Because of your work in the community or your expertise in a particular area, you may be asked to serve as a consultant for an organization, coalition, public agency, community group, or other initiative. Consulting can give you an opportunity to share useful knowledge, strengthen community work, build professional relationships, and contribute in a way that differs from your usual role. Consulting also brings responsibilities. Before accepting an engagement, you need to understand what you are being asked to do, whether you have the appropriate expertise and capacity, how you will work with the organization, what ethical or professional boundaries apply, how information will be protected, and how the work will be sustained after your involvement ends. This section discusses what consultants can contribute, why and when you might serve as one, who may have useful consulting expertise, and how to establish and carry out a consulting relationship effectively. What is a consultant? Note: This section is meant as a companion to Choosing a Consultant. That section discusses the issue from the perspective of an organization selecting outside help. This section focuses on the perspective of the person or organization providing that help. A consultant is an individual, firm, organization, or other provider engaged to contribute specialized expertise, advice, facilitation, analysis, services, or project support for a defined purpose. Consultants may be paid, work at a reduced fee, provide pro bono assistance, consult through their employer, or participate under another clearly defined arrangement. Compensation does not determine whether the work is valuable, and organizations should not assume that professional, technical, community, or lived expertise should be provided without compensation. The word "consultant" is also not itself a legal worker classification. A person may be described in a contract as a consultant while the actual working relationship is treated differently under tax, employment, or other law. Anyone entering a paid consulting relationship should understand the requirements that apply to the specific arrangement. Knowledge relating to an issue Consultants may bring different forms of knowledge: Research and theoretical knowledge. This may come from academic study, professional education, research, evaluation, or specialized technical work. Practical knowledge. This comes from implementing programs, managing organizations, providing services, conducting outreach, building systems, or working directly with an issue. Lived experience and community knowledge. People directly affected by an issue or deeply involved in a community may understand barriers, strengths, institutions, relationships, and consequences that outside professionals do not see. Expertise in a particular method or approach. Examples might include community organizing, outreach, evaluation, mediation, facilitation, accessibility, strategic planning, cybersecurity, public-health practice, or another specialized method. Experience developing, implementing, or evaluating new approaches. These forms of expertise can complement one another. Someone with professional credentials may still need community knowledge. Someone with extensive lived experience may benefit from technical or research support for a particular project. No consultant should assume that one individual can represent an entire racial, ethnic, religious, disability, geographic, socioeconomic, professional, or other community. When broad community understanding is important, involve multiple perspectives and organizations where practical. Knowledge of a process Consultants may also specialize in helping organizations conduct particular processes. Examples include: Assessing community or organizational strengths, needs, priorities, and experiences Strategic planning Planning a program, intervention, or initiative Supporting implementation Starting or restructuring an organization Organizational development and change Facilitation, mediation, and collaborative problem solving Serious personnel, legal, safeguarding, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, fraud, abuse, clinical, or investigative matters may require specialized qualified professionals rather than a general consultant. Be clear about the limits of your expertise and refer or involve other professionals when necessary. Expertise in specific areas Consultants are often engaged for a particular function or clearly defined area of expertise. Examples include: Advocacy and public-policy strategy Negotiation, contracts, and business matters Grant development Facilitation Communications and community engagement Evaluation Financial management and accounting Human resources and organizational systems Data analysis and research Accessibility Cybersecurity, cloud systems, software, and other technology Training and instructional design Some of these areas are regulated or require licenses, credentials, professional standards, or particular legal knowledge. Don't accept work outside your qualifications simply because the client assumes you can handle it. An outside perspective A consultant who is not involved in an organization's daily operations may notice assumptions, patterns, risks, or possibilities that insiders have difficulty seeing. Being external does not make you automatically objective or unbiased. You bring your own experience, professional assumptions, preferred approaches, relationships, and interests to the work. Be prepared to disclose conflicts of interest or other relationships that could affect, or reasonably appear to affect, your independence. Candid feedback and support An organization may want reassurance as it considers a difficult decision, begins a new initiative, or evaluates its work. A consultant can provide encouragement when it is warranted. Your responsibility, however, is not simply to validate the client. Useful consulting requires honest feedback. You may need to confirm what is working, identify significant weaknesses, question assumptions, explain uncertainty, or recommend a different course of action. Don't tell an organization what it wants to hear simply because maintaining the relationship is easier or because you are being paid. Informal advice and formal consulting People frequently give one another informal professional advice. A colleague may answer