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Monthly Archives

May 2026

May 18

Charitable Advisors Joins CICF to Strengthen Central Indiana’s Nonprofit Sector 

By Feature

We are excited to share that Charitable Advisors has joined Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), bringing together two organizations deeply committed to strengthening the nonprofit sector in Central Indiana.

This partnership connects CICF’s role as a community foundation and regional convenor with Charitable Advisors’ trusted expertise in nonprofit talent, leadership, and information, creating a more coordinated and powerful system of support for nonprofits to grow, improve, and sustain their work.

Since its founding in 2000, Charitable Advisors has published more than 1,200 editions of Not-for-profit News, shared over 15,000 job postings, supported 120 executive searches, and worked with more than 300 Indiana nonprofit clients.

CICF, meanwhile, has worked with our region’s donors, stakeholders and nonprofits to connect funding and other resources. In 2025 alone, CICF’s generous fundholders worked with CICF to grant $37.3 million into the community.

Together, this partnership represents an investment not just in individual organizations, but in the strength of the nonprofit sector.

We spoke with President and Founder of Charitable Advisors Bryan Orander and CEO of CICF Jennifer Bartenbach to learn more.

How will CICF and Charitable Advisors work together?

JENNIFER: One of the four pathways in CICF’s new strategic plan is People & Potential, in other words, how we support nonprofit staff and workplaces across Central Indiana. The stronger the people behind the work, the stronger the impact. Charitable Advisors will play a significant role in advancing that priority.

BRYAN: We’ll also be strengthening CICF’s Nonprofit Ecosystem pathway alongside People & Potential.

The Nonprofit Ecosystem and People & Potential pathways are directly in line with the work we’ve been known for over the last 25 years. It goes well beyond our weekly newsletter. For example, we convene the Nonprofit HR Peer Group, host the Central Indiana nonprofit job board, and started the Indiana Nonprofit Consultant Community, which is a key part of talent development in the sector. These initiatives will now receive even more support with Charitable Advisors being a part of CICF.

Jennifer, talk a little more about the “nonprofit ecosystem”. What is it and how do the services Bryan mentioned intersect with CICF’s strategy?

JENNIFER: It refers to the interconnected network of nonprofits across Central Indiana. We have several thousand nonprofits across the region doing tremendous work, but they can create even more impact when they know about each other’s efforts, connect and learn from each other, and are fully equipped to run their administrative operations. More than 90% of nonprofits have fewer than 20 staff members. Many cannot afford full-time expertise in areas like finance, marketing, HR, IT, or evaluation.

That is where ecosystem support matters. Through initiatives like Office Hours, the Nonprofit Benefits Consortium, and planned giving programs like Stronger Partners Brighter Futures, CICF helps nonprofits share these resources, expertise, and long-term funding strategies.

Those are not traditional grant programs, but they are critical. When nonprofits spend less time navigating operational challenges, they can focus on their mission.

What was it about this partnership, specifically, that felt like it would be valuable for our region’s nonprofits?

BRYAN: We have many more ideas than our small team can implement. CICF has the resources, staff, connections, and capacity to turn more of those ideas into action, something they do for other nonprofits and community foundations every day.

JENNIFER: For our part, and as Bryan said earlier, Charitable Advisors is far more than a newsletter. Their nonprofit salary surveys help organizations make better decisions in real time. Their executive search service helps nonprofits in our sector attract the best talent for a price that is affordable and with experience that is unmatched.

At a time when nonprofits face rising demand, funding uncertainty, and policy shifts, this partnership allows us to accelerate support where it’s needed most. Charitable Advisors brings deep insight into nonprofit leadership and operations. CICF brings the ability to
connect that insight to resources, capital, and regional strategy. Together, we can strengthen the sector in ways neither of us could do alone.

Bryan, with the staff and leadership remaining in place at Charitable Advisors, will readers and those who utilize your other services notice many changes due to this partnership?

BRYAN: We have usually seen our development as more evolutionary than revolutionary. That’s allowed us to become a consistent and trusted resource for our local communities, so changes will come gradually – there are enough special programs out there that make a splash and then disappear.

In the near term, we are refreshing the look of our weekly Not-for-profit News e-newsletter, launching our fourth “Work for a Nonprofit” campaign in May that shares videos from 30 area nonprofits, continuing several consulting projects, and supporting the staff across the various partners in the CICF Collaborative.

When my daughters were young, and they asked about my work, I used to tell them that Charitable Advisors “helps the people who help people.” I couldn’t be more excited about partnering with the Collaborative organizations to do even more.

More than ever, nonprofits need to engage new audiences and donors. Why should those outside the nonprofit sector care about and support this work?

