Some Examples of our Work

Maximising Potential: Too many charities fail to make the most of the tax breaks available. In 2014 / 2015 only 68,700 (out of some 300,000) charities bothered to reclaim any tax from HMRC. The figure has been in the range of 64,000 to 68,000 since 2006 / 2007. It is very hard to understand why the Voluntary Sector is unable or unwilling to take advantage of its legal right to refunds on tax efficient gifts. On this evidence, more than 75% of all charities consistently ignore their right to more than £1 billion of reclaimable tax annually. Tax isn't everything, though. Good practice and well-tried processes can transform performance: we take pride in making without breaking.

90% of our clients find that we pay for our service by identifying unclaimed tax and implanting the training, processes and culture to maximise this source of income. With one major national charity, we found £1.5 million. With one NHS Trust we found £250,000, and recently identified the potential for £500,000 of unclaimed tax with another. A Benevolent Fund was able to restructure their fundraising department with the money recovered from four years of unclaimed tax.

Planning and Performance: Many smaller charities employ very able and energetic individuals to run their fundraising, but do not provide the leadership and direction which delivers the optimum results. Fundraisers tend to be isolated and are often frustrated when their bosses fail to understand their management and resource needs. Our consultants have the experience and gravitas to persuade senior management of the reality. With a relatively modest input, we enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the whole team.

Even the most experienced fundraising directors, let alone community and corporate fundraisers, can struggle with the preparation of a coherent strategic plan. Moreover, they are often too busy on the ground to devote the thinking time they need to draft the documents. We will support you and your team with the templates and writing skills to deliver excellent papers.

Recruitment, Management and Training: Fundraising has an enormous amount to do with common sense, but untutored managers generally do not understand what to look for in a potential fundraising employee. They don't have the experience to conduct relevant training and supportive management. We do, which means that we frequently help interview panels in the recruitment of trustees and senior management, then follow that up with tailored training.

Strategic Analysis and Practical Delivery. We deliver common sense, clear thinking and good report writing to help senior managers drive the business forward. We know how to translate all the deep intellectual ideas into practical action. This makes us valuable facilitators for senior management when converting strategic direction into operational plans.

Helping our Clients to Raise Money. Success comes when the right ambassador asks the right prospect for the right sum in the right place at the right time in the right way for the right reason. That's seven factors that have to be right. The eighth is us: our role is to help you get it right. Generally we do not ask for money on a client's behalf because people give to people that they know, like, trust and want to please. They do not want to give to a hired hand. Our job is to advise you how to achieve the optimum results.

Solving Problems. Skilful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempest. Epicurus. The fact is that this consultancy has been engaged with many organisations because they have been in difficulty. The same problems often appear in differing forms. We have seen them; we have helped to solve them

Interim Management. From time to time organisations find their recruitment and inheritance planning is out of sync. We have highly experienced individuals who can assume an interim director's role, provide strong leadership when staff are feeling vulnerable, and keep a firm hand on the tiller of day-to-day operations. Experience does count.