NGOs, charities & social enterprises
Irwin Grayson Associates provides advice and support to NGOs, CSOs, charities and social enterprises both in
the UK and internationally, mainly assisting with strategic thinking and business planning. In addition,
David Irwin undertakes investment appraisals and strategic reviews for
Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts and previously for
Esmee Fairbairn Foundation - and occasionally
for other foundations such as the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.
He has considerable experience working with the not for profit sector. He has established many companies limited by guarantee, several with charitable status and established one charity by deed. He has been Treasurer of the North Tyneside CVS and on the executive committee of the Newcastle upon Tyne CVS. He has served as a non executive director and audit committee chairman of an NHS Trust. He has advised many charities and not for profit organisations wishing to develop their strategies. He was a trustee of the Sunderland Youth Enterprise Trust from its launch until its close 25 years later and is a trustee of the Northern Youth Venture Fund. For the two years of 2006/7, he was a director and Treasurer of Chandos Children's Learning Centre, a parent run nursery and social enterprise.
In July 2013, a small grant was awarded from the RSA's Regions and
Nations Funds to undertake a scoping study for a proposed Maker Lab to serve the communities of Newcastle and
Gateshead. The intention of RSA was to prepare a "business plan and proposed strategy to deliver in north east
England: an incubation space, digital fabrication studio, enterprise and cultural hub with wider partnership
opportunities." An invitation to undertake this work went out to all the North East Fellowship and beyond
through the annual conference, the regional newsletters and the networks. In November 2013, following an
application and selection process, the selection panel invited David Irwin FRSA to undertake this work.
David recommended the creation of a Maker Laboratory, to be set up in partnership with the Baltic and Gateshead College, and wrote a detailed business plan and case for funding.
The Forgiveness Project uses the real stories of victims
and perpetrators to explore concepts of forgiveness, and to encourage people to consider alternatives to
resentment, retaliation and revenge. I supported them to think through their business plan and to improve
their financial forecasting.
The Performance Hub explains that improving performance is about achieving more and making more of a
difference. It is not about doing more, but it is about exploring whether things can be done better.
It is not something you do once but part of a continuous process of review and action. The Performance
Hub focuses on improving the overall performance of your organisation using some exciting and useful
approaches.
In partnership with Annabel Jackson Associates, we explored strategy amongst third sector organisations and prepared a 'how-to' guide and a number of very short cases studies. One of the reports that we wrote, Tools for strategic planning: What works best, has been published by the Performance Hub and is available from their website.
. IGA was commissioned by the Tubney Trust to assist FAI Farms to prepare a detailed business plan and financial forecast to secure £1.5m for a major project intended to improve chicken welfare through genetic selection.
The Tubney Trust was established by Miles and Briony Blackwell in 1992 to support activities that had a long term, sustainable, positive impact on the biodiversity of the UK and on the welfare of farmed animals both in the UK and internationally. Following the untimely death of its founders in 2001, the Trust received an additional £50m but made the decision to spend-down on a 10-year timeline, closing in 2012. Farm Animal Welfare Trust closed in 2016.
Integrity is an NGO which is fighting corrupt practices in Nigeria.
It has established a private sector division: Convention on Business Integrity (CBi) which aims to encourage the
private sector to work ethically and without engaging in corrupt practices
David visited CBi in June 2003 to undertake a strategic review and assist CBi to consider its strategic objectives. He returned in October to help Integrity write a detailed business plan and then assisted CBi to prepare proposals for sponsorship. The outcome was agreement from DFID (now FCDO) to provide core funding totalling some £250,000 and one of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts to provide £20,000 for a specific project. David visited again during 2004 to assist with the preparation of materials for prospective signatories and for assessors. (DFID, 2003/4).
In 2006, Irwin and Grayson worked together to support CBi to prepare a detailed tool-kit to help businesses go through the assessment process and achieve the tick mark (2006)
The first three assignments were supported by DFID; the preparation of the toolkit was supported by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office Global Opportunities Fund.
He has considerable experience working with the not for profit sector. He has established many companies limited by guarantee, several with charitable status and established one charity by deed. He has been Treasurer of the North Tyneside CVS and on the executive committee of the Newcastle upon Tyne CVS. He has served as a non executive director and audit committee chairman of an NHS Trust. He has advised many charities and not for profit organisations wishing to develop their strategies. He was a trustee of the Sunderland Youth Enterprise Trust from its launch until its close 25 years later and is a trustee of the Northern Youth Venture Fund. For the two years of 2006/7, he was a director and Treasurer of Chandos Children's Learning Centre, a parent run nursery and social enterprise.
Assignments
Ashden Awards (2007-date)
I provide support to the Ashden Awards through my role as commercial assessor. Applications are all concerned with aspects of sustainable energy including inter alia wind, solar, hydro, storage, power balancing in the UK and cook stoves and solar lighting internationally and all sorts of very innovative approaches. I have the honour to review the finances of all businesses that reach the shortlisting stage and have, over the last 17 years, assessed more than small and growing 200 businesses. Before covid, I sometimes had the opportunity to visit applicants selected as finalists.RSA Maker Lab North East (2014)
In July 2013, a small grant was awarded from the RSA's Regions and
Nations Funds to undertake a scoping study for a proposed Maker Lab to serve the communities of Newcastle and
Gateshead. The intention of RSA was to prepare a "business plan and proposed strategy to deliver in north east
England: an incubation space, digital fabrication studio, enterprise and cultural hub with wider partnership
opportunities." An invitation to undertake this work went out to all the North East Fellowship and beyond
through the annual conference, the regional newsletters and the networks. In November 2013, following an
application and selection process, the selection panel invited David Irwin FRSA to undertake this work.David recommended the creation of a Maker Laboratory, to be set up in partnership with the Baltic and Gateshead College, and wrote a detailed business plan and case for funding.
