Philanthropy Outlook: Still Rosy

The Winkler Group, a national full-service fundraising consulting firm, announces three senior promotions, including Raymond E. Carnley, Ed.D., to Principal, to oversee firmwide operations and service delivery.

Nonprofit leaders are not buying commodities when they hire campaign or strategic planning consultants. Yet closed RFPs often force boards and executives to evaluate judgment-driven work as if it were standardized procurement. The result may be compliant—but it is rarely well-aligned. In this piece, Jim Bush examines why closed RFPs fall short for fundraising and strategy work, and what nonprofit leaders unlock when selection processes allow for dialogue, discernment, and fit.