The results are in...external fundraising consulting ROI = $1→$27

My favorite fundraising scholar, Dr. Russell James, recently released a powerful article examining the impact professional outside consultants have on our clients' fundraising results. The numbers are not surprising, but they are an amazing testament to the value of engaging professional fundraising advice. 📈 $1 → $6 That’s the average return on increased internal fundraising spend.

📈 $1 → $27

That’s the return when that dollar is invested in external fundraising consulting. Upon review of the study, these are the crucial takeaways for nonprofit leaders: High ROI often signals underinvestment, not excess spending. External consulting can dramatically accelerate results when paired with execution. Strategy, cultural fluency, and follow-through matter just as much as dollars spent. This mirrors what I see daily in my work: The biggest gains don’t come from doing more fundraising, but from building the right systems, structure, and donor strateg...and then actually using them. If you’re curious what a disciplined, donor-centric, ROI-driven fundraising approach could unlock for your organization, I’m always happy to compare notes.