The Charity CEO Podcast

In the nonprofit world, we often celebrate beginnings—new initiatives, fresh funding, and ambitious strategies. But what happens when a charity needs to close its doors? Does closure mean failure, or can it be part of a responsible, strategic decision? In this conversation, Kathy Evans of Children England and Rosie Ferguson from House of St Barnabas explore the realities of charity closure: the challenges, the tough choices, and the lessons learned. We discuss how to ensure impact outlasts an organisation, the role of sustainability, and why ending well is just as important as starting and staying strong.

“Gender equality is a choice… working for greater gender equality is not a zero sum game, where you’re taking something from one group and giving it to another - it’s helping to level the playing field for everyone.” Special guest, Eliza Reid, is a bestselling writer, public speaker, gender equality advocate, entrepreneur and former First Lady of Iceland. Iceland has topped the World Economic Forum’s gender equality rankings for 15 years, as the country with the smallest gender gap. In her first book, Secrets of the Sprakkar: Iceland’s Extraordinary Women and How They are Changing the World, Eliza examines what it is about Iceland and Icelandic society that makes it the most gender-equal country in the world. We talk about Eliza’s own extraordinary journey from growing up on a farm outside of Ottawa in Canada, to becoming the First Lady of Iceland, and what she has learnt along the way. It is a fascinating account, showcasing Eliza’s determination to go beyond the traditional expectations of her role as First Lady, make the most of unexpected opportunities, and to use her unique voice and privilege to advocate for gender equality and social justice. Recorded December 2024. Guest Biography Eliza Reid is a bestselling writer, public speaker, gender equality advocate, co-founder of the acclaimed Iceland Writers Retreat and former First Lady of Iceland. She was born and raised in Canada but has lived in Iceland for over twenty years. Eliza’s first book, Secrets of the Sprakkar: Iceland’s Extraordinary Women and How They Are Changing the World, was an instant bestseller in Canada and Iceland, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Pick, and translated into numerous languages. Her first novel, an Iceland-set mystery called Death of a Diplomat (Death on the Island in the U.S.), will be published in spring 2025. From 2016 to 2024, Eliza served in the unofficial role of First Lady, while her husband was President of Iceland, during which time she served as patron of numerous organisations, and was named a United Nations Special Ambassador for Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals. Passionate about inclusion, belonging, and equality, she wielded her influence through poignant op-eds, a compelling TEDx talk, and dozens of keynote addresses to audiences around the world, including presidents and royalty. Eliza has degrees from the University of Toronto (Trinity College) and Oxford University (St. Antony’s College). She lives in the outskirts of Reykjavík with her husband and four children. Links https://elizareid.com/

"Empowerment is the ability to make choices... and... having economic tools, economic resources is a way of providing the means for those choices." The world has come a long way since 1974 when women in America could not have their own bank account or checking account without their husband’s signature. The 1st United Nations World Conference on Women in 1975 and the subsequent creation of Women’s World Banking in 1979, have played a massive part in enabling women today to achieve financial independence and be economically empowered. Mary Ellen Iskenderian has been at the helm of Women’s World Banking for 18 years. She joins us today to talk about how far we have come with respect to women’s financial inclusion, her organisation’s work in this area, particularly in low-income settings, and how far we have yet still to go. We talk about her book, ‘There’s Nothing Micro About a Billion Women’ - a reference to the nearly one billion women who until a couple of years ago, were outside of formal financial systems - and how women’s financial inclusion is not just good for women and their families, but also, good for business, good for the resilience of the global economy, and essential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Recorded May 2024. Guest Biography Mary Ellen Iskenderian is President and CEO of Women’s World Banking, the global nonprofit devoted to giving low-income women in the developing world access to the financial tools and resources they require to achieve security and prosperity. She joined Women’s World Banking in 2006 and leads the Women’s World Banking global team, based in New York, and also serves as a member of the Investment Committee of its two impact investment funds. Mary Ellen is a passionate advocate for women’s economic empowerment through greater access to finance. She is a leading voice for the world’s one billion women not actively engaged with the financial sector, urging the banking industry to view this community as a powerful new market of small business owners, heads of households, and consumers of financial products and services. Prior to Women’s World Banking, Mary Ellen worked for 17 years at the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank. She had previously worked for the investment bank Lehman Brothers. Mary Ellen is a permanent member of the Council on Foreign Relations, as well as a member of the Women’s Forum of New York. She serves as a Director on the Board of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. A 2017 Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Fellow, Mary Ellen holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a Bachelor of Science in International Economics from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. She was recently recognized in the Forbes 50 over 50: Investment list, which highlights female investors and financial leaders. Her first book, There’s Nothing Micro About a Billion Women: Making Finance Work for Women, was published by MIT Press in April 2022. Links https://www.womensworldbanking.org

