Beyond Consulting: How Philanthropy Advisors Can Be True Change Makers
Being a consultant can often be seen as a tactical role, focused on strategy, feedback, and recommendations, with implementation left to the client. In many industries, that’s where the role ends. But in philanthropy, it can, and should be so much more. The stakes are higher, the timelines are longer, and the work is deeply human.
When philanthropy advisors lean fully into partnership, not just advice, and help clients design and bring to life their philanthropic strategies, the role itself changes. We become partners in impact and, ultimately, change makers.
It would not be an overstatement to say that the nonprofit sector is in crisis. Federal and state funding is being cut, or threatened to be cut, at alarming rates. Nonprofits are facing impossible tradeoffs: reducing staff, scaling back programs, or turning away people who need support. Many are scrambling to reset budgets, retain staff, and meet the rising needs of their communities.
In the face of this instability, individual donors and philanthropists are being called to respond in ways they never have before. As one speaker said at this year’s Center for Effective Philanthropy Conference, “It’s time to spend the money to support the communities we say we care about.” That call requires not only generosity, but intentionality and courage.
At JH Philanthropy, we take that charge to heart. Our role is not just to help clients give, but to help them give well and in ways that are responsive to this moment. We help our clients explore and activate new ways of giving that go beyond traditional grantmaking, including:
Transformational grants – Large-scale, multi-year commitments designed to create deep, lasting change rather than short-term fixes.
Nonprofit-centered philanthropy – Giving that prioritizes the health, leadership, and sustainability of nonprofit partners alongside outcomes.
Purpose-driven board leadership – Building grantmaking boards and decision-making structures that lead with values, not just oversight.
Systems change investments – Targeting root causes, not just symptoms, to shift the systems that create inequity.
Through these approaches, our clients are not just supporting change, they are actively shaping it. Every day, we see what happens when generosity meets intentionality: communities are strengthened, new ideas are born, and meaningful progress takes hold.
Erin Gollhofer - Selfridge, Managing Director of Philanthropic Services
Real change does not come from standing on the sidelines. It comes from partnership, purpose, and the courage to act. That is the role philanthropy advisors are uniquely positioned to play. We’re honored to help our clients turn their philanthropy into a force for good that endures.
So, what does being a changemaker look like in practice?
It’s helping a couple within a multigenerational family respond quickly to urgent needs in Chicago’s immigrant communities by connecting them with a nonprofit aligned to their goals, sparking not only their own grant, but additional support from fellow fourth generation (G4) family members.
It’s guiding a family foundation through the creation of an employee scholarship program that strengthens both opportunity and connection within their family business and the communities in which they work.
And it’s working with parents to introduce family purpose and values to their children, building simple annual traditions that make generosity a meaningful part of their lives.
When I started this consulting journey, I was excited to expand my reach and impact in philanthropy. Over time, that excitement has deepened into a belief in what is possible when advisors, donors, and nonprofits work together with shared purpose. The change we can inspire in families, communities, and across the sector is profound.
