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DCS Philanthropic Partners supports senior leaders and teams to provide thoughtful, experience-informed guidance across the full advancement enterprise—grounded in curiosity, clarity, and purpose.

Our role is not to impose solutions, but to help leaders think more clearly, ask better questions, and make confident, well-informed decisions. Strategic counsel engagements are customized, practical, and designed to complement internal leadership in pursuit worthwhile philanthropic outcomes.

Areas of Strategic Focus

Our strategic counsel draws on experience across the full advancement landscape, including:

Fundraising Strategy & Programs

• Major and Planned Giving strategy

• Annual Giving planning and message architecture

• Capital and comprehensive campaign counsel

• Portfolio design and management frameworks

Engagement & Stewardship

• Alumni engagement and volunteer strategy

• Donor relations and stewardship alignment

• Constituent relations and donor experience design

• Messaging coherence across advancement platforms

Structure, Leadership & Operations

• Advancement organizational design and staffing models

• Role clarity, accountability, and performance alignment

• Operational workflows and internal collaboration

• Executive search and hiring support for development roles

What Strategic Counsel Looks Like

Strategic counsel may take many forms, including:

• Serving as a trusted thought partner for advancement leaders

• Providing objective perspective during periods of growth, transition, or complexity

• Advising on structure, staffing, and role clarity

• Supporting strategy development and execution across fundraising programs

• Helping teams align metrics, messaging, and donor experience

Engagements can be short-term, project-based, or ongoing, depending on institutional needs and leadership priorities.