Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Eva Fordham. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Eva, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I am fortunate to have worked for amazing people in my early career in California and New York.
As a kid, I spent summers helping my uncle, Mike, at his restaurants in Marin County and Los Angeles. There, I learned non-negotiable lessons about showing up on time, completing my tasks, and providing excellent customer service. Years later, I spent a summer working in the office at his other venture, a fine furniture delivery company, which catered to Northern California’s top interior designers and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. That experience elevated my understanding of client relations to a new level and shaped how I continued my work throughout my career. While those were all valuable experiences, the most important lesson was seeing how my uncle led; he treated his team like gold, and he earned unwavering loyalty from his staff. His example became my internal compass with all things business and how to treat clients and team members. To this day, in tough moments, I still find myself thinking, “How would Mike handle this?”
When I moved to New York for college, my first job was working for woman-owned boutique modeling agency in SoHo followed by another woman-owned luxury spa. Both women I worked for were incredible – I witnessed their relentless drive, and how they used that energy to make their businesses wildly successful. They were not easy to work for – they ran very tight ships and expected 120% of their team. I admired their communication style, which was clear, direct, and authentic, which required a high-level confidence. Their unshakeable commitment to their vision serves as my inspiration today, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work for them.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
What excites me most as a philanthropic advisor is connecting people to causes that truly matter to them. I partner with financial advisors, estate planning attorneys, and Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) to help their clients navigate the complex world of giving. With nearly two million non-profits nationwide to choose from, selecting a credible charity is not an easy feat.
My approach is deeply personal: I help clients define their values, then connect them with vetted non-profits doing work they are passionate about. From there, I manage all the details. Depending on the client’s needs, I offer everything from facilitating gifts and communications, to building a public relations campaign for clients looking for more community visibility. You could say I am a non-profit broker, but I prefer to think of myself as a matchmaker — uniting generosity with purpose to create lasting, impactful connections.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
When I look at my journey to becoming a philanthropic advisor, I see that my most valuable skills weren’t learned in a classroom. They were forged through three distinct experiences that shaped my perspective and currently allow me to serve as a true partner to my clients.
1. Experience from the Other Side of the Table: My career began as a non-profit fundraiser. For years, I wrote grant proposals, led campaigns, and partnered with donors to show them the tangible impact of their gifts. This experience has provided me with an understanding of what makes a non-profit organization effective and financially sustainable, allowing me to guide my clients with a discerning eye, and helping them feel confident about where they are spending their charitable dollars.
2. Fluency in the Language of Professional Advisors: Next, I immersed myself in the world of my clients’ trusted partners: their financial planners, estate attorneys, and CPAs. I learned to “speak their language”—understanding their fiduciary duties, the complex financial tools they use, and the need to integrate giving into a larger financial plan. This allows me to act as a credible bridge, ensuring my clients’ generosity is as smart as it is heartfelt.
3. The Art of the Matchmaker: With a foundation in both non-profit organizations and financial strategy, the final and most crucial skill comes into play: the art of the matchmaker. This is the human element that data can’t capture. It’s the ability to learn about a client’s passion, connect it to the perfect organization, and structure the gift in a creative way. It’s about weaving together people and purpose to create a result that is far greater than the sum of its parts.
Those are three steps that help shape the work I do today. Here’s some advice for those early in their career, when considering how to elevate their skillset:
1. See From the Other Side of the Table: In my experience, to become a true expert in your field, it’s helpful to understand the world from your client’s or partner’s perspective. This empathy builds trust, which goes a very long way. You can do this by shadowing a colleague who has a client-facing role or conduct interviews with your own clients to understand their biggest challenges.
2. Learn Another Professional “Language”: From my perspective, a true value-add is when you can bridge professional silos. Learning the basics of an adjacent field (sales, finance, engineering) can help you become a better collaborator and problem-solver. An easy and fun way to do this is to take a colleague from another department (or field) to coffee and ask about their role. Additionally, look into a “101-level” online course in a field that intersects with yours, and sign up to learn more!
3. Become a Generous Connector: Powerful networks are built on giving, not getting. Most of my reputation is built by authentically connecting people and sharing resources. Try challenging yourself by introducing two people who would benefit from knowing each other. Or, when you learn something new, think, “Who else would appreciate this?” and pass it along. Building comprehensive knowledge by seeking new perspectives, learning other professional languages, and generously connecting others will help refine where you want your career to go. You may be surprised by what you learn!
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Thank you for asking. The answer is an enthusiastic yes! Collaboration is at the heart of how I provide the best service.
My most successful and rewarding work happens when I partner with other trusted professionals. I am always looking to build strategic partnerships with forward-thinking advisors who share a holistic, client-centric view.
Specifically, I am looking to collaborate with:
– Financial Advisors and Wealth Managers who are helping clients plan for a life of purpose, not just retirement.
– Estate Planning Attorneys who are designing legacies that reflect their clients’ deepest values.
– Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) who help clients navigate the financial complexities of significant charitable gifts.
– Business Management Firms who serve high-profile clients in sports, entertainment, and entrepreneurship.
My ideal partners are those who understand that for many clients, philanthropy isn’t a footnote. When those conversations arise, I can act as a specialized member of their extended team. In partnerships, the advisor remains the primary contact on all financial or legal matters, while I provide the expert (and time-consuming) vetting, strategy, and communications on the philanthropic side. Together, we can provide a unique, seamless, and comprehensive service that deepens an advisor’s relationship with their clients and family.
If you are a professional who shares this collaborative approach, I would be delighted to connect. The best way to start a conversation is to visit the Contact Us section of my website at expertphilanthropy.com or you can find me on LinkedIn.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.expertphilanthropy.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eva-fordham
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