With an audacious goal to lift 20m people in Africa out of extreme poverty by 2030, Dianne Calvi, President and CEO of Village Enterprise, joins us to share how they plan to make this happen. Centred around their core value of ‘Ubuntu’, a South African term, which means ‘humanity’ or ‘I am because we are’, Village Enterprise seeks to transform lives through entrepreneurship, innovation and collective action. By partnering with other nonprofits, governments, agencies, and private sector companies, Village Enterprise equips first-time entrepreneurs in Africa with the resources and skills to start climate-smart businesses and savings groups. We talk about their Poverty Graduation Model and building up their evidence base, using Randomised Control Trials, which has helped catalyse funding for their exciting new programme: working with USAID, the French and the Rwandan governments to end extreme poverty in Rwanda for good. Dianne also shares her personal family story, revealing what really drives her to do this work, which, as one of their entrepreneurs says, is all about enabling full bellies and big dreams. Recorded March 2024. Note: The title of this episode is a direct quote from an entrepreneur that Village Enterprise supports in Africa, describing the impact of their work. Guest Biography Dianne Calvi has been working to end extreme poverty in rural Africa as Village Enterprise’s President and CEO since 2010. Since joining Village Enterprise, Dianne has increased the breadth and depth of the organization’s impact by focusing on strategic partnerships, innovation and technology, rigorous monitoring and evaluation, and building a highly qualified African team. To date, Village Enterprise has trained over 274k people, started over 80k businesses, and lifted over 1.65 million people out of extreme poverty. With Dianne at the helm, Village Enterprise has completed an independent randomized control trial (RCT) and launched the first Development Impact Bond in poverty alleviation. Prior to joining Village Enterprise, Dianne served as the President of Bring Me A Book Foundation, a literacy nonprofit that she scaled through partnerships in both domestic and international locations. Previously, she worked in the private sector for Microsoft, Xerox, and Montedison in Milan, Italy. She has served on several nonprofit boards and was recently appointed to the InterAction board of directors. Dianne received a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from Bocconi University (Milan, IT) on a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship. Links https://villageenterprise.org

“There is a problem! Business has a problem, the world has a problem, because we are just not utilising the talents, the ambitions, the drive of half the world’s population (the female half)... Economic gender justice is essential both for women’s freedom and equality, but also for the development of the world.” We are honoured to have on the podcast, Cherie Blair CBE KC! As the Founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, Cherie has been a relentless advocate for women's rights, particularly in low and middle-income countries. Our discussion delves into her vision for the Foundation, her journey as a leading barrister and King's Counsel in the male-dominated legal profession, and the gendered challenges women still confront today. Cherie is of course, the wife of the former UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and is an inspiration to women across the world. Recorded January 2024. Guest Biography Cherie Blair CBE, KC is a leading King’s Counsel with over 35 years’ experience. Cherie is a strong advocate for women’s rights and in 2008 she founded the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. The Foundation promotes the financial independence of women in low and middle income countries so that they can be financially independent, have a stronger voice in their societies, and, contribute to their communities. Since its inception, the Foundation has had a significant and measurable impact on the lives of more than 250,000 women entrepreneurs in 105 countries especially in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Cherie is actively involved in the Foundation, travelling internationally to visit projects and donors and to advocate for women entrepreneurs globally. Cherie studied law at the London School of Economics (LSE) and is also the Founder and Chair of the pioneering law firm Omnia Strategy where she focuses on cross-border dispute resolution, commercial arbitration, mediation and human rights. Cherie was awarded a CBE in the 2013 New Year’s Honours List for services to women’s issues and to charities in both the UK and overseas. She is the wife of former UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair. They have 4 children and 8 grandchildren. Links Www.cherieblairfoundation.org

