Philanthropic and Charitable · February 04, 2026

Choosing a nonprofit investment advisor: RFP guide

Valeska Redmond

Ph.D., VP | Philanthropic and Charitable Strategist

As a nonprofit leader, you have a fiduciary responsibility to ensure your organization's assets are managed in a way that supports your mission—both today and for decades to come.

Choosing an investment advisor who will safeguard your assets, support good governance, strengthen donor relationships and help your organization grow is one of the most important aspects of this responsibility.

The value of an RFP

A request for proposal, or RFP, is a formal process nonprofit leaders can use to evaluate and select a nonprofit investment advisor. A structured RFP process can help your organization identify an investment partner who is equipped to handle endowment management, planned giving oversight and comprehensive financial stewardship.

Inside this nonprofit RFP guide, you'll find:

  • A step-by-step overview of the nonprofit investment advisor RFP process
  • Best practices for developing an RFP that delivers meaningful results
  • Guidance on assembling an effective evaluation committee
  • Tips for identifying advisors who can serve as extensions of your team and bring expertise in board education, fundraising strategy and policy development
  • A sample RFP timeline to help keep your process on track

This comprehensive, downloadable PDF guide walks through every step of conducting an RFP to select a nonprofit investment advisor. It also includes a customizable nonprofit investment consultant RFP template to help you compare providers, evaluate full-service capabilities and make a confident, well-informed decision.

Download the nonprofit RFP guide PDF , Opens in a new tab Download the retirement plan request for proposal template PDF , Opens in a new tab

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We have decades of experience helping nonprofits fulfill compliance and fiduciary responsibilities, manage changing donor populations and think strategically about the future.

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