’re encountering times of economic uncertainty, shifting supporter habits, or high-stakes campaigns falling flat, there are instances when your nonprofit’s staff members and board members need additional support. An experienced fundraising consultant can provide the objective perspective and strategy needed to get revenue back on track.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about fundraising consultants, including:

  • Fundraising Consultant FAQs
  • Top Fundraising Consultants and Consulting Firms to Hire
    • Convergent Nonprofit Solutions — Best for Investment-Driven Outcomes
    • CCS Fundraising — Best for Multi-National Campaigns
    • Capital Campaign Pro — Best for DIY Capital Campaigns
    • Campbell & Company — Best for Integrated Fundraising and Communications
    • Graham-Pelton — Best for Data-Driven Campaigns
    • Westfall Gold — Best for Major Funder Events
    • Getting Attention — Best for Google Ad Grant Management
    • Grants Plus — Best for Securing Grant Funding
    • Perlman & Perlman — Best for Mission-Driven Legal Counsel
    • Donorly — Best for Prospect Research
    • Meyer Partners — Best for Nonprofit Communications
    • Generis — Best for Religious and Faith-Based Organizations
    • Resource Development Group — Best for Economic Development Organizations
    • Nash & Associates — Best for Community Justice and Social Equity Organizations
    • Accordant — Best for Healthcare Organizations
    • Alexander Haas — Best for Museums and Cultural Institutions
    • Saltonstall Consulting — Best for Independent Schools
    • DNL OmniMedia — Best for Nonprofit Technology and Digital Strategy
    • WF Zuri — Best for Operations, Analytics, and AI
    • Redpath Consulting Group — Best for Salesforce
    • Harness — Best for Fundraising Tools and Consulting
    • Geis Group — Best for Data and Analytics
    • The Moran Company — Best for Executive Searching
    • Gail Perry Group — Best for Board Engagement and Staff Training
    • Orr Group — Best for Embedded Support
    • Averill Fundraising Solutions — Best for Executive Leadership Coaching

By the end of this article, you should know what a fundraising consultant does, if you need one, and a few options you can consider hiring.

Fundraising Consultants FAQs

What types of fundraising consultants are there?

There are many different types of fundraising consultants, but we can break them into two categories:

  • General consultants provide broad fundraising services and advice that many types of nonprofits can benefit from. They can assist with various aspects of fundraising and don’t focus on a specific niche. 
  • Specialized consultants focus on a single subset of fundraising or a specific nonprofit sector. Therefore, they work only with organizations in their specialty area.

Hiring either kind of fundraising consultant has benefits and drawbacks. While versatile, general consultants might have less insight into your specific needs or niche. On the other hand, specialized consultants have deep expertise in your nonprofit’s needs, leading to more tailored strategies and best practices. However, they’re likely less adaptable and may not be able to advise on a wide range of fundraising activities or sectors.

What services do fundraising consultants offer?

Since fundraising consultants can specialize in a specific fundraising area or nonprofit sector, these individuals and firms don’t always offer the same services. However, it’s common for fundraising consultants to offer some combination of the following services:

Infographic showing the different types of services that a fundraising consultant may offer
  • Capital campaign management
  • Feasibility studies
  • Strategic fundraising planning
  • Major gift fundraising
  • Annual giving campaigns
  • Planned giving programs
  • Grant writing and management
  • Fundraising evaluation and impact measurement
  • Crisis fundraising strategy
  • Funder stewardship and retention
  • Campaign and fundraising communication and messaging
  • Fundraising events management
  • Board development and training
  • Prospect research

When researching fundraising consultants, double-check that their services align with your nonprofit's needs. This is especially important if the consultant you’re looking into is a specialist.

What are the benefits of hiring a fundraising consultant?

