Finding a Consultant

Where are the best nonprofit technology consultants lurking? Below is a list of ways to hunt down a consultant in your community. Finding the right person is not automatic - in most cases you will have to invest some time and energy into contacting and interviewing prospective consultants to make a good match.

1. Consult your local Technical Assistance Provider. An organization that provides technology services to nonprofits is probably your best resource for consultants. Most technical assistance providers do consulting themselves. Even if they don't, they are likely to be able to refer you to someone else. See the Technical Assistance Providers resource list to find a technical assistance provider in your area.
2. Seek out recommendations. Which consultants have other nonprofits in your area used? Ask around among organizations of a similar size and complexity to your own. Find out as much as you can about the consultant, but be sure to decide for yourself based on an interview.

3. Search an online database. These searchable databases are geared specifically to consultants who work with nonprofits:

   TechFinder:

   This international database, a service of N-TEN in partnership with TechSoup, allows you to search by a technology provider's speciality or location

   Alliance for Nonprofit Management's Provider Database:

   This nationwide database lets you search consultants links nonprofits to Alliance member consultants in their area.

   Idealist.org's.org's Search for Companies and Consultants:

   Idealist.org maintains an international database which includes about fifty U.S. technical consultants. Under the "Specialty" menu, choose "Computers and Technology," "Web and Internet Services", or "Information Systems

   Consultants ONTAP: How to Hire and Work with Consultants:

   CompassPoint Nonprofit Services offers this database of Northern California consultants.

4. Recruit more actively. If you are in an area with fewer resources for nonprofits, you may need to recruit a consultant more actively. Here are some places to start:

   • Resource centers for small businesses
   • User groups and Professional Associations
   • Computer retail stores
   • Advertisements in technical newspapers
   • See TechSoup's article "Recruit a Volunteer on Your Own" in the TechSoup Volunteer Section for more ideas.

Who is really the best for you? Once you have contacted several candidates, the next step is to interview them and check their references. See Choosing the Right Consultant for questions to ask the consultant and yourself before hiring. Once you choose a consultant, the next step is to negotiate a contract. See Writing a Contract for a list of the elements to include in a good contract.