a question, recommend a resource, or share lessons from a similar project. A formal consulting relationship usually involves more clearly defined responsibilities, such as: A defined scope or problem Expected deliverables or outcomes A time period or project schedule Accountability to a client Access to organizational information or systems Compensation or another formal arrangement Whether advice is paid or unpaid is only one difference. The more responsibility, access, risk, or expectation involved, the more important it becomes to clarify the arrangement. Why might you serve as a consultant? Consulting can require substantial time and attention. Before accepting an engagement, consider both what you can contribute and what the work will require from you. You might decide to consult: To help develop or strengthen an initiative. Your knowledge or experience may help an organization plan more effectively, avoid preventable problems, or improve implementation. To contribute to work that matters to people or communities you care about. To strengthen an organization that provides a valuable community service. To support collaboration. You may facilitate partnerships, collaborative planning, shared funding efforts, or conflict resolution among organizations. To share recognized expertise. Successful consulting may strengthen your professional reputation or your organization's visibility, although reputation should be a result of useful work rather than the primary purpose. To generate earned revenue. Some organizations provide consulting, training, evaluation, or other professional services as part of their revenue strategy when doing so fits their mission, capacity, policies, and applicable requirements. To help address a longstanding community problem. To support a cause or project you believe is worthwhile. To assist a colleague or partner. Existing relationships may create consulting opportunities, but clear professional expectations remain important. To contribute to longer-term community or organizational change. Decide how you will handle compensation Consulting may be paid, reduced-fee, pro bono, or provided through your employer. Consider: The amount of time required Your expertise and preparation Project complexity and risk Travel and other expenses Technology or software Subcontractors or other support Your own or your employer's policies Whether you intentionally reserve part of your work for pro bono or reduced-fee engagements If you choose to contribute work without charge, define the scope as carefully as you would for paid work. Free work can still consume substantial time and create expectations about availability, deliverables, confidentiality, ownership, and follow-up. Compensation also does not require you to accept instructions that violate law, professional standards, ethics, evidence, or the terms of the engagement. If a serious disagreement arises, raise it directly and use the agreement's change or termination procedures where necessary. Consulting through your employer An employee may sometimes provide consulting services through their organization or, with appropriate authorization, separately from their regular job. Before doing so, clarify: Whether the employer has authorized the activity Whether consulting is part of the person's job responsibilities Whether consulting occurs during paid work time Who receives the consulting fee Which organization provides insurance or assumes contractual responsibility Whether organizational equipment, data, staff time, or intellectual property may be used Whether a conflict of interest exists Who owns the work created Do not assume that calling work "consulting" automatically makes it independent contracting. Worker classification depends on the actual relationship and applicable law. When might you serve as a consultant? Consulting opportunities arise in many situations. At the beginning of something new. A new organization, initiative, program, partnership, technology system, or strategy may benefit from experience gained elsewhere. When an organization is facing a problem. It may need expertise in evaluation, operations, communication, finance, governance, technology, collaboration, or another area. When a community or organization is working on an issue you understand well. When you identify an opportunity to help. You may offer assistance if you have relevant expertise, but first determine whether the organization actually wants outside help and whether your involvement is appropriate. When your expertise can contribute meaningfully to work affecting people or communities you care about. When you are asked. An invitation can be an important opportunity, but it is still appropriate to evaluate the scope, capacity, ethics, conflicts, compensation, and expectations before accepting. Being asked is not by itself a reason to accept. Say no when you lack the required expertise or time, have an unmanageable conflict of interest, cannot meet the requested timeline, cannot protect required information, disagree fundamentally with the purpose of the work, or believe the engagement has been structured in a way that prevents responsible consulting. Who might serve as a consultant? Consulting expertise can come from many places. Current or former organizational leaders and practitioners. People with direct experience implementing programs, managing organizations, or working on a particular issue may understand both what worked and what difficulties arose. Current or former public-sector professionals. They may have useful knowledge of policy, regulation, government systems, public administration, or advocacy. Applicable ethics and conflict-of-interest requirements should be considered. Community organizers and activists. They may bring substantial knowledge of an issue, local institutions, community relationships, advocacy, and organizing. Advocates. Effective advocates may develop deep knowledge of policy, systems, evidence, public communication, and organizing related to their work. People with lived experience. People directly affected by an issue may provide knowledge essential to designing, evaluating, or improving work that affects them. Academics, researchers, and students. They may contribute research, evaluation, data, theory, technical knowledge, or other specialized expertise. People with professional, organizational, or technical