Working with a fundraising consultant comes with the following benefits:

Infographic showing the  benefits of working with a fundraising consultant
  • Years of experience and expertise: Fundraising consultants have spent years honing their fundraising skills and knowledge. They can draw on their wealth of experience while working with your nonprofit, proposing strategies and approaches your team might not have thought of on its own.
  • Objective perspective: A consultant will approach a nonprofit’s fundraising strategy with an unbiased external perspective. This allows them to identify areas of improvement that your nonprofit’s team might overlook due to familiarity with your operations. 
  • Customized strategies and planning: Regardless of whether a consultant is a generalist or specialist, they will pitch fundraising strategies and create plans customized to your nonprofit’s specific needs and challenges.
  • Time and resource management: A fundraising consultant can help you determine where best to allocate your time and resources, resulting in more impactful fundraising campaigns. 
  • Increased fundraising success: Through a combination of all the benefits above, working with a fundraising consultant can boost revenue generation. The right fundraising consultant will lay the groundwork for future fundraising as well, ensuring that your nonprofit stays on the right track. 
  • Training and capacity building: For nonprofits looking to build their fundraising skills, many fundraising consultants offer training to help them acquire the knowledge and expertise needed to make fundraising decisions with confidence in the future. Consultants may also provide advice to help you build your nonprofit’s fundraising capacity, leading to greater sustainability.

Many nonprofits are understandably worried about the expense of hiring a fundraising consultant. However, these benefits often make the cost more than worth it. 

How do I know I need to hire a fundraising consultant?

Here are a few signs that indicate you might need to hire a fundraising consultant:

Reasons to hire a fundraising consultant
  • Your team lacks fundraising experience or knowledge. This is especially true for smaller nonprofits with staff members who might not be familiar with the type of fundraising you want to conduct. In these cases, outsourcing fundraising tasks to a consultant can be extremely beneficial.
  • You’ve seen a decline in donations or community engagement. Your nonprofit’s fundraising might have been successful for a long time, but all of a sudden, your tried-and-true strategies aren’t bringing in the revenue you expect. If you’re unsure how to pivot or what to adjust, a fundraising consultant can bring the fresh perspective you need.
  • You’re planning a large-scale fundraising campaign. For capital campaigns and other large-scale fundraising initiatives, having a dedicated consultant to guide your efforts can be immensely valuable, as they have the experience to determine if now is the right time for such a campaign and how to ensure it goes smoothly.
  • You’re struggling to create a long-term fundraising strategy. Getting a nonprofit to the point of long-term sustainability is a tricky process. A fundraising consultant can review your current fundraising strategies and make recommendations to help you do that.
  • You haven’t had much success soliciting major gifts. Requesting major gifts requires a personalized approach, as you’re connecting with your most impactful supporters. Working with a fundraising consultant can make your solicitations more effective and bring greater funding success.
  • Your nonprofit is expanding or undergoing significant change. If your nonprofit is undergoing significant change, you may need to adjust your fundraising approach entirely. A consultant brings an unbiased outside perspective that can be extremely useful in formulating your new fundraising plans.
  • Your staff members are busy with other important responsibilities. Even if your staff members are experienced fundraisers, they may be busy with other organizational priorities. Hiring a consultant takes the burden of fundraising strategy off your team members’ shoulders and enables them to maximize their time spent on their priorities.
Convergent is your trusted fundraising consultant. Contact Us Today.

What are the costs associated with hiring a fundraising consultant?

While the specific costs of hiring a fundraising consultant vary, they generally follow one of three formats:

  • Hourly fees, wherein the consultant is paid at a per-hour rate for the work they do for your nonprofit.
  • Flat or fixed fees, wherein the consultant is paid an agreed-upon fee for their services.
  • Retainer fees, which may be incurred in arrangements where the nonprofit requires ongoing support and advice for fundraising.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Code of Ethical Standards strictly forbids fundraising consultants from working on a commission fee structure, particularly in a long-term campaign context. If a fundraising consultant asks for finder’s fees or compensation based on a percentage of funds raised, they are violating this rule, and you should walk away from the conversation.

How do I choose the right fundraising consultant for my organization?

