RFPs are a friend to no one. Not to arts organizations, not to their Board or staff, not to the consultants vying for the work, and certainly not to the project’s ultimate success. Yet, many organizations feel bound to this process, thinking it ensures fairness, transparency, and a good outcome. But in reality? It usually does the opposite.

Today, we’ll cover five reasons why RFPs fail each of these parties, five best-practice alternatives, and three next steps for any organization that truly wants to find the right fundraising consultant.