For funders

Explore our range of services for funders and grantmakers.

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Thoughtful support for moving money with care

Grant-making carries both opportunity and responsibility. Decisions about funding shape power, pace, and possibility for communities: often under tight timelines, scrutiny, and rapidly growing demand.

We support funders and grant-makers to design and deliver funding that is fair, effective, and grounded in care, offering strategy, coaching, and hands-on support that fits the realities of today’s funding landscape.

  • Clear, community-informed grant-making

    We help bring structure and clarity to your grant-making, drawing on community-led insights to ensure funding reaches where it can make the greatest difference.

    Our strategic support balances rigour with compassion, supporting good decision-making while reducing unnecessary burden on both funders and applicants.

    This can include:

    • Grant-making strategy development, including analysis of current portfolio

    • Development of theory of change

    • Applicant service journey design and review

    • Funder ecosystem and landscape scanning

    • Grantee consultation and co-design methodologies

    • Strategy facilitation with staff and Trustee teams

    The result is clearer priorities and funding programmes that work better for everyone involved.

  • Extra capacity when demand outpaces time

    When funding rounds are oversubscribed or capacity is stretched, we can step in to help deliver.

    We offer experienced, flexible support to manage workload peaks, improve applicant experience, and maintain quality and care, even under pressure.

    Hands-on support includes:

    • Application assessment and scoring

    • Due diligence checks

    • Compassionate communication with applicants and grantees

    • Feedback development and learning summaries

    Our assessment expertise includes a strong focus on community-led grassroots groups, LGBTQ+ rights, gender-based violence, and youth work.

    We work in line with IVAR principles, designing processes that are fair, accessible, and transparent.

  • Support for people holding funding decisions

    Grant-making is equal parts purpose and pressure. The scale of need, responsibility for fairness, and emotional weight of decisions can feel overwhelming, particularly in overstretched systems.

    Our coaching provides space to pause, reflect, and regain focus, supporting grant-makers to work with confidence, balance, and care.

    Coaching can support:

    • Decision-making in complex or high-demand contexts

    • Managing pressure, workload, and emotional labour

    • Navigating risk, accountability, and values alignment

    • Leadership reflection and confidence

    • Sustaining energy and clarity over time

    This is thoughtful, non-judgemental support, grounded in real-world experience of grant-making roles.

Our approach

Compassionate

We recognise the emotional labour behind the work.

Practical

We are focused on what’s achievable with the resources you have.

Collaborative

We work alongside you and the communities you support.

Values-led

We always centre fair, inclusive and trust-based funding practice.

  • "In our convoluted funding world, Sophie's integrity, well thought through approach and care are remarkable. She'll help you do the work you actually joined the sector for."

    Anna-Leah Gebuhr, Philanthropy Adviser, UN Refugee Aid

  • Sophie has the rare quality of being able to steer a group towards a successful outcome without people feeling overly directed or under pressure - everyone's ideas are given space, but there's a clear forwards momentum and sense of achievement.

    Klara Wertheim, ReportOUT Trustee

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A relaxed, no-pressure conversation to talk through your fundraising needs and see if we’re a good fit.

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