The right fundraising consultant looks different for every nonprofit, depending on the organization’s needs, sector, budget, and more. However, here are a few aspects to look out for as you conduct your search:

Infographic showing the factors to look out for when choosing a fundraising consultant, also explained below.
  • Expertise and reputation: Look up how long the consultant has been working, their specialties, and their general industry reputation.
  • Scope of services offered: Make sure that the services the consultant offers align with your nonprofit’s needs.
  • Fundraising methodology: There are many different approaches to fundraising, some of which may not work for your nonprofit. Check out how the consultant typically approaches fundraising and see if it works with your needs.
  • Experience with nonprofits like yours: If your nonprofit has any specific requirements or fundraising needs due to your sector, you want to work with a fundraising consultant who’s familiar with your industry.
  • Geographic location: Some nonprofits prefer to work with consultants in person, and others don’t mind remote work. Consider your preferences and whether the consultant can meet them.
  • Pricing: Review yournonprofit’s budget and determine the price you can pay for a fundraising consultant’s services.

Sit down with your nonprofit’s leadership team and align on all of these elements before you start your search. You don’t want to get halfway through the process before realizing that you’ve been researching the wrong candidates!

Top Fundraising Consultants and Consulting Firms to Hire

1. Convergent — Best for Investment-Driven Outcomes

Screenshot of Convergent’s homepage

At Convergent, our team brings decades of experience in fundraising and campaign work across various nonprofit sectors. We work with you as part of your team to meet your nonprofit’s fundraising goals and fulfill your vision. When we look at your organization, we don’t see a charity in need of donations—we see a valuable community asset that is positively impacting the community and warrants a large-scale investment.

Our Fundraising Services

We offer the following fundraising services:

  • Feasibility studies
  • Full-service capital campaigns
  • Full-service comprehensive campaigns
  • Fundraising and development audits
  • Training for nonprofit leadership
  • Outsourced or interim development officer work

Why Work with Convergent

At Convergent, we apply our Investment Driven Model™ of fundraising to leverage the value nonprofits deliver to their community and maximize funding. That’s why we reframe the donor-nonprofit relationship by calling these important stakeholders “investors” or “funders” since they seek to fund a realizable impact with their dollars.

The cornerstone of our strategy is that we don’t rely on emotional appeals and small donations. Instead, we demonstrate your nonprofit’s value by emphasizing the strategic alignment among your mission, fundraising objectives, and outcomes. When you work with us, we’ll help you raise more money by reaching more people with less burden on your staff in less time.

If you need a fundraising consultant and are interested in how Convergent can assist, schedule a free consultation.

Explore how Convergent helped a YMCA meet and exceed its funding goal of $1.5 million. Read the case study.

Fundraising Consultants for Capital Campaigns and Major Gifts

2. CCS Fundraising — Best for Multi-National Campaigns

Screenshot of CCS Fundraising's homepage

CCS Fundraising is a strategic consulting firm that partners with nonprofits for major, large-scale philanthropy. Their consultants elevate causes and strengthen programs for long-term success using tried-and-true development strategies and innovative approaches across many sectors, including arts and culture, health, human services, and more.

Their main services include:

  • Audits, assessments, and growth plans
  • Data analytics
  • Fundraising campaigns
  • Interim development management 
  • Strategic planning and development projects
  • Systems and change management
  • Training and leadership

Location: CCS Fundraising’s headquarters are located in New York City, but they work with organizations worldwide.

3. Capital Campaign Pro — Best for DIY Capital Campaigns

Screenshot of Capital Campaign Pro homepage

True to its name, Capital Campaign Pro is a firm that specializes in capital campaigns. What sets them apart from other fundraising firms is that they provide clients with a campaign toolkit, exclusive training, and tech tools that empower them to plan campaigns without a full-time, on-site consultant.

Capital Campaign Pro’s services include:

  • Campaign consulting
  • Feasibility studies
  • Campaign technology
  • Campaign readiness 

Location: Capital Campaign Pro’s headquarters are in New Jersey, but they work fully remotely, allowing them to advise organizations nationwide.

4. Campbell & Company — Best for Integrated Fundraising and Communications

Screenshot of Campbell & Company homepage

Campbell & Company is a national consulting firm that helps nonprofits move their missions forward through a data-backed, communications-rich approach to philanthropy. They combine deep expertise in fundraising strategy, strategic information services, and creative communications to build high-impact campaigns for nonprofits across various sectors.

Here are their main services:

  • Fundraising communications
  • Campaign planning and implementation
  • Fundraising growth strategy
  • Data analytics and operations 

Location: Campbell & Company has headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, and Seattle, Washington, with regional staff positioned nationwide, and provides services to organizations across the United States. 

