(Because this is such an important topic I decided to run a two part article. The following is part 1.)

At some point it becomes necessary to bring on a trusted advisor to take your fundraising efforts to the next level.

As with any business endeavor it helps to get the perspective of someone that is outside the normal team. There are several reasons for this. You don’t have the needed expertise, people who work together every day become comfortable with the way things are and sometimes overlook things, sometimes things just need a fresh perspective from someone that knows the industry and what your needs are.

After all many successful people have business coaches, companies hire security consultants to get an impartial audit of systems and policies, insurance or benefit advisors make suggestions as to the best plans for the company employees and list goes on.

Advancement Services provides the backbone of your philanthropy operations. Doesn’t it make sense that your Advancement Services Team has a trusted advisor to depend on?

The top 10 benefits of having a Trusted Advisor to empower your Advancement Services Team are:

 

1. You want to expand and grow, to do this you have to take on projects that you have never done before. Having a trusted advisor who has the experience to guide you will not only reduce costly mistakes but assist in guiding you and your team to achieve the outcome you desire.

 

2. You gain the confidence and continued support when collaborating or brainstorming with an expert. Instead of getting a staffer to research and analyze something in an attempt to determine if it is right approach, a trusted advisor will have the knowledge to quickly determine the right direction and present it to you.

 

3. When you are inundated with requests for improvements or new technology a trusted advisor is able to give you an objective evaluation of what to do next that will align with your strategic vision and produce the most value.

 

4. When you are faced with continual resource constraints having a trusted advisor on your side can help you develop and present a case for not only more but the right staff or technology.

 

5. A knowledgeable expert on your team will be able to evaluate and give objective feedback on the health of your projects in progress and also provide an impartial assessment of the level of risk in your current business practices.

 

6. A trusted advisor, that knows your industry, can assist you in assessing the skills of the staff and provide training and professional development coaching tailored specifically to your needs and goals.

 

7. When you conduct executive briefings for your Chief Philanthropy Officer (CPO) or Chief Information Officer (CIO) having a trusted advisor, who is an industry expert, assisting in the briefing will help you to deliver information in a clear and informative way. The added benefit of having an expert with you in briefings is that it will help you convey your message in a persuasive and powerful manner.

 

8. Continuity in the face of staffing changes. Things happen, people leave or have extended periods of absence. A trusted advisor, who understands the overall goals, can maintain momentum of the strategic plan and assist in the selection and orientation of new staff.

 

9. A trusted advisor can provide you with access to a network of vendors, contracted resources for staff augmentation, and contacts at other organizations similar to yours. An industry expert will have the necessary contacts and resources, that you may not have, that can help get you to the next level.

 

10. Having a trusted advisor brings you to the next level by achieving excellence through continued process improvement in records management, gift processing, prospect research, and portfolio management. Adding an industry expert on your team will help you incorporate industry best practices and keep you informed on how other organizations may achieve success.

 

Having a trusted advisor to guide you can mean the difference in standing still or propelling your efforts to the next level.

(In Part 2 we will discuss how having a Trusted Advisor is imperative when it comes to keeping up with the latest tools and technology in philanthropy.)

 

If you have the challenge of mounting demands and not enough resources,contact us at (424) 206-5379 to discuss how to jumpstart your productivity in the new fiscal year.

 

Dauwn Parker leverages her extensive background in CRM consulting and experience in fundraising operations to guide her clients to success. She offers her clients valuable leadership coaching, lessons for avoiding common pitfalls, best practices, tools, and techniques. Clients find Dauwn’s communication style as a differentiator in her services, whether conducting a large group facilitation or a one-on-one coaching session, she breaks complex concepts into consumable segments of information making it easy to understand for anyone regardless of their role in the organization, level of experience, or skill set.