How to Hire a Consultant: A Practical Guide for Nonprofits

Friday, November 20, 2026 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. | Webinar

A good consultant can bring expertise, perspective and structure to your organization. Hiring the right one takes some planning, though, especially for small and rural nonprofits working with limited staff time and resources. This practical session covers the full process, from deciding whether you need outside help to managing the work once the contract is signed.

Two Adirondack nonprofit leaders will share what the process looked like from their side. Arin Burdo of Champlain Area Trails is leading CATS through a new strategic planning process and will share her experience writing a scope of work and hiring a consultant. Erin Tobin leads Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) that serves as a consultant and also hires consultants for preservation work.

What you’ll learn

1. How to tell whether a consultant is the right answer or whether a free resource or
   internal fix would serve your organization better.
2. How to write a simple scope of work that separates deliverables from outcomes.
3. When a formal RFP makes sense and when a few direct conversations work better.
4. What different budgets realistically buy, and how to talk with consultants about cost.
5. Where to find consultants, and what to ask them and their references.
6. How to manage the engagement so your organization owns the results after the
   consultant leaves.

Why Register

• Leave with a ready-to-use toolkit. Participants get a readiness checklist, scope of work
  template, short RFP template, selection scorecard and interview and reference
  questions.
• Hear from peers. You’ll get candid lessons from local organizations, including what
  they’d do differently next time.
• Avoid costly mistakes. Learn how to avoid paying for a plan or tool your team can’t put
  to use.
• Bring your questions. About 10 minutes is set aside for live Q&A.

Arin Burdo, Executive Director, Champlain Area Trails
Champlain Area Trails creates a network of hiking and skiing trails in New York’s ChamplainValley that link communities, connect people to nature and promote economic vitality. As an
accredited land trust, it also protects habitat, farmland, clean water and scenic vistas.

Erin Tobin, Executive Director, Adirondack Architectural Heritage
Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) supports the appreciation, care and continued use
of historic places, from everyday buildings to industrial and landmark sites, so they remain an
active part of Adirondack community life.