5. Graham-Pelton — Best for Data-Driven Campaigns

Screenshot of Graham-Pelton's homepage

Graham-Pelton is a global fundraising consulting firm that elevates philanthropy for leading healthcare, higher education, and independent school organizations. Known for their flexible capital campaign management model and high-level strategic counsel, they guide institutions through capital campaigns with custom advice for each client.

Their services include:

  • Campaign feasibility and planning
  • Capital campaign management
  • Data intelligence and fundraising analytics
  • Fundraising communications
  • Strategic growth planning
  • Transitional and interim staffing
  • Training and workshops

Location: Graham-Pelton has offices throughout the United States and worldwide. 

6. Westfall Gold — Best for Major Donor Events

Screenshot of the Westfall Gold homepage

Westfall Gold’s fundraising consultants create events and development strategies that present compelling cases for support. Their events inspire trust, build community, and spark the generosity needed to help nonprofits make a greater impact. By encouraging community-building, Westfall Gold helps organizations move major funders from casual engagement to deep investment, resulting in more support for all types of campaigns.

Their main services include:

  • Major prospect consulting
  • Event logistics
  • Creative direction and video production
  • AV production
  • Corporate experiences
  • Talent acquisition

Location: Westfall Gold is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, with services spanning across the United States and internationally. 

Fundraising Consultants with Niche Specialties

7. Getting Attention — Best for Google Ad Grant Management

Screenshot of Getting Attention's homepage

Many nonprofits struggle to effectively use the $10,000 in monthly ad credits that Google provides as part of its Google Ad Grants program, and that’s where Getting Attention steps in. These fundraising consultants specialize in helping nonprofits maximize the impact of their ads. This team handles the entire grant lifecycle for nonprofits, ensuring you not only maintain compliance but also drive meaningful traffic, donations, and volunteer sign-ups through paid search. They also offer paid Google Ad services to go beyond the Ad Grant’s restrictions.

Their main services include:

  • Google Ads for Nonprofits
  • Google Ad Grant Management
  • Meta Ads for Nonprofits
  • Website Services

Location: Getting Attention is located in Atlanta, Georgia, with clients primarily in the United States.

8. Grants Plus — Best for Securing Grant Funding

Screenshot of the Grants Plus homepage

There are thousands of grants available to nonprofits, and not all mission-driven organizations know how to secure them. Grants Plus’s fundraising consultants specialize in grant-seeking and make it easier for nonprofits to accomplish more good. They work with you to grow your grant-seeking capacity and maximize the grants you win, expanding your funding opportunities.

Their key services include:

  • Grant prospect research
  • Federal grant writing
  • Grant writing support
  • Partner plan
  • Tech-enabled grant writing

Location: The Grants Plus office is in Cleveland, Ohio. They serve nonprofits in the United States.

9. Perlman & Perlman — Best for Mission-Driven Legal Counsel

Screenshot of Perlman & Perlman's homepage

This firm is slightly different from the others on this list. Perlman & Perlman is a law firm committed to serving clients seeking positive social impact. They work with nonprofits, private foundations, educational institutions, and many other mission-driven organizations. Their specialty is ensuring that your governance and fundraising efforts follow legal requirements.

Perlman & Perlman can advise on:

  • Nonprofit governance
  • Tax-exempt law
  • Charitable fundraising law
  • Registration and compliance
  • Socially responsible businesses
  • Data Privacy and Litigation

Location: The headquarters of Perlman & Perlman, LLP is located in New York City and serves clients both within and outside the US.

10. Donorly — Best for Prospect Research

Screenshot of Donorly's homepage

Donorly’s fundraising consultants believe that individual giving is the foundation of long-term success. That’s why they specialize in prospect research, the process of identifying the individual prospects who are most likely to give and support your ambitious goals. Donorly is also particularly well known for its desire to support smaller to mid-sized organizations.

Their main services include:

  • Prospect research
  • Guided feasibility assessments
  • Capital campaign counsel
  • Individual giving strategy
  • Major gifts pipeline strategy

Location: Donorly is based in New York, but they provide remote services and offerings that allow them to serve nonprofits across the country.

