Foundations and philanthrophy / Advisory services
Great philanthropy doesn't happen by accident. It takes clarity about what you're trying to achieve, a real understanding of where you can make a difference, and the right approach to get there. We work with clients on all four.
GIVING STRATEGY
Without a clear strategy, giving becomes reactive, shaped by whoever asked most recently rather than a considered view of what matters. That dilutes impact and makes it harder to know if you're achieving what you hoped, whether you're a corporate philanthropy team or a family foundation. A clear strategy fixes that. It defines what impact means to you and how decisions get made, giving you confidence and momentum, plus, for corporate teams, an evidence base to justify continued investment.
We get there through a structured process: surfacing values and priorities, aligning the people who matter, and building a practical framework for future decisions. The result is a small number of priorities that make every subsequent choice easier. For families, this resolves quiet misalignment between different starting points. For organisations, it means faster decisions and a confident case to leadership.
Once that direction is agreed, we use it to review what you're already doing: what to carry forward, what to strengthen, and where to change course.
RESEARCH AND INSIGHT
Knowing you want to make a difference in a particular area is one thing. Knowing where your funding can make the biggest difference within that area is another.
Research helps answer that question. We build a clear picture of what is already happening, what is proven to deliver impact, and where there is genuine space to add value. We drawing on existing evidence, conversations with practitioners, and new insight gathered through interviews, focus groups, surveys, and immersive fieldwork. For some clients, research also becomes a way to contribute beyond their own giving. Original work, shared openly, can change how an entire field sees a problem – not just informing one funder's decisions, but moving others forward too.
SYSTEMS CHANGE
Most philanthropy funds organisations and services. Systems change asks a different question: what are the underlying conditions producing this outcome, and what would need to shift for things to get better at scale?
We help clients identify where those root causes sit, design interventions that target the system itself, and convene the right partners and institutions to act. This is increasingly the approach donors take when they want lasting change and impact.
COMMUNICATIONS
Philanthropy is rarely just about giving well. It is also about how that giving is seen –and sometimes about making a deliberate choice not to be seen at all. We help clients navigate that choice deliberately rather than by default.
For those who want to manage visibility carefully, we help shape how the foundation's work reflects on the family or the wider business. For those building credibility to support stronger partnerships, we help develop a clear, confident narrative you can use with funders, partners, and government. Where the goal is to attract co-funding, we help showcase the work in a way that draws other funders towards the same causes. And when something goes wrong, we provide the support to protect your credibility and reputation when it matters most.
A BESPOKE OFFER
Most clients draw on more than one of these. A giving strategy shapes where to focus; research sharpens the decision; systems change extends the impact; communications makes sure it lands. We can support you at any stage, or across all of them.
Contact Us
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