Helping Purpose-Driven Organizations Grow — One Strategic Step at a Time
By Charlotte Hanson, Fundraising Affiliate Consultant
When it comes to fundraising consulting, the work is about so much more than writing grant applications and maintaining fundraising databases. At MMC Ltd. we partner with charities, communities and social enterprises to build fundraising and business strategies that drive their long-term impact. As a Senior Fundraising Consultant Associate, with over 25 years experience in the sector, I am delighted to be part of the team, providing bespoke expert support and advice, in response to each client’s individual needs.
One of my favourite things about working at MMC is the care and generosity of the team in taking time to making me feel part of the MMC family. But then building good relationships and seeing the potential of collaboration and partnership are at the core of what MMC are about.
It was on Mother’s Day last March that I responded to Marsha’s LinkedIn post looking for additional fundraising capacity. I had just started to emerge from a challenging period as a full-time carer and was looking to take on more freelance work. As an experienced Charity Professional having worked for over 25 years in leadership roles and over 15 years as a consultant in Impact and Fundraising, I was looking for an opportunity to work in partnership with charities who would benefit from this expertise. Having worked mostly for myself during this period from a home office and having felt a bit isolated, I was also keen that my next opportunity would give me a chance to work as part of a team – sharing knowledge and challenges. I also wanted to work in a way which was flexible enough to respond to my family’s needs as they arose. So, in other words, I wanted to have my CAKE and eat it!
And a lot of cake there has been in the last 12 months mostly thanks to Megan’s (Marsha’s daughter and team member) superb home cooking (thanks Megan). Because at MMC Marsha takes the wellbeing of her team seriously. Expect regular check-ins, wellbeing packages, the cutest office (therapy?) dog and invitations to be part of away days, socials and team building. Marsha, Rosie, Lisa and Sean have always been on hand over ensuring that I am fully supported in my work and available for a chat over Teams or face to face at their office base in Newton Abbot.
Being a Senior Fundraising Consultant Associate at MMC has been really useful as a benchmark of good practice. Working within carefully developed and thoughtful ‘house’ client processes, it has given me a chance to reflect on my own fundraising and client relationship practice, as well as contribute to their development at MMC. Marsha and the Team have shown such generosity in sharing resources and knowledge; as well as valuing my personal experience and approach.
MMC thrives on collaboration. As an Associate I am invited to take part in regular in person or virtual meetings and teams chats to share progress, insight, flag any blocks, and celebrate wins. This open, collaborative and supportive environment is one of the best parts of working as an MMC associate.
MMC works with a variety of mission-driven organisations — from carbon reduction nonprofits to regional arts venues. As an associate, I’m typically juggling 2 or more client accounts at once and the MMC internal systems and processes are really useful for staying on top of and keeping records of our work. Every day is different depending on our clients’ needs. We could be on a ‘kickstart’ day visiting a client to learn more about their services and fundraising/business needs; or meeting with a funder alongside a client to talk about a potential future project and build relationships. Clients often say our team feels like an extension of theirs, and that’s exactly what we aim for.
I have certainly benefitted from Marsha’s ability to match the right client with the right team member and I have enjoyed the variety and challenge of working this year with some really impactful charities. These have ranged from smaller emerging local social enterprises looking to plug gaps in trading and maximise core income; to larger well-established cultural organisations looking to develop complex capital partnership projects. Tasks have included: funding research and pipeline development; developing a Theory of Change; developing cases for support; project development mentoring; and writing numerous funding applications and funding letters (from £2k-£1m+). Often this work is done independently, but frequently it involves working with a member of MMC as we seek to maximise the skills, knowledge & capacity across the team for the client. We seek to guide, advise and co-create. Clients often end up coming back to us for more than just fundraising support — they want strategic insights and mentoring, and that’s the aspect of the work I love to deliver the most.
To read more about our wonderful team of consultants please visit our website
If you have a piece of work you think we can help you with, we would love to hear from you. You can contact us on hello@mmcltd.co.uk or book an exploratory call with Marsha here.