Trigger warning: This episode explores and talks about miscarriage, stillbirth and baby loss. Baby loss and miscarriage is something that many parents face and yet it is still something that is not openly talked about in today’s society. In this very special episode, I speak with Karen Burgess, Founder & CEO of the charity Petals, that provides counselling support to families affected by baby loss. Karen and I are joined by Alice. Alice shares with us the story of her daughter, Vera, and the journey that she and her husband, Dave, have been on with Petals. Together we seek to dispel the stigma surrounding baby loss and encourage those who need support to reach out to specialist services like Petals. Recorded August 2023. Guest Biography Karen Burgess is the Founder and CEO of Petals, The Baby Loss Counselling Charity. Karen has been a practising counsellor since 1998. Alongside running a successful private practice, she gained wide-ranging experience across schools, the NHS, addiction units, workplaces and hospital settings. Since founding the organisation in 2011, Karen has grown Petals into a national charity, with 35 counsellors delivering over 6,000 specialist counselling sessions every year. Karen has become a leading player in influencing change in the field of baby loss support and in raising awareness of the need for psychological support for bereaved parents. Karen is a member of the Pregnancy and Baby Charities Network, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Baby Loss and the International Stillbirth Alliance (ISA). Alice Bailey is a clinical nurse specialist originally from Sheffield. She now lives in Surrey with her husband, Dave, and their three boys, Fred, Ralf and Will. In 2016, Alice and Dave became first-time parents to their daughter Vera. Vera was sadly stillborn at 38 weeks. Alice and Dave have since been supported by Petals, who have been by their side every step of the way. Links www.petalscharity.org

“The humanity that connects us is stronger than what has been created to divide us”. Nisha Anand is the CEO of Dream.Org, a nonprofit organization that brings people together across racial, social and partisan lines to solve society’s toughest problems. A born change-maker, Nisha was arrested in 1998 while handing out pro-democracy leaflets in the military dictatorship of Myanmar and was sentenced to five years in jail. Her arrest put her on the international stage and changed her thinking on how to bring about lasting change and reform. This is her story and that of Dream.org, an organisation that was founded by CNN commentator and New York Times bestselling author, Van Jones, and that Nisha has led as CEO since 2019. With her team at Dream.org, Nisha works at the intersection of criminal justice reform, green economics and tech equity, to develop innovative solutions to social and racial justice issues. Recorded August 2023. Guest Biography Nisha Anand is an Indian-American activist, mom of two teenagers, and a boundary-busting national leader for social and racial justice. Once a grassroots activist arrested in Burma for påro-democracy demonstrations, Nisha is known today as a leader in cultivating unlikely and unconventional partnerships to create change. As Dream.Org’s CEO, Nisha guides a team of storytellers, organizers, and policy experts working on some of society’s toughest problems to create a better future for all. Links www.dream.org

“It was thanks to this country that lots of those rights and protections that exist for refugees are in place … but now… you get that sense in lots of parts of the world, frankly, that the UK isn’t playing the active role that it has played historically.” The International Rescue Committee is a global organisation that helps people affected by humanitarian crises. The IRC supports people who have been caught in conflict and been forced to flee their homes, enabling them to survive, recover and rebuild their lives. Founded at the call of Albert Einstein in 1933, the IRC today works in over 40 crisis-affected countries, as well as with communities across Europe and the Americas. Laura Kyrke-Smith is the Executive Director of the International Rescue Committee in the UK. We talk about the current global context for refugees - 108 million people forcibly displaced around the world. Contrary to popular opinion, the vast majority of these displaced people are not in the wealthy countries in the Global North, but are either within their own country or within a neighbouring country, often also a low and middle income country. We discuss the UK’s Illegal Migration Bill, which seeks to remove the right to asylum - a stance that is in stark contrast to Britain’s position back in 1951, as one of the original drafters of the Refugee Convention. And how today, Britain’s standing on the international humanitarian stage is sadly not, what it once was. Recorded June 2023. Guest Biography Laura Kyrke-Smith is the Executive Director of the International Rescue Committee in the UK. She leads IRC’s work to raise funds, raise awareness, and deliver policy and practice change to help people who are caught up in conflict and disaster to survive, recover and rebuild their lives. Laura has been with IRC since 2016 as the IRC’s Director of Communications in Europe. Before joining IRC, Laura was a Partner at Portland Communications. She started her career in the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, where she worked as a policy analyst and speechwriter. Laura has a MSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics and a MA in History from the University of Cambridge. Links https://www.rescue.org/uk

