Finlay Consulting Services is pleased to announce a pro-bono award opportunity for non-profit organizations in need of strategic fundraising consultation. Pro-bono awards will be selected based on their potential impact. Requests are due no later than July 20, 2015. Awards will be announced in August 2015.

This opportunity is geared to small to mid-size non-profits who often find themselves at a critical “tipping point” in terms of organizational evolution. While fundraising is key to garnering the resources that enable an organization to thrive, many growing organizations lack sufficient on-staff capacity and expertise, or do not have dedicated resources to outsource these needs. This is why we offer pro-bono awards.

Consultation Engagement:  Proposed projects must be specific in scope and duration. Suggestions include (but are not limited to):  Custom Trainings and Forums; Staff/Board Capacity Building; Ongoing Coaching for Executive Leadership; Board Engagement; Revenue Analysis and Budgeting; Donor Stewardship Audit; Development Work Plans; and Retreat Planning and Facilitation. Please check our website (www.finlay-consulting.com) for examples of our consulting work as well as client testimonials.

Eligibility and Application Requirements:  All requests from 501(c)3 organizations with annual operating budgets under $3 million will be considered. Primary contact for engagement must be the Executive Director or Board Member.  To apply, submit a brief letter of request which includes:

1. Total organizational annual budget:
2. Organization Name, Address and Mission;
3. Primary Contact Name, Title and Liaison Contact Information for the proposed engagement;
4. Detailed Purpose of Request and Scope of Work (such as “Capacity Building” or “Revenue Analysis” or “Coaching”);
5. Expected Duration Estimate or Timeline (such as “approximately 2 weeks FT” or “50 hours” or “ongoing”);
6. Expected Output (such as “Recommendation to CEO” or “Work Plan” or “Retreat” or “Forum”);
7. Potential Impact (such as “$25,000 Grant” or “Improved Board Engagement”);
8. Any Deadlines (such as “Proposal Due Sept 30” or “Staff Retreat is August 31” or “Development Fiscal Year Strategic Plan for January 1 – December 31, 2016 );
9. Miscellaneous Information that can give more insight into how the work can be conducted (such as “Onsite Capacity Building” or “Offsite Prospect Research” or “Online Donor or Board Survey Design and Analysis”).
10. References.  Brief letters of recommendation from community nonprofit and foundation leaders, as well as established clients or former pro-bono grantees provide a critical vote of confidence in your work. Such letters will be considered if received by application deadline, even if  submitted separately.

We will confirm receipt and reach out if we have any questions. Requests should be no more than 2-3 pages maximum (not including references), and should be submitted by e-mail to [email protected] no later than July 20, 2015. Award will be announced in August 2015. Grantees are required to verify budget and 501(c)3 status. If you think your organization could benefit from our help, or know of an organization you would like to recommend, please CONTACT US  if you have any questions about this opportunity.

Because even the best organizations sometimes need a little outside help.