11. Meyer Partners — Best for Nonprofit Communications

Screenshot of the Meyer Partners homepage

Meyer Partners is a full-service communications agency for nonprofits dedicated to telling nonprofit stories with diligence, empathy, and passion. Its fundraising consultants specialize in genuine, heartfelt direct response fundraising communications. They focus on the lifetime value of your supporters, from acquisition to stewardship to retention, turning them into true partners in your mission.

Meyer Partners offers these main services:

  • Direct mail
  • Nonprofit marketing
  • Fundraising consulting
  • Communications consulting
  • Campaign strategy

Location: Meyer Partners is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. They serve clients within the US.

12. Generis — Best for Religious and Faith-Based Organizations

Screenshot of the Generis homepage

If your organization is faith-focused, Generis may have the fundraising consultant for you. This firm boasts over 35 years of experience in creating solutions that accelerate generosity toward God-inspired missions. Churches, religious nonprofits, and Christian schools can work with Generis to clarify goals, navigate obstacles, and create alignment on your mission.

Their main services include:

  • Capital campaigns
  • Generosity audits and frameworks
  • Strategic coaching
  • Diagnostic tools and assessments

Location: Generis is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and serves clients across the United States and internationally.

13. Nash & Associates — Best for Community Justice and Social Equity Organizations

Screenshot of the Nash & Associates homepage

Nash & Associates is a fundraising consultant firm that’s dedicated to helping clients empower communities and transform lives by securing funding and implementing strategic program design. They focus on programs that address systemic inequalities and work with nonprofits focused on:

  • Community health and well-being
  • Economic opportunity and employment
  • Public safety and criminal justice
  • Housing stability and homelessness prevention
  • Youth development and academic success

To help these organizations achieve their fundraising goals, they offer these services:

  • Program development and sustainability
  • Strategic planning and coalition building
  • Assessment and evaluation
  • Management and organizational support

Location: While Nash & Associates operates primarily as a remote-first firm and does not list a headquarters building. However, they serve clients across the US and Canada.

14. Accordant — Best for Healthcare Organizations

Screenshot of Accordant's homepage

For healthcare organizations that have to consider how HIPAA impacts fundraising, a healthcare fundraising consulting firm like Accordant might be the right choice. This firm is deeply rooted in relationship-based philanthropy, governance, and community partnership. They believe that healthcare has the greatest ability to improve lives and impact communities, and philanthropy is a core part of that.

Accordant offers a range of services, including:

  • Strategic philanthropy framework development
  • Board engagement and governance
  • Grants and major gift strategies
  • Leadership development and talent coaching
  • Creative communications, training, and facilitation

Location: Accordant is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, but it provides services across North America and globally.

15. Alexander Haas — Best for Museums and Cultural Institutions

Screenshot of the Alexander Haas homepage

Alexander Haas is a national fundraising consulting firm that has assisted mission-driven organizations for over 30 years. They focus on the arts and cultural sector, partnering with museums, historical societies, and performing arts centers (among others) to build sustainable fundraising practices and execute successful campaigns.

Their services include:

  • Feasibility studies
  • Pre-campaign counseling
  • Endowment campaign
  • Annual fund assessment
  • Development assessment
  • Analytics
  • Advancement services
  • Board enhancement

Location: Alexander Haas is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. It mostly serves clients located in the Southern United States, but also works with clients nationwide.

16. Saltonstall Consulting — Best for Independent Schools

Screenshot of Saltonstall Consulting's homepage

Saltonstall Consulting partners with C-suites, boards, and advancement leaders to build cultures of philanthropy through fundraising consulting and interim leadership. While they offer their services to mission-driven organizations in many sectors, they specialize in helping schools thrive by addressing complex fundraising challenges, building consensus, and achieving ambitious goals.

This fundraising consulting firm offers these primary services:

  • Campaign and major gift strategies
  • Program assessment
  • Advancement strategic planning
  • Interim chief advancement officer
  • Leadership training and development
  • Nonprofit executive search support

Location: The headquarters of Saltonstall Consulting is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and they serve both domestic and international clients.