“Deceptively simple, but devastatingly effective” This is how Ruth Marvel, Chief Executive of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in the UK, describes the Award. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award was started by His Royal Highness the late Prince Philip in 1956 to provide young men with development opportunities to acquire self-confidence, gain a sense of purpose and help them become well-rounded citizens. Today, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award or DofE provides an experiential learning framework that is open to all young people age 14 to 24, supporting them to learn new skills, overcome obstacles, and build confidence and resilience. Ruth shares how the organisation has changed over the years, and we explore their current strategy to enable one million young people to participate in the life-changing programmes, with particular focus on providing access to those who experience marginalisation. With a third of young people in the UK leaving school feeling like they are failing, we talk about the current context for young people, and what skills, outside of formal education, they need to really thrive in today’s world. Ruth also shares reflections on the discipline of leadership in the voluntary sector and how as leaders, we constantly need to question whether we are delivering our missions in the most effective way. Recorded June 2023. Guest Biography Ruth Marvel is the CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) in the UK. The DofE exists to help young people build a life-long belief in themselves, supporting them to take on their own challenges, follow their passions, and discover talents they never knew they had. Ruth is passionate about social justice and she has a particular interest in advancing opportunities for young people, social innovation and the power of collaboration and design thinking to solve social problems. Since joining DofE in 2019, Ruth has led the development of a new organisational strategy which aims to give a million young people, especially the most marginalised, a life-changing DofE experience by 2026. Before joining DofE, Ruth was Acting CEO at Girlguiding, which is the largest organisation of girls and young women in the UK and supports 400,000 young members to build their skills and confidence, have fun and be heard on the issues they care about. Prior to that, Ruth was Director of Strategy and Innovation at the disability charity Scope, where she led on organisational strategy, innovation and co-designing services with disabled people and their families. Ruth started her career as a campaigns officer at Scope, working to strengthen Disability Rights legislation. Ruth is a Trustee of GoodGym, and a Fellow of the Clore Social Leadership Programme. Links https://www.dofe.org/

“You change the world, when you change the lives of children… It is better for society to build stronger children, than fix broken adults.” The Children’s Society believes that every young person deserves a good childhood. Reflecting on the current context for young people in the UK today, is Mark Russell, CEO of The Children’s Society. Mark tells us how he and his colleagues are stepping up the fight for hope and happiness for young people, at a time when its under threat like never before. We explore the ramifications of the UK government’s Illegal Migration Bill and why British children have the lowest well-being rates in Europe. The goal of The Children’s Society is that by 2030, the damaging decline in children’s well-being has been overturned, setting a path for long lasting growth and prosperity. Mark sets out what he believes needs to happen for us to get there. Its a conversation full of passion, raw anger and hope. Enjoy. Recorded May 2023. Guest Biography Mark Russell was appointed Chief Executive of The Children’s Society in 2019 and leads a team of 750 staff and 10,000 volunteers. He is passionately committed to social justice and fighting for children and young people. Before joining The Children’s Society, Mark served as Chief Executive of Church Army for 13 years. Mark grew up in Northern Ireland and read Law at Queen’s University Belfast. He has 10 years’ experience as a youth worker, supporting young people in England and Northern Ireland. In 1999, Mark was awarded the ‘British Gas Tomorrow’s People Award’ for his cross-community work, bringing Catholic and Protestant young people together across Northern Ireland in the run up to the Good Friday Agreement. Mark has been a Trustee of The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England and has served as Chair of The Marylebone Project, the largest women only homeless project in the UK. He is a Governor of a large high school in Hampshire, an Honorary Canon of Southwark Cathedral and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts. Mark lives outside London with his partner David and in his spare time he loves to travel, keep fit and a good red wine. If he were ever on Mastermind, his specialist subject would be the West Wing! Links https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/ Twitter: @markrusselluk

“We have won the war on climate denial… (but) we cannot underestimate what an enormous fight this is… the climate movement being mainstream doesn’t mean we have the power to make change happen yet.” In this episode, I have the privilege of speaking with not one, but two impressive non-profit leaders: Areeba Hamid and Will McCallum, co-Executive Directors of Greenpeace UK. What's unique about Areeba and Will is that together they have shattered several barriers in their leadership roles. Areeba is the first woman and person of colour to lead Greenpeace UK, and, they are the first duo to assume this position. We dive into the essential role that Greenpeace continues to play in today's world, where the climate movement has become mainstream, and how their work continues to influence policy and drive social change. We explore the co-leadership model that Areeba and Will have adopted, discovering what makes it work and how they navigate conflicts. They also share valuable advice for other charity leaders and organisations who may be contemplating this approach. Recorded April 2023. Guest Biographies Areeba Hamid is co-Executive Director of Greenpeace UK. Areeba has worked at senior levels in Greenpeace offices around the world from 2006-2020, campaigning on issues like marine conservation, coal expansion in India, rainforest destruction in Indonesia, and tar sands in Canada and North America. Areeba re-joined Greenpeace UK from The Sunrise Project, where she led their global finance program. She is also a board member of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants. Born in India, she will be the first woman and first person of colour to lead Greenpeace in the UK. Will McCallum is co-Executive Director of Greenpeace UK. Prior to this, he was Head of Oceans at Greenpeace UK from 2015-22. Will led campaigns on sustainable fisheries, including working alongside low impact fishing communities. He founded and led the international 30x30 campaign geared to create ocean sanctuaries in international and national waters. Before that, he oversaw the launch of Greenpeace UK’s first campaigns on plastic, helping reshape the global conversation about plastic waste away from litter to being one about reducing production. He is the author of the book, How to Give Up Plastic, which has been translated into 12 languages. Links https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/

