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Associate Consultant (Fundraising and Nonprofit Management)
Background
Plan A Advisors is a management consulting firm for nonprofit organizations and philanthropies with projects that include strategic and business planning, mergers, fundraising campaigns, and board development. Our aim is to strengthen the impact that nonprofit organizations have on the communities they serve or the issues for which they advocate. Clients are based around the country and include human service, social justice, advocacy, educational, cultural, faith-based and community organizations often on the cusp of growth or change.
About the role
The Associate Consultant is an essential part of a project team, working with a portfolio of clients simultaneously, principally on a range of projects including fundraising (capital campaigns), governance, and strategic and business planning. The Associate Consultant is an active part of project planning and execution, typically as part of a two-member team. The Associate Consultant will help facilitate great client experiences by serving as a primary point of contact, providing clear direction and timely deliverables to move a project forward.
Portfolio Management (70%)
The Associate Consultant will:
- Build and maintain relationships with clients so that expectations are clear, and communications are seamless
- Serve as a point person for client committees and working groups, communicating regularly with individual members to advance projects and providing them with the information they need to be successful*
- Ensure that meetings, solicitations, workshops, interviews, roundtables, conferences, retreats, site visits, etc. are scheduled and supported in a timely manner*
- Actively participate in client meetings, workshops, roundtables, site visits, and retreats by co-planning agendas, drafting materials, co-facilitating discussions, taking notes, and managing meeting follow-up
- Manage fundraising campaign prospect lists and action items for fundraising clients
- Prepare client-facing documents including agendas, presentation decks, solicitation scripts, prospect profiles, financial projections, memos, and reports
- Keep client and project teams up to date and equipped to meet deadlines
- Sensitively, creatively and efficiently resolve challenges that arise
- Advocate for a client’s viewpoint to the team and represent the team’s viewpoint to clients
- Maintain the confidentiality of client, prospect, and firm information
*Note: in most cases, this work is done in close collaboration with Plan A’s Project Manager
Research and Strategy (30%)
The Associate Consultant will:
- Undertake donor prospect, demographic, peer/competitor, and other research as directed to support client fundraising initiatives and other projects
- Study, analyze and summarize project data to understand patterns and trajectories to inform recommendations
- Develop realistic and actionable recommendations for clients rooted in diligent research and analysis
- Conduct and report on research interviews on behalf of clients
- Other tasks as assigned from time to time
Key Competencies
- Bachelor’s Degree required; advanced degree a plus
- A passion for and experience working in the nonprofit sector; relevant experience in fundraising is a plus
- Intellectual curiosity, creativity, and flexibility
- Commitment to equity and an understanding of power dynamics
- Demonstrated time management and organizational skills, including the ability to adapt to changing priorities and deadlines from multiple colleagues and clients
- Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy in relaying information in all matters
- Excellent verbal and written communication, including interpersonal communication and presentation skills with individuals and groups of varying sizes (by phone, in-person, on-screen)
- Critical thinking and observation skills, including the ability to apply reasoning and logic to new or unfamiliar ideas, opinions, and situations
- A team-based collaborative work style with an ability to work independently
- High degree of comfort and facility with Microsoft Office applications (PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Copilot), including spreadsheet development and manipulation.
- Experience with CRMs (e.g., Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge, Airtable) and data visualization platforms (e.g., Tableau) a plus
Time and Resource Expectations
- Plan A employees generally need to be available from 9am to 5pm daily, with flexibility offered and expected; client meetings, interviews, and roundtable conversations occasionally take place in the evening or follow a West Coast schedule
- Plan A will provide the Associate Consultant with a laptop, licenses to all needed software, and access to tech support
- The Associate Consultant will be reimbursed for work-related use of phone, home office, vehicle, as well as any approved travel and other incidental expenses related to Plan A responsibilities
- Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable candidates or employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job
Location Requirements
- Permanent residence in the New York metropolitan area
- The Associate Consultant will work from home but is expected to participate in NY metro area in-person meetings one-to-two days per week
- Availability for occasional domestic travel
- Consistent access to a quiet work environment with a fast and stable internet connection, suitable for participating in video calls with colleagues and clients
Compensation
- Base compensation for this role is $75,000 – $80,000 commensurate with experience. Bonus and promotion opportunities are available.
- Benefits include health, vision, and dental insurance; 401k with employer match; paid time off, among other benefits.