Working for a non-profit organization has many benefits, but it has its challenges too. While nonprofits are expected to deliver absolute value for money, it is also frowned upon if they dare to invest in achieving success. Hiring contractors can be a financially viable way of engaging high-quality talent without making a long-term investment.
Making every penny count
Anyone that has worked in a nonprofit can probably relate to the standard challenges of the charity world. You want to raise more money, but if you invest $10 to raise $1,000 you are accused of wasting ten donated dollars on marketing. You want to deliver a better service to your end users, but if you invest in a designer to help you to make the most of every inch of a community kitchen, you are (you guessed it) accused of wasting money that could go on food. Within a charity, you are not just responsible for enriching the lives of the people, animals or things that you serve; you are custodian of somebody else’s hard-earned money and as such you may be held accountable for every cent that you spend.
This accountability extends beyond purchasing decisions to staffing. While you undoubtedly want – and deserve – the best, it is not always considered acceptable within the nonprofit world to pay the best. Dan Pallotta talks about this very problem in his Ted Talk.
Another problem encountered by charities as well as some smaller organizations is the definite need for a particular skill, but on a short-term or part time basis. Charities who may not be able to afford – or need – a digital transformation specialist or marketeer full time and in the longer term may desperately need those very talents for a limited period of time. This is where independent contractors come in.
The rise of the independent contractor
Independent contractors possess a wealth of skills in both their specialist area and across the industry. Hiring the right independent contractor can help organizations to get where they need to go, without the stress or costs associated with full recruitment, onboarding and employment. In a world where every cent counts, contractors could provide your organization with what it needs, when it needs it. The key is in finding the right contractor for your needs.
Understand your budget
Anyone that has ever worked for a nonprofit will know that there is a big difference between what needs to be spent and what can be spent. However, you also need to recognize that if you don’t pay enough, you could be throwing your organization’s hard-fought money away on a cheaper but ineffective solution. Ask other organizations what they have paid for similar and look on job sites for posts that meet your requirements to gain a good understanding of the range of pay that contractors in the field you are looking for expect.
Cast your net
The first step to finding a contractor is to start looking! Look on nonprofit forums and sites and ask contacts for recommendations. At the same time, get your opportunity on relevant recruitment sites; these could include LinkedIn and charity-specific sites as well as specialist job pages. If you are looking for world-class tech specialists, for example, you could post the opportunity to contract jobs on Motion Recruitment.
Check out portfolios and longlist
Before you start, take a quick look at the resumes that you have and remove any that you know are not right for you without further consideration. This could be because they are undoubtedly talented but also far out of your price range, or because their values and past work don’t align with those of your organization.
With the definite “nos” out of the running, narrow down your selection of EOIs and applications to those that are definitely qualified to do the job, and do it well. Remember that you are not looking for potential in a contractor: you are looking for someone who can hit the ground running with minimal input and maximum results. Ignore costs for now and focus purely on their portfolio, resume, and references. If you know organizations that a freelancer has worked for previously, don’t be afraid to reach out informally to get a sense of how they performed.
Create a cost comparison
Once that you are confident that the resumes remaining are capable of doing the job, you can start looking at other elements. Cost will probable be a significant factor; take a look at the different cost implications and remove the ones that are less suitable but at the higher end of your budget.
Align values
Values are central to most nonprofit organizations and will normally be an important consideration when hiring a permanent or temporary member of staff, engaging a contractor, or within any other part of procurement. This is by no means the final stage; values should be considered at every stage of the contractor recruitment process. However, if you have a shortlist of contractors who are capable of the job, are available and are within budget, alignment to your values could be the deciding factor. Not to mention the fact that values alignment leads to better performance thanks to increased commitment to the cause in question and therefore motivation.
One of the great joys of working for a nonprofit is the opportunity to make a difference in a way that you believe is impactful. It may pay less, and there may be challenges along the way, but most nights you and your team should be able to go home and sleep well. Adhering to your organizational needs as well as your values will make the recruitment process easier and enable you to find a contractor that is just right for your nonprofit.
