About Us
Our Company
The Advancement Counsel is a full-service development consulting firm specializing in comprehensive and integrated advancement serving Catholic organizations. We partner with our clients in advancing the mission of their organization by providing comprehensive solutions to the varying challenges they face. We specialize in capital campaign management, annual fund segmentation, major gift solicitation, offertory enhancement, strategic planning, organizational branding, volunteer leadership and enrollment management, among a myriad of advancement related services. The Advancement Counsel offers proven strategies focused on mission and relationships. As a team we value our Catholic faith, in both our personal and professional lives, and remain committed to ensuring Catholic organizations remain vital and sustainable for years to come.
Our mission, quite simply, is to “Advance the Catholic Mission”. Our team embraces this mantra as Catholic lay and religious leaders who see their vocation as this special ministry in the mission of the Church. We are proud of the strategic and practical approach we espouse in the area of comprehensive advancement. We have been blessed to have made a meaningful and tangible difference in the sustainability and growth of more than 400 Catholic dioceses, parishes, schools and organizations in thirty-one states that we have served as clients. We share with our clients the belief in the life-giving mission of Catholic education and ministry, and as such, believe in an open, mutual, and meaningful relationship centered on proven solutions designed to advance the mission of each school, parish, diocese or religious community we serve.
Mr. Jay Gould
Jay Gould, President / CEO, is a strategic thinker and mission-centered leader with a demonstrated passion for advancing the Catholic mission. As a seasoned advancement consultant, Jay inspires teamwork, accountability and results with the Catholic schools, parishes, diocese and religious communities he works with throughout the United States. As a persuasive communicator and strategist at heart, Mr. Gould has an established reputation as a proven solutions provider who understands the complexity of challenges facing Catholic organizations today. By embracing a collaborative approach with organizational leaders and advancement team members, Jay encourages a spirit of possibility rooted in creative, verified and time sensitive solutions.
Mr. Timothy Sember
Timothy Sember, Vice President of Parishes and Schools, enjoys the privilege of providing services to faith-based organizations including but not limited to parishes, schools, agencies and dioceses throughout the country. Previously he was the Executive Director of CHC Learning Center, a school for children with multiple disabilities.
Mr. Dave Gardner
Dave has been with The Advancement Counsel since its inception in 1998. Dave supervises the graphic arts, production and data departments. He has more than 15 years of Catholic Church direct mail and data processing experience. Dave’s goal is the production of a personalized letter package that gets opened and has a "hand-produced" look and feel. "We take great pride in ensuring that every mailing leaves our facility accurately and on time."
Our Team
Our History
We have had extensive experience in the area of comprehensive and integrated advancement training and implementation having developed a branded philosophy, methodology and model for Catholic advancement that has made a transformational difference among partner parishes and schools across the United States. We pride ourselves on this accomplishment.
As a national consulting firm, which has hosted advancement conferences serving more than 2,000 Catholic schools and parishes nationally, we have been in a unique position to witness and address the strategic challenges facing Catholic organizations today. Our team combines an enthusiasm for people coupled with a detailed approach towards advancement. We are committed to ensuring our personal and results oriented approach will continue to make a transformational difference in the life and ministry of Catholic parishes and schools today.
Mission:
Our sole mission is to “Advance the Mission” of the clients we serve. We see our clients as our partners in mission and believe in an open, mutual, and meaningful relationship centered on proven solutions designed to ensure the viability, sustainability and growth of your organization.
Passion:
Our team is called to support the good work of mission-based organizations that are making a tangible difference in the communities they serve. We will proudly collaborate with your organization to foster a spirit of possibility rooted in creative, data-driven, and time-sensitive solutions.
Vision:
Our integrated advancement solution is the catalyst for creating a systematic approach to philanthropy. We believe that if organizations shift their philanthropic paradigm and adopt proven solutions to implement new methods, they will experience sustainability and growth.
Vocation:
“Live and act with a focus on mission in all that you do, a passion for truly making a difference, and with the vision to meaningfully impact the lives of others.”
Our Commitment
Our Philosophy
The Advancement Counsel philosophy in advancement is centered on the strategic and purposeful engagement of stakeholders in your mission and vision. We believe in a comprehensive and integrated approach toward the core seven non-revenue and six revenue components of advancement. As such, strategic advancement initiatives can be seen as the catalyst to provide the resources necessary to ensure the viability and sustainability of Catholic organizations today. Our entire commitment to comprehensive and integrated advancement is rooted in a proven methodology of assessment, planning, engagement, solicitation and stewardship. We believe with experienced conviction that if leaders of Catholic parishes, schools and organizations are provided a paradigm shift in philosophy, methodology and model for advancement with the accompanying strategic and practical solutions required a newfound level of sustainability and growth will be realized.