Advisors come to philanthropic advising through many paths—wealth management, philanthropy, consulting, impact investing, and beyond. At the same time, client expectations, social impact tools, and the capabilities required to advise effectively have evolved significantly. As a result, advisors often face uncertainty about where to focus their development and how to adapt their approach.

We created the Philanthropic Advising Learning Journey to address this challenge. It helps advisors quickly recognize where they are in their professional journey and identify what to focus on next. The Learning Journey is grounded in Daylight’s Philanthropic Advising Competency Model, which defines the behavioral and technical capabilities required to serve clients well in today’s environment.

How to use it

Start by identifying the persona that most closely reflects your current role or focus. Each persona highlights:

• The capabilities advisors typically bring.

• The gaps or pressures they are experiencing.

• Learning pathways that align with those needs.

Many advisors will see themselves in more than one persona over time. The Learning Journey is designed to be revisited as client needs evolve, careers progress, or responsibilities shift.

How does this help advisors?

The Learning Journey helps advisors:

• Prioritize learning in a crowded professional landscape.

• Build confidence by focusing on capabilities that matter now.

• Engage in more relevant conversations with clients about purpose, impact, and legacy.

• Create a shared language for development within teams and firms.

For individual advisors, it provides clarity and direction. For managers and firm leaders, it offers a coherent way to develop teams around shared competencies while respecting individual strengths and growth paths.

Our goal is not to prescribe a single path, but to support informed, intentional growth—so advisors can meet today’s complexity with confidence and relevance.