expertise. These may include facilitators, mediators, HR professionals, accountants, attorneys, accessibility specialists, designers, trainers, data analysts, technology professionals, health professionals, or others whose skills fit the engagement. Lived experience should not be treated as free expertise or as a symbolic addition to a consulting team. When people are asked to contribute substantial community knowledge, review materials, participate in planning, or provide repeated consultation, discuss compensation and expectations directly. How do you serve as a consultant? Every consulting engagement is different. The specific work may involve facilitation, research, analysis, training, technology, strategy, evaluation, writing, or another specialty. Several steps are useful across most consulting relationships. Define your role Start by identifying exactly what the client expects you to do and what authority you will and will not have. Possible roles include: Advisor An advisor analyzes a situation, identifies options, provides recommendations, or helps decision-makers think through a problem. The client usually retains decision-making authority. Clarify whether you advise the organization as a whole, its leadership, a Board, a project team, or another specific client. This affects what information you need, who can direct your work, and who is entitled to receive your advice. Transparency about your role may be important when your advice affects other people in the organization. At the same time, some advisory work is legitimately confidential. Clarify what can be disclosed and to whom. Mentor or coach A consultant may serve as a mentor, coach, or sounding board for a leader, staff member, team, or organization. This role might involve reflection, skill development, problem solving, planning, feedback, or connection with resources. Establish boundaries clearly, particularly if the role could be confused with supervision, therapy, legal advice, or another professional service. Facilitator A facilitator helps a group conduct a process: discussion, planning, decision-making, conflict resolution, governance work, organizational change, or another collaborative activity. Facilitation may include: Facilitating one or more meetings Conducting an agreed agenda or retreat Designing and facilitating a process to help a group reach a decision or goal Supporting a defined part of a larger organizational process A facilitator should apply the agreed process fairly and disclose relevant interests or relationships. Complete neutrality may not be possible or required in every situation, but participants should understand the facilitator's role and authority. Subject-matter expert An expert consultant is engaged primarily because of specialized knowledge or experience. This might involve public health, evaluation, finance, governance, technology, community violence prevention, accessibility, research, policy, organizational development, or another field. Expert roles may carry professional, legal, or ethical requirements. Expert testimony, clinical work, legal advice, investigations, accounting, engineering, and other regulated activities may require particular qualifications. Specialist A specialist combines knowledge with the ability to perform a particular task. A consultant might develop a website, configure a technology system, analyze data, design a communications campaign, develop a grant proposal, conduct an accessibility review, or perform another specialized service. For technical work, clarify not only what will be produced but also how the organization will maintain or use it after the engagement ends. Trainer Consultants are often asked to train staff, volunteers, professionals, or community members. Training should be based on clear learning objectives and appropriate expertise. Depending on the topic, the consultant may also need to address accessibility, current evidence, participant privacy, evaluation, continuing-education requirements, and follow-up support. You may take on more than one role during an engagement, but both you and the client should understand when you are advising, facilitating, deciding, training, evaluating, or producing work. If you are asked to take on a responsibility outside your competence or professional boundaries, say so. If a different role would better accomplish the client's goal, explain why. Define your relationship A strong consulting relationship depends on more than expertise. It requires trust, reliability, clear communication, professional boundaries, respect, accountability, and a shared understanding of the engagement. Discuss: Who the client is Who can give you direction Who approves deliverables Who will have access to your findings or recommendations What decisions you may make What decisions remain with the organization How disagreements will be handled How frequently you will communicate What availability is expected Don't assume that everyone affected by the project understands why you were brought in. If your involvement has been initiated by leadership, a Board, funder, or another authority, clarify your role and process with the people expected to participate. People may have legitimate concerns about why a consultant was hired, what information you will receive, what decisions you may influence, whether their comments will remain confidential, and how findings will be used. Address those concerns directly rather than treating questions or skepticism as resistance. Put the agreement in writing Significant consulting relationships should be documented even when the work is pro bono. Depending on the engagement, an agreement may address: Scope of work Roles and responsibilities Deliverables Milestones and deadlines Fees and payment schedule Expenses and reimbursement Availability and communication expectations Confidentiality Privacy and data handling Cybersecurity requirements Intellectual property and licensing Accessibility requirements Subcontractors Conflicts of interest Changes in scope Termination Final handoff A clear agreement helps prevent misunderstanding whether or not money changes hands. Control scope creep Consulting projects often change as new information emerges. Some change is reasonable, but substantial additional work should not simply be assumed to be part of the original engagement. When new requests arise, ask: Is