Choosing a Consultant – A Workshop Presented by the Mission Sustainability Initiative

Thinking about long-term planning for your organization? Need to find someone with expertise for a short-term project? Panelists will share their lessons learned on when to engage a consultant, how to select the right consultant for your organizational and project needs, and what to expect when working with a consultant. The panel will seek to demystify some of the alphabet soup concerning consultants such as RFPs (request for proposals), RFQs (request for qualifications), and RFIs (requests for information) and talk about factors to consider before engaging in an equitable search for a consultant.

Please join panelists:

• Inhe Choi, Executive Director, HANA Center


• Caronina Grimble, Program Officer, Woods Fund Chicago


• Damion Heron, Vice President, Corporate Responsibility, JPMorgan Chase


• Ellen Kunkle, Vice President of Grants & Government Relations, Pillars Community Health


• Nina Sanchez, Director, Enrich Chicago

The panel will be moderated by Genita C. Robinson, Director of Forefront’s Mission Sustainability Initiative. The MSI creates a neutral space to help Chicago area nonprofits evaluate the possible benefits of a strategic partnership, including co-locations, shared staffing, joint ventures, back office collaboration, and mergers and acquisitions. One of the resources offered by the MSI is a vetted list of consultants with experience in exploring and implementing various aspects of long-term and permanent partnerships.

Time:  8:30 –9:00 a.m. Registration; 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. Panel

Program fee: Free