Top Reasons to Hire a Nonprofit Marketing Consultant in 2026
From crisis communications amid government shutdowns to community awareness around new programs and annual impact reports, I could cite dozens of reasons (from 2025 alone) why nonprofits and health organizations could benefit from more specialized marketing and communications support. But many of those reasons would merely be reactions to major changes in the legislature and other governing bodies.
The best time to start working with a nonprofit consultant on marketing, fundraising, events, and other campaigns, in my experience, is long before your communications needs become critical. Finding the right consultant for your organization means partnering with someone who’s mission-focused and acts as an extension of your team from the jump.
Plus, a nonprofit marketing consultant can work within your budget, understand your community’s needs (and what works across markets and demographics), and ramp up quickly to drive campaigns, earn board buy-in, message changes or uncertainty, and lay the foundation for smooth communications no matter the circumstance.
1. A nonprofit marketing consultant fits in your budget
Every consultant or marketing agency is unique in its marketing approaches and priorities. That goes for how they price their work, too. Some invoice clients by project, event, campaign, on retainer, by the hour, or other means.
In my business, prices and projects can be customized to fit your budget. Specifically, I work with my clients and partners:
On short- and long-term contracts
On an ongoing, as-needed basis
By project, campaign, event, or other initiative
On retainer
On one-time projects
And more (tell me about your needs!
Being on the inside of an array of healthcare organizations and nonprofits means I understand where your budget is coming from (and how hard you work to get it!), how precious every penny is, and most importantly, how to make the most of it.
So if you’re in a position where you’re not ready to hire a full-time employee right away, a consultant might be your next best option, especially if your budget doesn’t cover hiring an experienced professional on staff. Sure, you could use your hard-earned budget or grant to hire a junior communications specialist full-time, but that person may need training or need to learn on the job. That would be in addition to getting to know your story, organization, community, and board members.
Consider, instead, how much more efficiently that process and budget might apply to a consultant who already knows the role, has tested fundraising and awareness strategies prepared, and can speak the language of impact and implications with board members, the community, partners, and other stakeholders. A nonprofit marketing consultant can hit the ground running in a fraction of the time.
Sprig success story: Independent school exceeds its annual giving campaign goal by 18%
Case Study:
Riverstone International School, a 501(c)(3) educational institution, heavily relies on its Annual Fund to cover essential operating expenses to the tune of $225,000. I acted in a development leadership role to orchestrate a series of events and communications activities over a four-week campaign.
Strategy: Design enjoyable, interactive, and inspiring events where teachers, students, and parents could share impact statements.
Outcome:
84% participation rate among board members and families
Exceeded the initial goal by more than $40,000
Fostered a sense of connectedness among staff, students, and parents
“Great message — inspirational, challenging, and positive. We are making excellent progress due to your leadership and efforts on this.”
2. A consultant can train up junior staff and provide high-touch support across your organization
Let’s say you still want to hire full- or part-time marketing or communications specialists in-house. That’s a big step and an amazing milestone. The great thing about working with a consultant is that they can help share the finer details of past campaigns and current initiatives, messaging strategies, and audience personas with your new hires and document previous practices for seamless standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Offloading that knowledge onto new team members and even volunteers can help reduce ramp-up time and ensure your next in-house campaign, fundraiser, or event meets your goals. For Sprig Communications, in particular, establishing partnerships with staff members, leadership, and volunteers is part of my high-touch approach.
For me, high-touch support means providing attentive, customized guidance through regular check-ins and collaborative planning. I anticipate your needs and offer practical, real-time support. I know that every client and organization is different and that not every approach works for every audience, so I adapt my frameworks and recommendations to what fits your organization.
From writing fundraising appeals to getting your board members more engaged in marketing and communications initiatives, I work with your team to understand appropriate messages, establish or reinforce systems, build essential skills, and track real progress.
3. A nonprofit or health center consultant brings essential expertise to the table
Networking and working with others in your space or industry is a luxury even for those in the private sector. When you’re heads-down in the day-to-day urgency of trying to raise funds, support clients, build relationships, explain your work, and organize events and volunteers, there’s little extra space to actually step back and see what others are doing, let alone what they’re doing that’s driving results.
Many nonprofit consultants come with the advantage of experience not only across a variety of organizations but an even greater variety of marketing (organic, paid, in-person, etc.) and communications techniques.
So if you’re wondering what new methods or campaign styles you can try that might resonate with your audience, your marketing consultant may already have strategies and real-life use cases that fit.
Not only that, but an experienced consultant knows how to adapt the tools and techniques others have used to best appeal to and align with your mission, values, and available resources. At the end of the day, a nonprofit marketing consultant has the capacity to bring you new strategies or take strategizing off your plate entirely.
The right person for your organization doesn’t just bring a handful of ideas to the table. They bring informed judgment about what can work for your specific context. It’s not something you’re likely to find in generic marketing advice, a DIY method, or a one-size-fits-all approach.
Partner with Sprig Communications to gain a new perspective on your story and goals
Hi! I’m Alexis, owner of Sprig Communications. And I’m on a mission to help purpose-driven brands and organizations turn big, complex ideas into digestible content and high-impact stories.
My high-touch approach to nonprofit and health organization communications has helped my clients create consistent messaging across channels, raise the bar for fundraising and community awareness, and turn one-time events into the new standard for organization and engagement.
Overall, campaigns I’ve supported have seen an average of about a 1,200% ROI. Schedule a discovery call so that we can dive into stories and proactive solutions.