“Gift Aid, yes people know about it (but) they still dont understand it… there is about £750m unclaimed in Gift Aid every year, split between smaller charities unable to claim or dont have the skills to do it and higher rate tax-payers not really understanding … how they could be claiming an additional 25% on the gross (donation) in their tax returns.” Our guest today is Anna Josse, Founder and CEO of Prism the Gift Fund. Prism is a UK-based charity that is changing the face of philanthropy. Prism’s mission is to increase the flow of funds into the charitable sector, through creating efficiencies in the process of giving. Prism offers a unique and straight-forward alternative to setting up a charitable foundation, enabling donors to give tax-efficiently without the administrative hassle. Since its inception in 2005, Prism has facilitated over £550m in donations to thousands of charities across the world. In this episode, we dive into the different services offered by Prism, including Donor Advised Funds and Collective Funds. We explore how their innovative approach is revolutionising mid to high level giving in the UK, and also discuss the rise of the Philanthropy Paradox. Anna shares her insights on how the UK charity sector can learn from the American approach to philanthropy, as well as her vision for making philanthropy accessible to all. Recorded February 2023. Guest Biography Anna Josse is the Founder and CEO of Prism the Gift Fund (Prism). Prism’s aim is to increase the flow of funds into the charity sector. Previously, she worked in the high-tech industry and set up the Yazam EU office as Director of Investor Relations and set up and ran the British arm of a USA based charity, the New Israel Fund. Anna also acts as a trustee and advisor for several charities. She is the director and shareholder of the financial services company Regent Capital that specialises in investment products and services to UK-based HNW investors Links https://prismthegiftfund.co.uk/ This episode is sponsored by Society https://www.society-search.com/

“Creating One VisionSpring is anchored in what we do, so our mission and our social enterprise models, and its anchored in how we do it, and that is in the values that are at the heart of our teamwork… I cant emphasise enough how much values are critical to our success.” There are over a billion people in the world who don’t have the eye-glasses they need. VisionSpring is a non-profit that provides affordable eyeglasses to people in need. The organisation aims to improve the lives of people, particularly in low income settings, by increasing access to eyeglasses. With partnerships in over 43 countries they are on a mission to make the wonder of clear vision possible for everyone. My guest today is Ella Gudwin, CEO of VisionSpring. Under Ella’s leadership, VisionSpring has tripled its impact, selling over 10 million affordable eyeglasses in emerging and frontier markets. Ella talks about how eyeglasses improve daily functioning, productivity and earning potential, creating a greater likelihood of a pathway out of poverty. We discuss hybrid business models, Board dynamics, mentoring and developing organisational values. Ella shares her insights on taking over from a Founder and what it means to have received a transformational $15m gift from Mackenzie Scott. Recorded February 2022. Guest Biography Ella Gudwin is CEO of the social enterprise VisionSpring, which accelerates the uptake of eyeglasses among people who live on less than $4 a day. Under Ella's leadership, VisionSpring will correct the vision of 10 million low-income adults and children, unlocking $2.16 billion in income earning potential at the household level. Ella is a global health strategist with more than 20 years of experience. Her passions for social justice and economic development took root while living and working in Indonesia during the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the ensuing people power revolution. Prior to joining VisionSpring, Ella served as senior vice president of strategy and programme development at the global health and emergency response organization, AmeriCares. Ella has also led humanitarian operations as vice president of emergency response, and managed access to medicine and other health interventions in ten countries as director of Asia and Eurasia partnerships. Previously, Ella served as the head of foreign government and board relations at the Population Council, focused on reproductive health, youth, and poverty. Ella regularly speaks about hybrid business models that blend earned revenue with philanthropy; growing a purpose-driven business; and measuring social impact. She has shared views with audiences of NPR/PRI, Forbes, The Guardian, Fortune, Skoll World Forum, SoCap, Duke, MIT, Stanford, Princeton and Yale universities, and the Clinton Global Initiative among others. Ella earned a Masters degree in Emerging Market Economics and Southeast Asia studies from SAIS, Johns Hopkins University, and a Bachelors from Vassar College. Ella is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Ella and her daughter enjoy getting out of the city for walks in the woods. Links https://visionspring.org/ https://www.unlockherpotential.com https://www.thegirlsnetwork.org.uk/