17. DNL OmniMedia — Best for Nonprofit Technology and Digital Strategy

Screenshot of DNL OmniMedia's homepage

DNL OmniMedia specializes in helping nonprofits boost fundraising success through their tech stacks. Whether your organization is looking into new solutions or trying to optimize the use of existing tools, Team DNL can provide the support you need to maximize your return on investment in your software.

DNL OmniMedia’s main services include:

  • Tech assessments and planning
  • AI for fundraising growth program
  • Fundraising strategy
  • Nonprofit marketing strategy

Location: DNL OmniMedia is headquartered in Poughkeepsie, New York. They have clients in the US and Canada.

18. BWF Zuri — Best for Operations, Analytics, and AI

Screenshot of BWF's homepage

BWF Zuri understands that the nonprofit space is constantly evolving and is committed to helping your organization evolve along with it. This firm’s consultants combine relationship-building with data to help mission-driven organizations modernize their operations through predictive analytics, technology, and AI.

BWF Zuri’s main services include:

  • AI and data science
  • Systems selection and implementation
  • Campaign planning and management
  • Campaign communications
  • Annual giving
  • Supporter relations and experience

Location: BWF Zuri's office is in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and they serve clients internationally.

19. Redpath Consulting Group — Best for Salesforce

Screenshot of Redpath Consulting Group's homepage

Redpath Consulting Group is a premium consulting partner of Salesforce, making it one of the best choices if you want to implement Salesforce or optimize your Salesforce usage. Redpath delivers customized Salesforce solutions built with the success of its clients in mind, helping nonprofits simplify, accelerate, and transform their operations through technology.

Redpath’s main services include:

  • Salesforce implementations
  • Migrations from Raiser’s Edge to Salesforce
  • Strategic advising on nonprofit constituent relationship management systems (CRMs)
  • Managed Salesforce services

Location: Redpath Consulting Group maintains an office in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their client base is primarily located across the United States (with heavy concentrations in the Midwest and South, as well as select international presence.

20. Harness — Best for Fundraising Tools and Consulting

Screenshot of the Harness homepage

Harness is, first and foremost, a fundraising platform dedicated to providing digital solutions and expert services that empower nonprofits to deliver real impact. Their tools enable quick campaign launches, seamless integrations, and powerful analytics to track success and engage your audience. Harness supplements their fundraising platform with guidance from real, seasoned experts and strategists to support your work.

Some of Harness’s top features include:

  • Giving forms
  • Text messaging
  • Event support
  • Marketing tools
  • Comprehensive reporting
  • Access to fundraising experts

Location: Harness's headquarters is in Tampa, Florida, and it serves clients across the US.

21. The Geis Group — Best for Data and Analytics

Screenshot of The Geis Group's homepage

The Geis Group approaches fundraising from a data-driven perspective. When you work with them, you gain access to insightful supporter analytics and a unique data-mining tool, enabling you to confidently make decisions that drive the fundraising success you need. Instead of chasing leads that don’t pan out, this fundraising consulting firm helps you identify and focus on qualified, fruitful prospects.

When you work with The Geis Group, they usually follow this process:

  1. You send them your supporter data.
  2. They identify unique prospect markers and give affinity scores to each prospect.
  3. They provide a custom, data-based solicitation strategy.
  4. You follow their strategy for more impactful solicitations.

Location: The Geis Group is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and serves clients across the US.

22. The Moran Company — Best for Executive Searching

Screenshot of The Moran Company's homepage

A core part of nonprofit fundraising is having a qualified and coordinated leadership team. The Moran Company assists with this by acting as an executive search firm and helping nonprofits fill any key leadership positions. From CEOs to executive directors to senior-level fundraising staff, The Moran Company can help you find the best fit.

Their process works in four phases:

  1. Orientation and assessment of your nonprofit’s current state
  2. Recruiting and outreach, including initial candidate screening
  3. Candidate due diligence, including interviews, background checks, and negotiations
  4. Leadership transition support, including onboarding consultation

Location: The offices of the Moran Company are located in Leawood, Kansas. They serve nonprofits nationwide.

23. Gail Perry Group — Best for Board Engagement and Staff Training

Screenshot of Gail Perry Group's homepage

If your focus is on upskilling your nonprofit’s leadership, board members, and staff members, Gail Perry Group may be the fundraising consulting firm you need. Gail Perry Group’s consultants focus on equipping nonprofits to confidently launch, lead, and close their biggest gifts. They focus on facilitating real change by training staff members on the skills they need to succeed.