this within the original scope? Does it require different expertise? Will it change the timeline? Will it require additional compensation or resources? Will another deliverable need to be reduced or delayed? Document significant changes so both parties continue to have the same expectations. Identify and manage conflicts of interest Before accepting an engagement, consider whether you have interests or relationships that could affect your work. Examples include: Financial interest in a product or service you may recommend Current or recent work for another party involved in the matter Personal relationships with people whose conduct or decisions you will review Ownership of a method or product that you may recommend purchasing Relationships with funders, vendors, competitors, or partner organizations Disclose relevant conflicts before they become problems. Some can be managed; others may make it inappropriate for you to accept the work. Clarify worker and tax status A consulting contract does not by itself determine whether someone is legally an independent contractor. Paid consultants and client organizations should understand the federal, state, local, tax, wage-and-hour, workers' compensation, unemployment, and other requirements that apply to their particular arrangement. Seek appropriate professional advice when classification is uncertain. Protect confidential and sensitive information Learn what information you genuinely need and avoid collecting more than the engagement requires. If you will receive employee, participant, donor, financial, health, research, legal, or other sensitive information, clarify: What you may access Why you need it Where you may store it Which devices or systems you may use Who else may access it Whether third-party technology providers or subcontractors will process it How security or privacy incidents will be reported How long information will be kept When it must be returned or deleted Don't promise confidentiality that you cannot provide. Legal obligations, safety concerns, organizational policies, or the terms of the engagement may create limits that should be explained in advance. Clarify intellectual property Determine how materials created during the project may be used. These may include: Reports Training materials Research instruments Data Software or source code Graphics and designs Photographs or recordings Strategic plans Templates and tools Distinguish materials created specifically for the client from tools, frameworks, or materials you developed before the engagement. Decide whether the client will own particular work, receive a license to use it, or receive editable source files. Do your homework To provide useful advice, understand enough about the organization and context to avoid applying generic solutions to a situation you do not understand. The amount of background work depends on the engagement. Facilitating one meeting may require limited preparation. Strategic planning, evaluation, restructuring, or community-engagement work may require substantial review and consultation. Learn about the organization Relevant information may include: History. How has the organization developed? What previous efforts or changes are relevant to the current work? Relationships and decision-making. Who needs to be involved? How do teams communicate? Where are responsibilities unclear? Are there conflicts or power differences that affect the project? Vision and mission. What is the organization trying to accomplish, and how does the project relate to that purpose? Organizational culture. What behaviors, communication practices, assumptions, and expectations shape how work is actually done? Structure and governance. Who is accountable for what? Who makes decisions? What role do staff, leadership, the Board, volunteers, participants, or partners play? Priorities. What matters most right now, and what tradeoffs is the organization willing or unwilling to make? Resources and capacity. What funding, staffing, technology, knowledge, relationships, and time are realistically available? Avoid turning background research into unnecessary collection of gossip or personal information. Gather information connected to the consulting task and verify important claims when possible. Learn about the community or environment When community context affects the work, understand it well enough to avoid imposing solutions built for a different setting. Relevant questions might include: What is the history of the issue in this community? Which organizations, institutions, networks, and community leaders are relevant? Who is most affected by the issue? Whose perspectives are often missing from decision-making? What relationships or past experiences affect trust? What resources and strengths already exist? What economic or policy conditions affect the work? What language, accessibility, transportation, technology, or other participation barriers exist? What local political or institutional dynamics matter to the project? Community knowledge should come from direct engagement and credible information, not stereotypes about racial, ethnic, religious, geographic, income, or other groups. Learn about the issue Even when you were hired primarily for process expertise, understand enough about the underlying issue to recognize important context and know when additional subject-matter expertise is needed. Review current evidence, professional standards, policy, law, data, and existing organizational work where relevant. Use strong communication and organizing skills Consulting depends heavily on communication. Useful practices include: Be clear. Explain observations, findings, recommendations, limitations, responsibilities, and expectations plainly. Ask purposeful questions. Understand the problem before assuming you know the solution. Develop and communicate a plan. Let people know how you intend to approach the work and how progress will be reviewed. Treat people respectfully regardless of role or status. Don't rush to provide an answer. When appropriate, help the organization understand the problem, consider alternatives, and make informed decisions rather than simply issuing recommendations. Ask for feedback. Check whether your approach is understandable and useful and make appropriate adjustments. Make progress visible. Use milestones, decisions, drafts, dashboards, summaries, or other