Services

Governance Health Check

Effective governance is crucial for a smoothly functioning organisation. But good governance isn’t just about following rules; it’s about running your organisation efficiently and making a real impact.

Our reviews look at everything, from key documents to what your trustees and staff think, and then we provide practical advice that suits your organisation.

We don’t just hand you a report and say, “Good luck!” We help you figure out the next moves and deal with any challenges that pop up.

We provide training for trustees to help them better understand their roles and responsibilities and improve communication between the board and the executive team. We’re all about making these relationships more effective so you can create more impact together.

As each organisation is different, we don’t deal in a one-size-fits-all approach. Your training will be customised to what your trustees truly need. We dig into the details, focusing on what matters for your organisation and offer practical guidance and solutions to suit you.

A Governance Health Check could include all or some of the following:

$

Initial meet & greet to understand your priorities

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Review of key governance documents

$

Surveys and/or interviews with some/all trustees, other committee members and executive team

$

Observation of a board meeting

$

Upskilling Your TeamWorkshop to present findings, facilitate discussions and agree an action plan

$

Production of a report with practical recommendations, linked to the Charity Governance Code and useful resources

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Workshop to present findings, facilitate discussions and agree an action plan

What Clients Say

“Ruth helped me to fully form the mission and took me through the process to become a CIC. Her mentorship style is positive and motivating. In her hands, everything seems possible.”

Rossana Caglia

Founder – The Spikey Project

“Ruth is an absolute professional – so clear, helpful and methodical. People opened up and were honest with her, which is so important when putting together a review like this. She took the time that was needed and was always available.”

Steven Lane

CEO – NAFAS

Your Strategic Ambition

Imagine an organisation where everyone involved is clear on what the organisation is aiming to achieve, what it’s doing to get there, and excited to be a part of it. We start with understanding the difference that you’re trying to make, and why it matters – we build on what works well so you can make a bigger difference.

It starts with identifying the difference you want to make and why it matters. We keep things streamlined, focusing on the support your organisation needs the most. We pinpoint what’s already working well so you can ramp up the impact, and we shine a light on areas that might need a tweak or two.

We offer a variety of support so that we can offer what will be the most effective for your organisation – here are some examples:

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Strategy Away Day Facilitation

Facilitation of away days for staff and/or trustees that map out your strategy in a way that makes sense for your team

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Stakeholder Engagement

Creating the best methods to speak to the right people to gain insight and understanding into what people outside your organisation think and need, and bringing people on to the same page excited to make it happen

$

Process Design and Project Management

A strategy process can run over a few months and involve a range of people – we can help you to design the best process for your strategy development and make sure everything stays on track

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Theory of Change Development

Creating a theory of change that describes the outcomes you are aiming to make for your beneficiaries – and how this change comes about

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Drafting strategy content

Turning those big ideas into a practical plan that everyone can get behind

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Business Planning

Helping you bring your strategy to life so that it is affordable, sustainable and impactful

$

Upskilling Your Team

Helping your team take ownership of the process and learn strategy development skills along the way

What Clients Say

“The strategy day achieved everything we hoped for, and was very well facilitated. The support and advice we received in the run-up from Ruth was critical to success and really helped. Ruth is professional, knowledgeable and helpful – and helped us to create a platform from which we can work. We are continuing to work with Ruth to further develop our plans to implement our strategy.”

Stephanie Smith

CEO – Raystede

“We’ve gained a huge amount as an organisation and I’ve gained really useful insights into strategic development.

I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Ruth to colleagues in the sector.”

Sarah Bentley

CEO – Tandem

Product and Service Development

Our Product and Service (earned income) development services empower you to create more independence and regain control over your organisation’s direction.

The focus is on aligning your services with market needs, developing a compelling value proposition, and creating a viable business model that ensures sustainable income. And we can help you package your services effectively, relieving the pressure of over-dependence on fundraising.

If you need support to develop a business plan for a new offer, or to review an existing one and identify where its income potential lies, we can help in a number of ways.

There are a number of solutions available so we can really zoom in on what will be the most effective for your organisation:

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Market research

We’ll explore what resonates in the market, what people are willing to invest in, and where your impact can be most significant.

$

Value proposition

Develop a deeper understanding of the people you are selling to and shape your offer and the way you market it around this insight.

$

Business model

How much will it cost to develop and take to market, what is a realistic level of sales, how much do you need to sell to make the income you need.

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Bespoke support where you need it most

What Clients Say

“We really didn’t know where to start. Ruth understood how we work and what we needed in order to deliver greater impact. She consistently delivered high-quality, strategic work.

Now, we have a clear map for where to go next, and a base of research on which to build our next steps.”

Sophie Guthrie-Kummer

Chief Executive – Choices Islington

Let’s have a virtual cuppa and talk about what your organisation needs and how we can help.