Question 1

We are not sure which service we need. Where do we start?

Accepted Answer

Start with a conversation. Describe what is in front of you in plain language — a board that cannot agree, a departing director, a campaign question, a plan nobody is using. Part of the work is helping you name the real question, and sometimes that changes the starting point.

Question 2

Do we need to have a formal RFP to talk?

Accepted Answer

No. An RFP is welcome and makes comparison easier, but a phone call or an email describing the situation is enough to begin.

Question 3

Are we too small to work with an outside advisor?

Accepted Answer

Small organizations are a substantial part of this practice. Scope is sized to the organization, and a focused engagement is often more useful to a small institution than a large one.

Question 4

How quickly can work begin?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the calendar and the scope. Focused sessions and advisory work can usually begin within a few weeks. Assessments, searches, and planning processes are scheduled further out.

Question 5

Who actually does the work?

Accepted Answer

Edward J. Sirianno leads every engagement personally. Where a project calls for specialized capacity — design, exhibit expertise, search logistics — experienced practitioners are brought in for that piece, and the firm remains accountable for the outcome.

Question 6

How is scope decided?

Accepted Answer

After the first conversation, in writing, with a defined deliverable, fee, and timeline. If the scope should change mid-engagement, that is discussed before any work proceeds.

Question 7

Do you deliver a report and leave?

Accepted Answer

Recommendations that nobody carries out are not worth much. Engagements are designed to end with a sequence someone owns, and implementation support is available when the organization wants a hand through the first stretch.

Question 8

Do you work remotely or on site?

Accepted Answer

Both. Assessment, facilitation, and visitor-experience work benefit from being on site. Advisory conversations, interviews, and working sessions are frequently held by video or phone.

Question 9

How are fees structured?

Accepted Answer

Most engagements are quoted as a fixed fee for a defined scope. Ongoing advisory is quoted monthly. Travel and direct expenses are estimated in advance and billed at cost.

Question 10

Is the first conversation billable?

Accepted Answer

No. There’s no charge for the first conversation and no expectation that anything has to come from it. If outside help isn’t needed, I’ll say so.

Question 11

How long does a typical engagement take?

Accepted Answer

A facilitated session is a day plus preparation and follow-up. An assessment or planning process generally runs two to four months. A leadership transition runs longer and depends on the board's calendar.

Question 12

How is our information handled?

Accepted Answer

Discussions and documents are treated as confidential professional correspondence and are not shared outside the engagement. This is professional confidentiality, not legal privilege — please do not treat it as a substitute for counsel from an attorney.

Question 13

Will you use our organization as a reference?

Accepted Answer

Only with permission, in writing, and only in the form you approve.

Question 14

What should we not send before an agreement is in place?

Accepted Answer

Hold back anything highly sensitive — personnel files, donor records, medical information, legal matters, and detailed financial account data — until confidentiality arrangements are established. A summary is enough to begin.

Question 15

What should an RFP include?

Accepted Answer

The question you need answered, what has already been tried, your timeline, an approximate budget or range, who will be involved, and how you will make the decision. Anything beyond that is helpful but not necessary.

Question 16

When will we hear back?

Accepted Answer

Submissions are normally acknowledged within one business day, with an initial response as soon as possible after that.

Question 17

Will you tell us if you are not the right fit?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and promptly. A referral to someone better suited is more useful to you than a proposal that should not have been written.

Questions people ask first.

Getting started

Scope and process

Fees and timelines

Confidentiality

RFPs and proposals

Where these questions usually lead

Organizational assessment

Strategic planning and implementation

Executive director search and succession planning

Governance and board alignment

Fundraising and capital campaign readiness

Nature center development and visitor experience

If your question is not here, ask it directly.