The Summer Mating Ritual of the RFP
Ah, it’s summer. Such a wonderful time of year. The sun is shining. Flowers are in bloom. Butterflies and bumblebees fill the air. Sweethearts walk hand in hand.
And dissatisfied nonprofit organizations, at the end of disappointing fiscal periods, are sowing Requests for Proposals for their direct-marketing programs.
With a new fiscal year about to begin, many nonprofit organizations that aren’t achieving the results they want begin anew by searching for new direct-marketing consultants.
As this season begins, and as the organizations and consultants commence their mating dances, allow me to offer some words of advice about how best to conduct this courtship ritual and select the perfect mate.
Is divorce really the answer?
Before you jump on the RFP bandwagon, ask yourself if the process truly is necessary. If budgets are not being met, is it really the current consultant’s fault? Or is this a “down” time for your organization or issue? Or is the fault really within your organization’s management of the fundraising programs? Too often, clients fire their consultants to cover up their own deficiencies.
As a consultant, I’ve been both the victim and beneficiary of needless RFP processes by clients. My firm has been fired by clients for whom we have done terrific work, and we also have picked up clients who I thought were crazy to fire their original consultants. Needlessly shifting between consultants often leads to a lack of the management consistency that is necessary for a successful fundraising program.
Choose the right candidates
Do some research beforehand about the best firms to select. Sending out RFPs to a huge number of firms only will ensure that you have too much material to read and too little time to do it thoroughly.
At this stage of the process, you have decision-making authority you may lose later in the process. Use this opportunity to weed out those firms you know will do a bad job.
- Companies:
- Adams Hussey and Associates





