Once a month, Columbus Business First will put the spotlight on 20 People to Know from the region who are front and center in their industries.

People to Know: David Goettler

Chief executive | Goettler Associates

Why did you get into this profession?In late 1987, I was working as an auditor at Coopers & Lybrand and approaching my fourth busy season in public accounting when my father, Ralph, extended an opportunity to join the family business. Dad started our firm in 1965, so I already knew a good bit about the profession and was curious about the fundraising consulting business. As it turns out, my brief experience with public accounting was a great place to develop a skill set for this work.

What’s the most exciting thing happening today in nonprofits? The Fundraising Effectiveness Project coordinated by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. For the first time, the nonprofit industry is cooperating on big data analysis and agreeing on how to count financial support. The industry is now creating tangible benchmarks and fundraising best practices.

What’s your biggest concern about the profession? Too many of today’s corporate executives are now less engaged with area nonprofits, either because of corporate mergers or the overwhelming intensity and demands of these positions.