Your mission is extraordinary.
Your fundraising should match it.
In times when leaders are compelled to rethink how they advance missions, engage constituents, and mitigate staff turnover, you need a partner who understands what it takes to lead a mission and how to ensure your fundraising programs excel in the process.
Meet Gary
Dr. Gary Cole has spent more than three decades on the inside of some of the country's most demanding fundraising environments, leading development operations generating $100 million or more annually, advising on campaigns reaching $500 million, and guiding organizations through every stage of growth, struggle, and strategic transformation.
He has worked alongside CEOs & Executive Directors who were brilliant at their mission and overwhelmed by their development programs. He has sat in board meetings where fundraising felt like an obligation no one wanted to name. He has seen organizations raise their fundraising targets while decreasing investment in fundraising staff development. He has watched organizations plateau at the same revenue level for years, not because the need wasn't real, but because the strategy, the systems, and the internal culture around revenue growth were never built correctly.
He established The Philanthropic Advisory™ because that work, the strategic, hands-on, we-will-figure-this-out-together kind of work, is what he does best. His belief that investment in staff development and a comprehensive assessment of fundraising infrastructure, programs, and capacity both undergird a sound Philanthropic strategy and mitigate burnout, turnover, and organizational cultures that impede philanthropic success.
Career Highlights
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Over 35 years of executive leadership in nonprofit fundraising and organizational strategy.
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Led annual development programs exceeding $100 million.
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Has campaign advisory experience on projects ranging from $25 to $500 million.
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Held senior roles across military organizations, presidential legacy institutions, healthcare systems, higher education, and independent schools.
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Managed a national consulting practice serving nonprofits in healthcare, education, faith-based organizations, human services, arts and culture, and collegiate athletics.
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An author and speaker on nonprofit strategy and philanthropic leadership.
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Former Assistant Professor for Graduate degree program in Philanthropy & Development.
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Founded The Philanthropic Advisory™, a strategic consulting firm for nonprofits.
What working with Gary looks like...
Gary doesn't produce reports and disappear. He works alongside leadership teams, board members, and development staff as a trusted partner, someone who has been in the room for the hardest conversations and knows how to move organizations from planning to execution.
His clients are nonprofit leaders who are tired of settling for a development program that doesn't meet their mission. They are ready to do the work, and they want a partner who will work alongside them.
If that describes where you are,
the most useful next step is a conversation.