appropriate methods so the organization knows where the project stands. Communicate constructively. Be candid about problems without exaggerating them or minimizing legitimate concerns. Tailor your guidance to the organization and situation Advice that worked well elsewhere may fail in a different organization because of differences in resources, staffing, policy, history, technology, community relationships, leadership, or other conditions. Adapt your recommendations to the actual setting while remaining clear about requirements that cannot simply be negotiated away. Consider: Organizational readiness and capacity. Recommendations should be ambitious enough to improve the work but realistic enough to implement. Unique circumstances. Resources, history, leadership, community relationships, policy, and staff capacity may make approaches that succeeded elsewhere inappropriate here. How the issue affects different people. Understand who bears the costs, risks, or benefits of a decision and whose perspectives have informed the recommendation. Some parts of a recommendation may be adaptable; others may not be. Legal requirements, safeguarding responsibilities, professional standards, privacy obligations, evidence, and fundamental safety requirements should be identified clearly rather than weakened simply because they are inconvenient. Consider unintended consequences Recommendations can have effects beyond their immediate purpose. Before recommending significant action, consider: Who may benefit? Who may be burdened or excluded? What new risks could be created? Could the recommendation create accessibility or participation barriers? Could it shift costs or workload onto people who were not consulted? Could it affect trust or community relationships? What assumptions might be wrong? How could the organization detect problems early? Identify uncertainty rather than presenting every recommendation as guaranteed to work. Be flexible without abandoning standards Consulting rarely unfolds exactly as planned. New information may change the problem, resources may shift, or part of the proposed approach may prove impractical. Adapt where appropriate, but do not compromise legal, ethical, safety, privacy, safeguarding, or professional requirements simply because a client would prefer an easier approach. Keep the long term in view A short consulting engagement can create consequences that last long after the consultant leaves. Consider: Whether recommendations are sustainable Whether staff have the time and skills to implement them What ongoing costs will arise Whether the organization will become dependent on a vendor or consultant What governance or policy changes are necessary How outcomes will be monitored Transfer knowledge and ownership Consulting is usually temporary. The organization or community remains after your engagement ends. Where appropriate, leave behind: Documentation Procedures Training Editable source materials Data dictionaries or technical documentation Administrative credentials or account ownership Implementation plans Assigned organizational owners Measures for monitoring progress Sustainable consulting strengthens the client's ability to continue the work rather than making the client permanently dependent on the consultant. Close the engagement clearly At the end: Confirm which deliverables were completed Identify unfinished work Review recommendations and limitations Transfer agreed files, documentation, accounts, or materials Resolve final invoices and expenses Return or delete confidential information as required Remove temporary system access Identify any follow-up support Ask for feedback on the engagement Where outcomes will take time to appear, the client and consultant may also agree on a later review to determine whether recommendations were implemented and what additional needs emerged. In Summary Community, professional, technical, academic, and lived experience can all create opportunities to serve as a consultant. Consulting may involve advising, facilitation, training, evaluation, technology, planning, research, or another specialized service. Before accepting an engagement, make sure you understand the purpose, scope, expected results, compensation, client relationship, conflicts of interest, professional boundaries, and the expertise required. Being asked to consult does not mean you have to accept. Strong consulting relationships are built on clear expectations, competence, reliability, respect, candid communication, and appropriate professional boundaries. Important agreements should be documented, including responsibilities involving payment, confidentiality, data, intellectual property, accessibility, changes in scope, and final handoff. Effective consultants learn enough about the organization and its context to avoid imposing generic solutions. They ask purposeful questions, listen to people affected by the work, use evidence appropriately, adapt recommendations to available capacity, and identify where legal, ethical, safety, or professional standards limit that flexibility. Finally, good consulting should strengthen rather than replace an organization's own capacity. The work should leave people with clearer decisions, useful knowledge, workable systems, documentation, and the ability to continue after the consulting relationship ends. Contributor Phil Rabinowitz Resources Online Resources The Free Management library Interaction Institute for Social Change The Nonprofit Center at La Salle University. A good example of an academic consulting group, connected to a university (in this case, the LaSalle School of Business Management), and providing consulting services to nonprofits on planning, financial management and administration, fundraising, etc. Public/Private Ventures is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the effectiveness of social policies, programs and community initiatives, especially as they affect youth and young adults. In carrying out this mission, P/PV works with philanthropies, the public and business sectors, and nonprofit organizations. (From the P/PV website.) Print Resources Bellman, G. (2001). The Consultant’s Calling: Bringing Who You Are to What You Do. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Sherson, H., Ted N., & Paul F. (1997). The Complete Guide to Consulting Success. Chicago: Dearborn Trade Publishers.