JENNIFER: I’m not sure anyone actually lives outside the nonprofit sector. If we visit a hospital, attend a school, attend a house of worship, or visit a museum, then we “live in” the nonprofit sector.

But even setting aside direct impact, Hoosier nonprofits employ nearly half a million people – roughly 1 of every 6 private-sector employees in the state. That’s almost the same share of Hoosiers who work in manufacturing.

And most importantly, services provided at nonprofits can be lifesaving – childcare, food support, housing, mental health.

That’s why partnering with Charitable Advisors is important to us. I agree with Bryan. Any group that supports people in the nonprofit sector is improving our quality of life. The stronger the sector is, the stronger our community is.

Read the press release

May 11

Networking With Intention: Building Relationships That Actually Matter

By Sponsor Insight

By Marshawn Wolley

Networking sometimes gets a bad rap, especially in the philanthropic and advisory space. Too often, it’s reduced to handshakes, clumsy efforts to exchange contact information with your phone, and brief conversations that go nowhere. How many times can you talk about the weather or how (insert your go-to sports team) are doing? But, when done with intention, networking becomes something far more meaningful: a long-term investment in people, purpose, and shared impact.

Over the years, I’ve learned that the most valuable professional opportunities rarely come from transactional connections. They come from relationships built slowly, thoughtfully, and with genuine curiosity. In an industry rooted in generosity and trust, how we connect matters just as much as who we know.

Start With Purpose, Not Proximity

It’s easy to network reactively. Attending events because they’re convenient or connecting with someone solely because of their title doesn’t really work. While proximity can open the door, purpose is what sustains the relationship.

Before any meeting or event, I ask myself a simple set of questions:

  • Why do I want to be in this room?
  • What communities or causes do I want to better understand?
  • How can I be useful to someone else here?

When networking is guided by purpose rather than urgency, the conversations naturally become more meaningful. You stop chasing relevance and start building alignment.

Use G.A.I.N.

One of the most effective changes I made in my networking approach was reframing the opening question. Instead of immediately asking what someone does, I try to understand what motivates them. I’ve been successful in developing mutually beneficial relationships using G.A.I.N. or Goals, Achievements, Interests and Needs.

Questions like:

  • Goal – How do you win? Or what does a win look like for you?
  • Achievement – What would you say has been your proudest professional accomplishment?
  • Interests – What is exciting you the most about work right now?
  • Needs – What are you looking for in this room?

These questions signal that you’re interested in the person, not just their résumé. But they also move you into a mutually beneficial conversation that isn’t about Indiana weather. In philanthropic circles especially, this opens the door to more authentic dialogue and often reveals shared values that wouldn’t surface otherwise.

Give Before You Ask—Always

Strong networks are built on generosity. That doesn’t always mean giving money or resources; more often, it’s about making introductions, sharing knowledge, or offering perspective. My goal in networking is actually to be a resource for someone else.

Look to be a resource for someone and they will remember you.

You may never need to but, after you’ve been a resource to someone, if the time comes to ask for support, insight, or collaboration, it feels natural rather than transactional.

Follow-Up Is Where Real Networking Happens

The most overlooked part of networking isn’t the introduction, it’s the follow-up. A meaningful connection nearly always requires multiple touchpoints.

After meeting someone new, try to follow up within a few days with a brief note:

  • Something specific from our conversation
  • A resource, idea, or connection tied to their interests
  • An open invitation to continue the dialogue

This doesn’t need to be formal or lengthy. Consistency and sincerity matter more than polish. Over time, these follow-ups transform one-time encounters into ongoing professional relationships.

Build a Diverse Network—and Listen

In philanthropic and advisory work, it’s easy to stay within familiar circles. But some of the most valuable insights come from voices outside our immediate professional ecosystem. Always look to expand the kinds of people you are meeting. Go to different places. Spot the introverts.

I intentionally seek connections across sectors, backgrounds, and lived experiences from nonprofit leaders, donors, community advocates, entrepreneurs, and emerging professionals. Listening across difference sharpens perspective and leads to better decision-making. It also expands the reach of your network.

True networking isn’t about collecting people who think like you. It’s about learning from people who don’t.

Think Long-Term

The most important mindset shift I’ve made is viewing networking as a long-term commitment, not a short-term strategy. Some relationships take years to fully develop. Others may never result in direct collaboration but still influence how you think, lead, and serve.

Patience matters. So does authenticity.

When you show up consistently, act with integrity, and stay focused on shared impact, your network becomes more than a professional asset. It becomes a community.

Final Thought

Networking, at its best, is about stewardship of relationships, trust, and opportunity. In a field dedicated to making a difference, the way we connect should reflect the values we champion.

If we approach networking with intention, humility, and generosity, we don’t just expand our circles we deepen them. And that’s where real influence begins.