Consulting
Overview
Are you making grants for the first time?
Or are you looking for help with a major strategy review?
Or are you looking to improve your grantmaking services and systems?
We're here to help.
We offer a range of grantmaking consultancy services
Whether you’re writing a grantmaking strategy for the first time, or updating an old strategy that’s served its purpose, we can help.
Unlike some non-specialist strategy consultants we won’t ‘write the strategy for you’ – instead we’ll guide you through the process, sharing the burden and helping you to develop the skills to run future strategy processes in-house.
We have deep experience in helping oversee and guide strategy reviews, from quick and informal to more intensive processes lasting several months.In our book we devoted an entire chapter to funder strategy reviews. We’re here to help you foresee the challenges that will arise, and to help you overcome them successfully.
Case studies
We know that it can be helpful to hear specific stories about how we have helped funders. Here are three case studies that show what we can do, and what it is like to work with us.
Testimonials from our clients
"Gemma and Tom’s book has been widely read across the organisation, and there was a lot of excitement at the chance of being able to benefit from their expertise, insight and common sense. What we particularly appreciated was their strategic insight into different grantmaking approaches which was coupled with their understanding of our particular context. I am personally very grateful for the professionalism and sensitivity which they showed in developing and running high-quality, engaging workshops."
Anand Shukla
Chief Executive, The Henry Smith Charity
"Gemma and Tom bring both grantmaking experience and coaching skills to bear in their support. They provide practical advice and suggestions for creating and implementing strategies but also the time and space to allow you to identify the right option for your context. They are then very helpful in thinking through how to put these into practice."
Jenny North
Foundation Director, The Clothworkers' Foundation
"Gemma and Tom provided clear insights into our grantmaking practices. They listened carefully to what we do and left us with practical, implementable next steps. I’d highly recommend them to anyone trying to become a better, kinder, modern grant-giving organisation."
Stefan Magdalinski
Senior Fellow, Filecoin Foundation
“Gemma’s and Tom’s bespoke workshop to our grant-making executives was excellent and feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive. The morning was engaging, interactive, practical, and good fun. Gemma and Tom guided and helped us throughout, encouraging everyone to participate."
Helen McLeod, Fund Executive, Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts
"Gemma and Tom are an invaluable team for grantmakers’ professional development. My team raved about having a training workshop with them, urging that the opportunity to learn from Modern Grantmaking should be available more broadly in the organisation. Their approach blends values and principles with practical insights and experience - the perfect combination."
Swee Leng Harris
Director Litigation, Luminate
"Gemma and Tom are delightful to work with; they’re knowledgeable and thoughtful in their approach to designing and implementing workshops. Our board had nothing but praise for the modern-granting workshop, and it’s given us a lot of discussion points to advance and improve our approach to grant-making."
Rebecca Levy
Foundation Director, Spectris Foundation
Our People
Meet the team
Gemma Bull
Gemma was Funding Strategy Director for the UK's largest community funder, which awards £600 million annually. Her responsibilities included leading hundreds of people and driving a redesign of the whole organisation’s grantmaking. Previously she was a Managing Director at Leonard Cheshire Disability and Head of Innovation at Save the Children. She now specialises in supporting organisations to innovate, improve and collaborate.