David has carried out this work with huge commitment of time and energy, far above
and beyond the original brief. The benefits of his vast experience, expertise and regional knowledge
in this area and his clear and challenging thinking have been evident throughout. I would like to
especially acknowledge and commend David's work in this study, along with the commitment, collaboration
and full support the RSA has received from Godfrey Worsdale FRSA, Director of BALTIC.
Godfrey Worsdale FRSA, Director of BALTIC.
Jan Portillo, former Regional Chair, RSA
Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (2013)
WSUP is a not for profit company working in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia to enable people to be able to access both reliable, clean and affordable water and safe, clean, private toilet facilities. IGA was commissioned to re-write two business plans and investment propositions: the first to create a £15m Water & Sanitation Enterprise Fund initially to support small scale entrepreneurs in Kenya to provide water and sanitation services and then rolled out to other developing countries and the second for Clean Team which had adopted an innovative approach to urban sanitation which it was piloting in Kumasi in Ghana.Organisation Cetacea (2005, 2010)
Organisation Cetacea (ORCA) is a registered charity that provides a forum for undertaking research, gathering observation data and raising interest and participation in conservation research on whales and dolphins. I first assessed ORCA in 2005 recommending the need for a strategic review and providing some modest further assistance. I undertook a further review in 2010, with recommendations to update the strategy and for Esmee Fairbairn Foundation to fund a CEO for three years, to which they agreed. I then supported the new CEO, Sally Hamilton, to develop appropriate strategic objectives and activities. An email from Sally in Aug 2023 says:
It was through your guidance and strategic business sense that enabled ORCA to move
from a predominantly volunteer lead charity to a financially robust one. ORCA turnover
will be well over 1/2 million next year and this I always attribute to your guidance
and kindness early on.”
Sally Hamilton, CEO, Orca
Update
Sally reports that turnover for FY24 is now approaching £1m, which is a testament to Orca's professionalism in all that it does. Read their latest report on the State of CetaceansThe Forgiveness Project, UK (2014-2015)
The Forgiveness Project uses the real stories of victims
and perpetrators to explore concepts of forgiveness, and to encourage people to consider alternatives to
resentment, retaliation and revenge. I supported them to think through their business plan and to improve
their financial forecasting.
David Irwin was invaluable in helping us clarify and articulate our work, our vision
and our strategic development. He also provided fantastic support in helping us understand the need
for full cost recovery on all our projects and begin the process of implementing this.
Straightforward, precise and reassuring advice.
Straightforward, precise and reassuring advice.Rachel Bird, Project Co-ordinator
UK Social Stock Exchange (2011)
In 2011, IGA was commissioned by the Jospeh Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT) to undertake a review of proposals to launch a Social Stock Exchange in the UK and in which JRCT proposed to invest by way of a mission related investment. Social stock exchanges are designed to provide access to capital for social purpose businesses whilst allowing investors to trade in shares and securities as tehy would for any company listed on a traditional stock exchange. The social stock exchange came into existence in 2013 but sadly closed in 2018. If you are interested in learning more about social stock exchanges, and the impact of teh closure of the UKSSE, there is an academic paper by Bhargava et al.NCVO Performance Hub (2006)
The Performance Hub explains that improving performance is about achieving more and making more of a
difference. It is not about doing more, but it is about exploring whether things can be done better.
It is not something you do once but part of a continuous process of review and action. The Performance
Hub focuses on improving the overall performance of your organisation using some exciting and useful
approaches.In partnership with Annabel Jackson Associates, we explored strategy amongst third sector organisations and prepared a 'how-to' guide and a number of very short cases studies. One of the reports that we wrote, Tools for strategic planning: What works best, has been published by the Performance Hub and is available from their website.
FAI Farms (2006)
FAI Farms is a farm in Oxfordshire which had been seeking opportunities to advise others how to farm more sustainably. It had set up a charity, the Farm Animal Welfare Trust, o promote farm animal welfare.. IGA was commissioned by the Tubney Trust to assist FAI Farms to prepare a detailed business plan and financial forecast to secure £1.5m for a major project intended to improve chicken welfare through genetic selection.
The Tubney Trust was established by Miles and Briony Blackwell in 1992 to support activities that had a long term, sustainable, positive impact on the biodiversity of the UK and on the welfare of farmed animals both in the UK and internationally. Following the untimely death of its founders in 2001, the Trust received an additional £50m but made the decision to spend-down on a 10-year timeline, closing in 2012. Farm Animal Welfare Trust closed in 2016.
Convention on Business Integrity, Nigeria (2003-2006)
Integrity is an NGO which is fighting corrupt practices in Nigeria.
It has established a private sector division: Convention on Business Integrity (CBi) which aims to encourage the
private sector to work ethically and without engaging in corrupt practicesDavid visited CBi in June 2003 to undertake a strategic review and assist CBi to consider its strategic objectives. He returned in October to help Integrity write a detailed business plan and then assisted CBi to prepare proposals for sponsorship. The outcome was agreement from DFID (now FCDO) to provide core funding totalling some £250,000 and one of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts to provide £20,000 for a specific project. David visited again during 2004 to assist with the preparation of materials for prospective signatories and for assessors. (DFID, 2003/4).
In 2006, Irwin and Grayson worked together to support CBi to prepare a detailed tool-kit to help businesses go through the assessment process and achieve the tick mark (2006)
The first three assignments were supported by DFID; the preparation of the toolkit was supported by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office Global Opportunities Fund.
© Irwin Grayson Associates 2024