At a time when philanthropy has enormous potential to advance the public good, donors can benefit from many kinds of assistance in making good decisions. Do advisors to the wealthy help their clients shape philanthropic strategy, how do they do so, and how do advisors prepare for this work? To provide some answers, interviews were conducted with 75 accountants, family office managers, philanthropic advisors, private bankers, trust and estate attorneys, wealth managers and institutional development directors, along with a group of thought leaders in philanthropy. A literature review, including publications of the interviewees, helped provide context.