With a budget, a clear statement of purpose, and coach-readiness, you are now prepared to identify candidates for the work. You may do this on your own, or in some cases, get a referral from PEJE.
Schools find potential consultants most often through referrals, from board members, the local federation or central agency for Jewish education, other Jewish day school or independent schools, other nonprofits, professional associations, and nonprofit councils.
Begin exploring a relationship with a candidate through an interview, best conducted in person, unless distance makes that process too costly. Consultants generally do not expect payment for the initial interview, as long as it requires only a reasonable amount of their time. Use the statement you have prepared to explain the purpose of your project and what you hope to gain from outside expertise.
Ask the consultant to describe the expertise and experience that makes him or her a good fit for your assignment. You might say
- Tell us about a time you guided another organization through a process like the one we want to undertake.
- What actions did you take?
- What was your role?
- What was the outcome for the organization?
Ask for as specific a description as possible. You want to understand what role the consultant expects to play and how this person conceives of your role in the partnership.
A clear definition of roles, responsibilities, and desired outcomes–as well as timelines, fees, and billing procedures–is critical to a successful experience with a coach or expert. Your relationship should be formalized with a contract. PEJE recommends starting with a school-coach agreement and statement of work.
Getting a Coach or Expert Referral From PEJE
PEJE is developing a database of coaches and experts who work with Jewish day schools in a variety of ways. For some types of work, PEJE may be able to refer you to competent and experienced consultants. PEJE has conducted interviews and reference checks for everyone who is working under the auspices of a PEJE grant. However, our referral database also includes experts who have not been interviewed, but have been referred to PEJE by reliable sources.
PEJE's referral database currently includes coaches (ideal for short consultations, retreat facilitation, and long-term relationships) and/or experts for the following types of work:
- Admission
- Board Development
- Financial Management
- Fundraising
- General Organizational Development
- Judaic Curriculum
- Leadership Transition
- Marketing
- New School Planning and Launching
- Strategic Planning
If you seek someone who fits this description, email Sharon Haselkorn or call 617-367-0001 x146 with the following information:
- Your name, contact information, and relationship to school
- School name and location
- Duration of work (one-time event or ongoing relationship)
- Time frame of work
- Area of expertise needed (e.g. fundraising)
- Method of expertise delivery (e.g. coaching, frontal presentation, workshop)
PEJE will provide you the name of an expert, some biographical background, and contact information. It may not be necessary for you to conduct in-depth interviews and reference checks yourself; we will let you know if PEJE has already done so. Either way, you will want to get to know the expert yourself and make your own judgment about whether or not this person is a good match for your school. You should describe the nature of the work or assistance you hope the candidate can provide, and ask the person to describe any directly relevant experience and generally how he or she would approach the assignment.
Print Page