There are 8 million people affected by human trafficking in India every year, and over 50 million globally. According to the UN, 79% of human trafficking is for sexual exploitation and 20% of all trafficking victims are children. Adventure Ashram is a small but mighty charity that is looking to change this! Driven by a spirit of adventure and freedom, the Adventure Ashram focuses on supporting grassroots anti-trafficking and education projects in South India. In this episode I speak with their CEO, Siobhan McCarthy Morton. Adventure Ashram’s Vision is a world without injustice, in which all people can enjoy their rights, their self-determination and their freedom. We talk about Adventure Ashram’s partnership delivery model, and Siobhan tells us about mobilising for their iconic Yoga Stops Traffick global event, with a team of just 3, showcasing the power of collective action. Siobhan also sounds a rallying cry for the value and importance of small charities, with a reminder that all charities, no matter how large or small, are made up of a community of people who care deeply about a cause, and this, is what makes them powerful change-makers. Recorded December 2022. Guest Biography Siobhan McCarthy Morton is the CEO of Adventure Ashram, a small charity currently supporting grassroots projects in India, with a focus on anti-trafficking, education and accessible health care. Founded by an adventurous group of motor bikers in 2007, the charity has raised over £1.5 million to date, and helped thousands of women and children access freedom and opportunities. Siobhan joined Adventure Ashram in 2022, having previously spent six years at the children’s heart charity ECHO, initially as their Communications and Volunteering Manager before being promoted to Head of Operations. Prior to that Siobhan was Head of Marketing at the grant-making organisation, The Freemasons’ Grand Charity. Siobhan is also a Trustee at Women’s Aid in Luton because she believes that all women and children should be able to choose their path in life, free from harm. Siobhan is currently studying for a Master’s in Voluntary Sector Management at Bayes Business School and lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and two young sons. Links https://www.adventureashram.org/ https://yogastopstraffick.org/ https://www.adventureashram.org/karma-curry-feb-2023

“What we have learned throughout the years of running the Big Give… is that Match Funding is a great way to get more people to give, and people to give more.” The Big Give is the UK’s leading online match funding platform. The Big Give Christmas Challenge took place from the 29th of November to the 6th of December 2022 and in that one week, raised £28.6m for over 1,000 charities across the UK. With more than £233m raised to date, the Big Give has been a huge enabler of digital fundraising through Match Funding. With the strap line “Matching Donations, Multiplying Impact”, they are in essence, a Generosity Multiplier. In this episode I speak with the Big Give’s Managing Director, Alex Day, about how the Big Give came into being, its plans for the future, and tech as an enabler for social good. Alex also shares how through a focus on building resilience, skills and profile for charities, and amplifying the campaign’s messaging, they have enabled 92% of participating organisations to reach new supporters bringing in a third of the overall donations. Charity fundraisers, listen to find out about the Big Give’s campaigns that are launching this year and how your charity could benefit. Recorded December 2022. Guest Biography The Big Give is the UK's biggest digital match funding platform which has raised over £233m for not-for-profit organisations since 2008. Alex Day joined the Big Give as Managing Director in 2015. During his tenure, Alex has has grown the size and impact of the Big Give's flagship campaign, the Christmas Challenge, from £7.2m raised for 258 charities in 2015, to £28.6m raised for 1,021 charities in 2022. He has also led on a number of high profile match funding campaigns, including raising £2.6m following the Grenfell Tower Fire. Alex has spent the majority of his career in the not-for-profit sector. He has worked for a number of international development and humanitarian NGO's including Tearfund and Medair. Alex holds a BA Hons in Business and Geography from Exeter University and an MA in Charity Management from St Mary's University, which included a thesis entitled 'Impact Bonds: The future of disaster resilience funding'. He is Vice-Chair of Excellent Development, an international development charity specialising in water conservation, and lives in Surrey with his wife and young son. Links https://donate.thebiggive.org.uk/

