Whether you're a fundraising consultant, a fractional chief marketing officer, or a leadership coach for executive directors, you need only a handful of tools to run your consulting business: a website that clearly shows your services, a contact management system, a scheduling link, professional email, invoicing and bookkeeping software, a way to keep track of client work, and a way to send proposals and contracts. Here's what I started with, the tool I regret paying for, and whether to choose an all-in-one tool or separate ones.
Get clear on what you need before you buy
When I started consulting, my setup was simple, and it was enough. The tool I regret paying for was a social media scheduler. Online advice kept telling me to build an audience, so I spent hours making polished Instagram carousels and reels and paid for a tool to schedule them. But my ideal clients weren't finding me on Instagram. For my CRM consulting work, partnering with nonprofit technology companies and teaching webinars for their audiences brought in clients much faster. A consulting business can work with just a few clients who are the right fit and can pay you well. I needed to get clear on my strategy before I spent money on tactics.
The same is true for software. Many consultants think they need the latest, flashiest tools, or the same ones they see other business owners using. They spend hours comparing options and a lot of money on software. Focus instead on what will make the biggest difference for your business: a way for people to find you, book a call, sign a contract, and pay you. Once those are in place, it's much easier to see what you need and what you can skip. For the bigger picture of running your business, read the 5-step framework to build a nonprofit consulting business.
The software nonprofit consultants need
A website that shows your services
Your website should explain what you do, who you help, and how to work with you. I use Squarespace, which also offers add-ons for email campaigns and scheduling if you want fewer tools. For what to put on it, read how to build a simple nonprofit consulting website.
A contact management system
Keep your contacts in one place instead of scattered across your inbox. Then you can reach out when you have openings, follow up with people you've met, and stay in touch with people who aren't ready to hire you yet. A customer relationship manager, or CRM, is built for this. I've used HubSpot, which has a free version. For how to use email to stay in touch, read how to market your nonprofit consulting business.
A scheduling link
A scheduling link lets prospects book discovery calls and clients book meetings without the back-and-forth emails. I've used Calendly.
Professional email and file storage
Use an email address on your own domain, like you@yourbusiness.com, instead of a personal address. I've used Gmail with my business domain, and Google Drive to store and share files with clients. Google Workspace includes both.
Invoicing and bookkeeping
Use one tool to send invoices, track payments, and record expenses, so tax time isn't a scramble. I've used QuickBooks.
Project and time tracking
Once you have more than one client, keep tasks and deadlines in one place. I've used Asana. If you bill hourly, or want to see whether your project fees cover your time, a time-tracking app shows where your hours go.
Proposals and contracts
You can write proposals and contracts as documents and collect signatures electronically. I've used DocuSign. For what to put in them, read what to include in a nonprofit consulting contract.
Client deliverables
I've used Canva to design reports, presentations, and other client materials so they look polished without hiring a designer.
All-in-one or separate tools?
An all-in-one tool handles several jobs in one place, like your contacts, scheduling, contracts, and invoices. Separate tools each do one job. Where you can, choose tools that do more than one job. You'll pay for fewer subscriptions and won't have to copy information from one tool to another. Either way, start with the basics and add a tool only when the same task keeps slowing you down.
About the author
Catalina "Cat" Parker is the founder of Relatable Nonprofit. She has a master's in nonprofit management from Columbia, her business has generated nearly $1 million in revenue, and 100+ nonprofit professionals have joined her Mentorship program. Read her story.
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