Crafting philanthropy strategies to change the world

Our Approach

  • Is it time to transform your family foundation? Launch the nonprofit your community needs? Bring authentic grassroots impact into your business? Start the philanthropic practice you’ve always dreamed of? Trimble Advisors can help.

    We approach every collaboration with an equity lens and a possibility mindset. We delight in the unknown. We ask hard questions, dive deep, and create new systems to serve each project’s unique goals.

    Trimble Advisors is with you at every step: you bring the passion and the resources, and we provide the context, expertise, and strategy you’ll need to make a difference.

  • “Working with Trimble Advisors gave my foundation the jump start it needed to go from idea to reality. Dory crystallized my vision, connected me to partners, launched my brand, and brought my foundation to life in a way that represented exactly what I set out to achieve.”

    — Meagan Scaringe | Founder, Many Futures Foundation

  • “Dory cut through the noise and crafted a philanthropic strategy that maximized my impact. She’s a truly collaborative advisor, and led me to think more creatively about how I can make a difference.”

    — Peter Levine | General Partner, Andreesen Horowitz and Founder, Levine Impact Lab

  • “Dory is uniquely good at solving problems with very little oversight. She’s like a special forces unit – highly effective when given broad guidelines and a lot of latitude. She skillfully transformed the Honnold Foundation from my small scale idea into the multimillion dollar organization that it is today.”

    — Alex Honnold | Founder, Honnold Foundation

  • “From the start, Trimble Advisors has been a true thought partner in moving our family foundation forward with strong infrastructure and a renewed focus on trust-based philanthropy.”

    — Heather Koopman | Director, Byrne Family Foundation Trust

SERVICES

Strategic Design for Social Impact

  • If you want to make the world a better place, have capital to deploy, and aren’t sure of the path forward, you’ve come to the right people. Building philanthropic start-ups is one of Trimble Advisors’ core offerings – you bring the passion and the resources, and we’ll bring context, experience, and deep roots in the nonprofit and funder ecosystem. We’ll guide you to define your goals, and then drive you to reach them.

    We provide philanthropic strategy for individuals and families, with a focus on genuine engagement with communities served, and an eye to social equity. We’ll identify visionary organizations and impactful community leaders, craft ethical and sustainable giving plans, and work effectively with any existing financial advisors on your team to ensure your money makes a true positive impact.

  • Every nonprofit starts somewhere, and Trimble Advisors tunes in on day one. From navigating the 501(c)3 incorporation process to nurturing new Boards of Directors, our advisory services enable emerging nonprofits to succeed while prioritizing equity, impact, and sustainability. Here’s a sampling of how we can support your start-up phase organization:

    • Planning, forming, and mentoring your first Board of Directors

    • Coaching and advisory services for nonprofit leaders, at the director level and above

    • Stewarding the 501(c)3 application process

    • Providing recommendations for operational and administrative best practices

    • Guidance with strategic planning, including defining mission, vision, and scope

    We’re also delighted to work with grantmaking nonprofits at any stage in their growth trajectory. We have deep experience with philanthropic systems redesign – rebooting a grantmaking program, implementing the principles of trust-based philanthropy, or providing advisory services to trustees and executives of family foundations are all within scope.

    No matter your nonprofit’s focus, we’re here to ensure you make a lasting impact.

  • At Trimble Advisors, we build impactful and ethical give-back programs that power true social change. The best philanthropy efforts from for-profit businesses are the ones that put impact and grassroots leadership first. We design programs that make a difference in your community by centering the needs, priorities, and voices of the nonprofit leaders whose work aligns with your brand’s values.

    Whether you’re looking to build a permanent philanthropic arm of your business, or need an ally for designing a one-off program, Trimble Advisors is ready to help. 

Meet the Founder

Dory Trimble

Dory Trimble (she/her) is the founder of Trimble Advisors. Drawing on over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector, Dory’s at her best when she’s solving problems to make the world a better place. During her tenure as the Executive Director of the Honnold Foundation, she transformed a modest donor-advised fund into a multimillion dollar international grantmaker; in other roles, she leveraged design thinking to shift patient behavior at a nationally renowned academic hospital, and trained community legal aid workers in the rural Dominican Republic.

Dory is a process expert, and delights in exploring novel subject matter and engaging with new communities through her work. She is an Oberlin College alumna and a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Access Fund.

Ready to Get Started?

Every project begins with a conversation. If you’re ready to start making your idea a reality, reach out. We can’t wait to dive in.