Insights for you

I don't know about you, but I have met a few people who ask how much of the price went to the dairy's accountants, its IT system or its quality checks when they buy a carton of milk. One tends to assume that those things are what get safe milk onto the supermarket or deli shelf. When deciding whether to support an organisation, our focus naturally shifts to the impact it will deliver. Behind the scenes, sound finances, skilled paid staff, well-supported volunteers, knowledgea

Everyone expects answers, and the ground keeps moving beneath your plans. Perhaps your strategy no longer fits. Maybe your board and staff see the next chapter differently, and you're caught in the middle. You might be struggling to show how your efforts advance your mission Or the relationships that matter most, with grantees or funding partners, need aligning or rebuilding before you can progress. And too often, you carry it alone. Working even harder won't fix this. What h

In my work with philanthropists, I learned that giving often begins with what's closest: a place they love, their university, a community they care about, an illness that has touched their family, or a wildfire that has burned homes in their neighbourhood. Proximity matters because when we are close to a problem, we better understand the need and feel a greater responsibility to act. But proximity can create blind spots: the causes we are close to are not always the causes wi

I remember 2008 less by the dates than by how it felt. And lately, there has been a growing sense of déjà vu. I was pregnant, working at The Economist Group, and my husband was at Lehman Brothers when it collapsed. I remember hearing the announcement and the alarm that followed. What stayed with me was not only the financial instability but the collective paralysis. People and organisations froze. Decisions stalled. Everyone waited for some certainty to return. Lately, I am r

Three things I'm still turning over from a session on reimagining NGO models at Skoll World Forum last April: 1- Letting go of ego, logo, and control 2- Seeking PERFECT clarity hinders survival 3- Collaboration, sharing infrastructure, knowledge, and expertise is the new norm The conversations at Skoll shouldn't stay in Oxford. The real work is carrying them forward into our strategies, our partnerships, our funding relationships. How does this resonate with you? #SocialImpac

This question stayed with me after the #TheSideBar session on "The Infrastructure of Trust: Why relational approaches matter." In the room, trust looked simple but demanding. It looked like listening deeply and not rushing to fix. It looked like showing vulnerability, co-designing work plans, feeling safe and practising accountability. It did not look like micromanagement, constant reporting and control. This idea really stood out to me: Trust cannot be performative. But it d

Heading to Skoll tomorrow. Already thinking about the conversations I'm looking forward to having. My personal checklist: Ask for permission to talk Share knowledge, Bring a standpoint Be useful, Be helpful Stay open to being challenged See you there! #SkollWF2026 #SkollWorldForum #SocialImpact #SystemsChange

Some moments call for stillness. Others demand action and honest conversation. This one calls for all of the above and even more. I’m heading to Skoll World Forum 2026 from 21 to 24 April to make sense of what this moment asks of philanthropy and our wider sector. The need to come together has always been there….now it feels more urgent. The world is moving so fast and unpredictably. I’m looking to engage in honest, grounded conversations about what this means in practice and

Research by Sigal G. Barsade at Yale University demonstrated that emotions truly are contagious within groups. Her experiments showed that when positive moods are expressed, they spread. For foundations and philanthropists, this matters. In my experience, funding decisions aren’t made solely based on evidence and data. They’re shaped by the confidence of the people behind the work, the trust they inspire, the emotions they awaken, and the clear sense that they truly understan

Looking ahead to 2026, my focus is clear: enabling changemakers to tackle today’s challenges in ways that meaningfully better our world. Over the years, I have spent a great deal of time thinking about and actively creating connections and collaborations. Some relationships flourished. Others did not. Some that I thought would go nowhere unexpectedly thrived, while others that seemed promising never materialised. Each experience taught me something about trust, connection, an