“In a way what we are doing, is we’re engineering social and cultural capital for those who don’t have it… that’s what mentoring is” In this episode we explore a new format for the show. Two charity CEOs having a panel discussion on the topic of mentoring: Bejal Shah, CEO of ReachOut and Verena Hefti, Founder and CEO of Leaders Plus. ReachOut is a mentoring and education charity, rooted in local communities. Working in under-resourced areas across the UK, ReachOut’s programmes support young people to grow in character and confidence, sparking change in themselves and society. Leaders Plus is a social enterprise working with individuals during maternity leave, shared parental leave and beyond, to progress in their careers whilst enjoying their young families. The Leaders Plus flagship Fellowship programme support parents to progress in big careers whilst juggling small children. We talk about the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of mentoring, how it applies to different age-groups and how each organisation measures that all important evidence of impact. And above all, how the experience of mentoring can have a transformational impact on an individual’s life and career trajectory. Recorded September 2022. Guest Biographies Bejal Shah is the CEO of ReachOut, a mentoring charity working in under-resourced communities to support young people to grow in character and confidence to achieve positive long-term outcomes. After leaving university, Bejal was determined to make a positive contribution to society and joined Explore Learning in 2009, forging a career in front-line education work. Following this she joined ReachOut in 2017 to head up their programmes nationwide, becoming the CEO in 2021. Bejal is passionate about supporting young people to be the best versions of themselves, helping them develop the tools to make decisions that benefit themselves and those around them, and achieve their full potential. Verena Hefti MBE is the CEO and Founder of the social enterprise Leaders Plus. She set up Leaders Plus in order to support leaders with babies and young children to continue to progress their careers. Verena believes that no one should have to choose between becoming a CEO and enjoying their young children. She stands for supporting parents to fulfil ambitious career dreams which she believes is essential to achieving gender equality at the top. Verena is also the host of the Big Careers, Small Children podcast. Previous to Leaders Plus, Verena ran leadership development programmes and events for 10 years in Switzerland, Denmark, and the UK, working with various organisations, including Teach First. Verena is from Switzerland and has MA in Social Anthropology from the University of Manchester. She was awarded the Prime Minister’s Points of Light Award and an MBE for services to working parents in 2022. Links https://www.reachoutuk.org/ https://www.leadersplus.org.uk/

“No child should die from hunger… we have the treatment… this treatment has 95% cure rate… and (yet) only 20% of the severely malnourished children in the world have access to this (life-saving) treatment” In a world where enough food is produced to feed everyone on earth, how is it that nearly 3 billion people - over a third of the world’s population - can’t get the food that they need to survive! Jean-Michel Grand, CEO of Action Against Hunger UK, shares his views on what is driving this global humanitarian crisis of hunger and what action needs to be taken to resolve it. We talk about crises in Africa, Pakistan, Ukraine and also Action Against Hunger’s programmes right here in the UK, developed in response to an increase in food poverty and food insecurity for millions of UK households. Jean-Michel lays down the challenge to the UK’s newly elected Prime Minister to put the UK’s international aid spending back up to 0.7% and to reclaim Britain’s position of influence on the global stage. He also shares some powerful leadership lessons learned over 20 years of being a CEO. Recorded September 2022. Guest Biography Jean-Michel Grand has been the CEO of Action Against Hunger UK since 2003. He started his career in the humanitarian sector in 1994, as a logistician during the Bosnian war where he worked for two years before being deployed to mostly conflict and drought related humanitarian crises. He spent the subsequent six years in Chechnya, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Malawi and Zimbabwe, working for Action Against Hunger. Jean-Michel represents Action Against Hunger UK on the International Executive Committee of the organisation’s International Network (which is present in over 50 countries). He was a Board member of VOICE, the network of European Humanitarian NGOs and is currently part of the DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee) Board, as an agency member. He has also been part of the CEOs' “Sounding board” on effective management hosted by Bain and Company since 2006, and is a Director of ACFIN trademark licensing company. Over the past three decades, Jean-Michel has dedicated most of his efforts to addressing child undernutrition around the world and helping populations affected by humanitarian crises. Links https://www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk/

