Meet Our Advisors: Dane Grams, online strategy director, HRC

Why he chose fundraising as a career: “Just like many of your readers, I fell into it. The Accidental Fundraiser. By the time I was finished college, I had more hours of work-study time in the development office than I did toward my degree.”

Best advice for fundraisers: “This industry is as much about instinct as anything else. If you have an idea you believe in, sell it. Build buy-in with key stakeholders and senior staff. Utilize outsiders — colleagues in the industry, consultants and case studies. Bottom-line it — What’s the cost? What’s the return? And don’t give up too easily — perseverance and persistence will prevail.”