Gail Perry Group’s main services include:

  • Capital Campaigns
  • Major gifts officer bootcamp
  • Board training and workshops
  • Keynote speaking
  • Courses and training

Location: While based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the Gail Perry Group works with nonprofits across the United States.

24. Orr Group — Best for Embedded Support

Screenshot of Orr Group's homepage

Orr Group provides hands-on support to nonprofits by integrating its consultants into nonprofit teams, working as an embedded partner to achieve ambitious fundraising goals. They get to the heart of your challenges and develop custom strategies and solutions that meet your needs and help you tap into your unique potential.

Their services include:

  • AI and automation
  • Fundraising
  • Planned giving
  • Talent
  • Campaigns
  • Leadership
  • Strategy

Location: Orr Group has offices in Washington, DC, and New York. It works with mid-sized to large nonprofits globally.

25. Averill Fundraising Solutions — Best for Executive Leadership Coaching

Screenshot of Averill's homepage

Averill Fundraising Solutions prides itself on offering a unique, hands-on approach that ensures its clients’ fundraising efforts exceed expectations. They distinguish themselves by embedding consultants within an organization to drive day-to-day campaign operations, while simultaneously coaching executive leaders to confidently secure major gifts.

Averill’s fundraising services include:

  • Campaign Direction
  • Campaign Planning & Feasibility Studies
  • Annual Fund Direction
  • Embedded Staffing
  • Leadership Learning
  • Executive Search

Location: Averill Fundraising Solutions' headquarters are in New York, New York, with regional offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Toronto, Canada. They serve non-profit clients across the United States and North America.

Additional Resources

With this guide, you should have a good understanding of whether hiring a fundraising consultant is the right choice for your nonprofit. As we recommended earlier in the guide, your next step should be to sit down with your organization’s leaders and align on your priorities for working with a fundraising consultant. Then, you can start researching firms that might work for your needs—including the options we’ve included here!

Want to learn more about nonprofit fundraising? Check out the following articles:

About The Author

Brian Abernathy

General Manager

Department: Team, Webinar Presenter

"I entered into the nonprofit field immediately after college driven mostly by a passion for outreach with teens. After launching a program in a local high school, I realized the importance and critical value of operations. I could invest my time in relationships with a handful of students, or I could invest it in systems that would enable scalability to reach hundreds of students. From that point on, my drive was systems and efficiencies that maximize the desired result.

I’m often kidded that this even overlaps into my hobbies and personal time. I want to find ways to be better and more efficient in everything I do. At Convergent, I get to fulfill this desire every day. I work with our team of skilled professionals to help increase the impact of the nonprofit organizations we work with in communities across the country."


Brian has developed a broad range of nonprofit experience through his career. He has led launches of local chapters for international organizations, directed the operational aspects of brand-new nonprofits, and developed cross-sector partnerships to identify innovative solutions for community development.

Prior to joining Convergent, Brian served as campaign director with a regional firm that managed capital fundraising campaigns for nonprofits. There he focused on building, scaling, and executing complex projects while developing systems to drive operational efficiencies.

Every nonprofit organization has an important mission but not many can quantify and communicate the value proposition of the impact they desire to achieve. Brian has helped organizations across various sectors develop case statements and impact strategies to effectively communicate their outcomes to key stakeholders and investors. At Convergent, Brian works closely with our project directors on strategic direction, day-to-day operations, expense control, and ultimately fundraising success for our clients

Brian resides in Buford, Georgia, with his wife, two daughters, one dog, and eight chickens.

Summary of Experience

  • VP of Operations at First Community Development, supervised entire operations staff of fundraising professionals and multiple capital campaigns.
  • Led development of a coalition of community leaders from various sectors to create Breakthrough Norcross — a collective impact initiative focused on improving educational and economic outcomes for students.
  • A member of Leadership Georgia class of 2019.
  • Elder and Treasurer at Emmaus Church.
  • BA in Business Management with an emphasis on Marketing from Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee.
  • Completed graduate level coursework at Moody Bible Institute and Reformed Theological Seminary.