Marketing and communications consultancy for charities and purpose-led organisations.
Experienced strategic thinking and practical support for organisations that need a clearer direction, stronger foundations or more senior capacity than they currently have in-house.
Get clearer about what matters, then build the capacity to make it happen.
Most of the organisations I work with have real substance.
They are delivering services people rely on, managing relationships with funders and partners and trying to build a more secure future.
What they often lack is enough experienced marketing and communications capacity for the scale of the ambition.
The CEO is writing the newsletter between board papers. The fundraising lead is also responsible for the website. The communications plan has become a collection of good intentions, while requests from across the organisation keep landing with the same overstretched person.
Sometimes, nobody is quite sure which audience matters most or what the organisation should be saying to them. Sometimes, the direction is clear but there is no one available to keep the work moving.
I bring an experienced outside view, senior marketing and communications expertise and practical support that fits the reality of a small organisation. I can help you work out what matters, build a plan people can use and stay involved long enough to help make it happen.
Four ways we can work together
Perhaps communications activity has grown without a clear strategy. The website is no longer telling the right story. Different teams are speaking to the same audiences in different ways. Or you know something is not working, but you are too close to see where the real issue sits.
I take an experienced outside look at your marketing and communications, including the audiences you need to reach, how the organisation is positioned, the messages you use, your website and channels, supporter journeys, internal systems and the capacity available to deliver the work.
You will receive clear recommendations and a practical route forward, with priorities grounded in what your organisation can realistically sustain.
Where useful, the work can continue into audience development, positioning and messaging, communications strategy, content and channel planning, website recommendations or implementation support.
Strategic communications review
For organisations that need to step back before deciding what to do next.
From £2,250 + VAT.
This is a retained or fractional partnership for a CEO or senior leader who needs an experienced person alongside them to make sense of competing priorities and turn decisions into progress.
The work is shaped around the organisation. I may lead marketing and communications strategy, advise the CEO, strengthen fundraising foundations, improve systems or oversee a major project. I can also coordinate trusted specialists and provide hands-on support where it is needed, so the responsibility does not land back with the person who was already at capacity.
You get a partner who understands the organisation, challenges your thinking when useful and stays close enough to help move the work forward.
Strategic growth partner
For organisations that need ongoing senior thinking across communications and the wider work around it.
From £2,000 + VAT per month.
Your organisation may know what it wants to say and who it needs to reach, but the newsletter is still late, the website updates keep falling down the list and social media is being fitted around everybody else's main job.
My team and I can provide consistent support with content planning, website updates, email and newsletters, social media management, scheduling, light design, analytics and campaign delivery.
The scope is agreed around the work that needs to happen regularly, so you have dependable support without creating another role to recruit and manage in-house.
Ongoing communications support
For organisations with a clear direction that need reliable capacity to keep communications moving.
From £1,2500 + VAT per month.
This may be a communications strategy, campaign or appeal, case for support, supporter journey, rebrand project, grant funding management, CRM development or a focused planning workshop.
We agree on the problem, the outcome and the scope before the work begins. You get focused senior support without committing to a longer engagement, with practical implementation included where appropriate.
From £950 + VAT for a tightly defined workshop, review or intensive. Larger strategy and implementation projects are priced according to scope.
Focused strategic projects
For one defined priority that needs experienced thought and a clear finish point.
From £950 + VAT
If this sounds familiar…
Start here
We need to understand what is working and decide what to prioritise.
Our CEO or senior team needs an experienced partner who can hold the bigger picture.
We know the plan, but the day-to-day communications work is not getting done consistently.
We have one defined piece of work that needs senior expertise.
I work with charities, NGOs, foundations and other purpose-led organisations. Some have 50 people. Some have two members of staff. Some are run entirely by trustees.
Headcount matters less than the situation. The organisation is doing worthwhile work and wants to become more effective, but its current marketing and communications capacity does not match what it is trying to achieve.
I usually work with CEOs, directors, heads of service, senior fundraisers, communications leads, founders, chairs and trustees. They care about the quality of the work, welcome an honest outside perspective and are prepared to make decisions when the current approach is no longer serving the organisation.
We will work well together if you want someone who can understand the wider context and help make the work happen. I am unlikely to be the right fit if you want a high volume of rushed grant applications regardless of fit, or expect an external consultant to deliver lasting change with no internal involvement.
"It's difficult to put into words just how much Sarah and her team have supported Renfrewshire Foodbank. They've become an invaluable resource for us, offering support across so many areas, from our CRM and summer appeal to fundraising tools, board reporting, marketing and communications, our website and so much more."
Linda Kelly
CEO, Renfrewshire Foodbank
"What I've appreciated most is that Sarah has taken the time to really understand who we are, what we're trying to achieve and the challenges we face as an independent foodbank. She doesn't offer one-size-fits-all solutions. Instead, she's become a trusted voice for our organisation, helping us think things through, challenge our thinking when needed and celebrate the wins along the way.
Sarah brings a huge amount of experience in fundraising, marketing and communications, but she does it with such warmth and generosity that it never feels like you're being 'consulted'. It feels like you've got someone firmly in your corner who genuinely wants you to succeed."
"Work with Sarah has been an absolute joy, transforming loose concepts into bold, innovative campaigns."
Aimée Maguet
Head of Fundraising & Communications, Girls Friendly Society
"Sarah is a stand-out. Thoughtful, clear-thinking and excellent."
Penelope Blackwell
Director of Public Engagement, SCIAF