“Everybody’s got a talent, but not everybody gets the opportunity. And thats what we’re about; we’re about opening that door and getting people through that door… that’s what’s missing in a lot of communities and society today… There’s a lot of talented young people out there… The Raheem Sterling Foundation is about capturing that (talent) and making sure the opportunities are there.” This episode is a very special collaboration with The Olympic Mindset Podcast. I have teamed up with its host, Dominic Broad, to bring you this conversation with Chris Bird, CEO of the newly formed Raheem Sterling Foundation. Chris is also the Founder of EQ Esports, CEO of Sports Tours International, a Trustee of The Running Bee Foundation and in the late 90s was the COO of Manchester City Football Club. We speak with Chris about leadership and what it takes to have the mindset of a champion - not just in sport but in any walk of life. Chris shares his aspirations for The Raheem Sterling Foundation and how through its focus on education, employment and social mobility, it aims to create opportunities and change the lives of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. We have a fascinating conversation about levelling up and what that means in reality versus just in a political manifesto. And of course we also talk about football. Recorded August 2022. Guest Biography Chris is CEO of The Raheem Sterling Foundation, which champions further education, employment opportunities and social mobility for young people. Chris is a leader in business and sports, and is widely considered a media, PR and communications authority. His media career started in 1982, working in commercial radio and regional newspaper sales. He now holds the position of Executive Chairman for Quest Media Network, as owner of the newspaper he delivered as a boy. He is also CEO of Sports Tours International. Chris served as COO at Manchester City Football Club, where his negotiations were crucial in securing major commercial and sponsorship agreements that were highly profitable for the club. Chris joined Manchester City FC as a freelance PR Consultant before he was appointed as the Chairman’s Assistant. His rise from freelancer to COO reflects that of the club, climbing from Division 2 to English football’s top tier, the Premier League. Chris is also the Founder and Trustee of The Running Bee Foundation and actively participates in challenges inspiring communities to lead healthy and active lives. Links https://raheemsterlingfoundation.org/ https://www.theolympicmindsetpodcast.com

“It’s not the role of a Trustee to know all the answers; it’s asking great questions. And if we only have a homogeneous group of people on (a) Board, it lowers your ability to ask really great questions from different perspectives, which lowers our ability to manage risk.” Mita Desai is the Chief Executive of the Young Trustees Movement. The Young Trustees Movement aims to double the number of young trustees, so that charity boards can better navigate uncertainty, better reflect the interests of their communities and future-proof their decision making. Currently only 3% of charity Trustees in the UK are under the age of 30. Mita talks about the disruptive campaign her organisation is running to change perspectives on who a Trustee can be. They are also raising awareness on the role of governance and what charity governance is really there to do. We talk about how organisations can create the culture for diverse perspectives to thrive, not just on their Boards but across their workforces. Mita shares practical advice on what Boards can do to ensure that representation is not tokenistic and that different voices are genuinely welcomed and valued. Mita shares her own experiences of being a young Trustee and how the maxim ‘Never let fear get in the way of the choices you want to make’ has led her to where she is today. Recorded July 2022. Guest Biography Mita Desai currently serves as CEO of the Young Trustees Movement. Mita has over 10 years of experience in the Youth Sector and youth voice advocacy. She has been part of a variety of campaigns including Votes at 16, A Curriculum for Life, and the Alternative Vote referendum. Mita holds a BA in Social Policy, has served as Chair of the British Youth Council and sat on the Advisory Board for Step Up To Serve. Links https://youngtrusteesmovement.org This episode is kindly sponsored by EdenTree, a charity owned investment manager and leader in responsible and sustainable investing.

“Part of Ashgate’s ambition is to change the conversation about death and dying… to enable conversations to happen in daylight, in general conversation, about death and dying. We’re all going to die, its not something that any of us can avoid… ” Barbara-Anne Walker is the Chief Executive of Ashgate Hospice. Ashgate Hospice is a specialist hospice, providing palliative and end of life care for the community of North Derbyshire. Their vision is for people with a life-limiting illness to be able to live well, and have a good death. And for their families to be supported and comforted through the process. Less than 30% of hospice funding comes from the NHS and yet the hospices provide a vital service within the UK healthcare system. Barbara-Anne and her team at Ashgate Hospice have been prolific in engaging the community, campaigning and raising awareness for hospice funding, both locally as well as on the national stage. Barbara-Anne is emphatic about the need to change the conversation about death and dying. We talk about the organisation’s iconic Sparkle Walk event. We also talk about Ashgate Hospice’s own podcast, The Life and Death Podcast, which explores frank and honest conversations about death and what ‘dying well’ really means. Barbara-Anne shares her thoughts on the importance of visible leadership and her role, as a leader, in creating a learning culture. She also shares some practical learnings gained from working through the pandemic. Recorded May 2022. Guest Biography Barbara-Anne Walker is the CEO of Ashgate Hospice. Barbara-Anne has worked in the voluntary sector for over 30 years and has had an interest in palliative and end of life care since early in her career when she worked with people affected by HIV. Barbara-Anne led the national social care programme for Macmillan Cancer Support and previously worked as Operations Director with the British Red Cross. She was a Non-Executive Director of Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust for eight years. In 2021 she was shortlisted for the Charity Times ‘Leader Of The Year’ award. Barbara-Anne is Scottish and Derbyshire has been her home for over 20 years. Links https://ashgatehospice.org.uk/