Notes from the practice.
Long-form guidance on funding, strategy, governance and growth — written for the people doing the actual work in charities, CICs, social enterprises and community organisations.
Building a funding strategy that doesn't burn out your team
Why most fundraising plans collapse in year two — and the four shifts that keep momentum without exhausting the people delivering it.
From project pipeline to portfolio thinking
Treating your work as a portfolio — not a queue of projects — changes how you allocate energy, money and attention.
What good governance looks like in 2026
Governance has quietly shifted from compliance to strategic partnership. The boards getting it right share four habits.
Five income streams worth testing this year
Income diversification is overdue a more honest conversation. Five streams worth a structured pilot — and the conditions that make each one work.
Designing partnerships that actually last
Most partnerships fade in the second year. The ones that don't are built differently from the start.
A quiet case for slower growth
Not every organisation should scale. For many, the more interesting strategic question is how to get better, not bigger.
Reading a funder's mind: the unwritten rules
Funders rarely tell you what they really want. After a decade on both sides of the table, here is what tends to be true.
Funding
Grant strategy, funder relationships and pipeline design.
Strategy
Portfolio thinking, prioritisation and long-horizon decisions.
Governance
Trustee effectiveness, risk and board partnership.
Income
Diversification, earned income and financial resilience.
Partnerships
Collaborations that compound impact and last.
Leadership
Ambition, growth, and the strategic posture of the organisation.
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