This post is my second “annual report” for my philanthropic advising practice. I had a brief stint from 2008 to 2010 and have been full-time since 2015. Neither when I started nor when I restarted could I have imagined or planned what my work would look like now. The following numbers reflect my work as an independent advisor and through consulting partnerships with Daylight, Ekstrom Alley Clontz & Associates (EAC), and the National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP).
Client Work
I supported clients across the U.S. and one in Singapore through:
- 13 webinars, podcast episodes, and workshop sessions facilitated or co-facilitated on family philanthropy, community philanthropy, and philanthropic advising topics.
- 10 family-led foundations, supporting organizations, and/or donor-advised funds. Topics included succession, governance, preparation for the next generation, legacy and donor intent, the vehicle’s lifespan, social impact strategy, and trends in philanthropy. (Double the # from 2025, delighted with that. Half are carrying over to 2026.)
- 9 community foundations’ strategic plans, business model review, and community leadership refinement projects supported through EAC.
- 8 professional development programs, resources, and/or cohorts co-developed or updated for The American College of Financial Services, Daylight, National Center for Family Philanthropy, and Wealth Management Institute (Singapore). (More than 2025, exhausting but worth it.)
- 2 large private foundations exploring partnerships with community foundations with EAC. 2 research projects completed: Assets Under Influence for EAC and the Philanthropic Advising Competency Model for Daylight.
The Business Side
- 33% growth in net profit. (Higher income due to three very large projects and three clients that paid ahead for 2026 work, factors unlikely to be repeated in 2026).
- 8 proposals for projects declined (and awarded to other amazing peers in the field)
- 18 peer mentoring conversations with people entering the philanthropic advising/consulting field or expanding or evolving their work in the field
- 3 mini-consults completed, each 1-3 hours, for donors and their wealth advisors. (Significantly down from last year, but I’m fine with that.)
- I explored changing from a sole proprietorship to an LLC. Both an attorney and an accountant advised that there were no real net benefits to my philanthropic advising practice.
Reflections
I’m incredibly fortunate to have been more than maxed out last year and to have been part of groundbreaking projects through Daylight, EAC, and NCFP. I couldn’t have survived the workload without the support of their teams, Cindy Yang’s patient and often-humorous administrative support, and my wife, Alexis’s, love and patience. I told Cindy and Alexis that I’m improving my work-life balance in 2026. Both have already rolled their eyes.
In 2015, several consulting and philanthropy experts told me it was unlikely I could make a full-time living as an independent philanthropic advisor, especially if I didn’t also work with nonprofits other than foundations. Ten years later, I’m glad to have proven them wrong. I know I had tailwinds that others don’t: a strong set of connections before I started, a spouse with health benefits, no children to support, and frankly, being a white guy from the Midwest who seems accessible to clients who aren’t ultra-wealthy.
Because of my good fortune, I’ve been excited to be part of more field-building work – helping others find and solidify successful pathways to advising and staffing generous donors and families. I suspect this part of my work will continue to grow while I stay grounded in the experiences of individual family and foundation clients.
Tony Macklin 