In the nonprofit world, we so often cast ourselves as the hero — look how many homes we built, how many meals we served, how many wells we dug. But your real job is to be a confident philanthropic advisor. The donor is the hero. You're the guide. And to guide well, you have to understand the other person — their values, what matters to them, what they're longing to achieve — not who your organization is. So be that advisor. Build a bridge between the donor's values, goals, and dreams and what your organization can actually deliver.
