Who We Are
Our Network
We work with a network of consultants, freelance experts and professional firms to form teams combining appropriate skills, according to the requirements of individual charity clients. We operate throughout the UK, with some projects in the Developing World.
Our Principal, Marion Allford, acts as the Strategic Adviser to most clients. The delivery of our services is undertaken by the appointed Managing Consultant, who may be backed by a Prospect Researcher and other consultants, depending on the scope of the client’s needs. This group approach, which is scaled down for smaller, not-for-profit organisations and charities, gives all our consultants the benefit of a wider knowledge base, shared experiences, informal discussions with other experts and access to our methods of best practise, developed since 1990.
The Team
Our consultants have an array of skills and experience gained over many years working in the commercial and not-for profit sectors, with both large and small organisations. A selection of our consultants is listed below
Marion Allford is the founder and Principal of Marion Allford Associates, a network of highly experienced management, marketing and fundraising consultants serving the charity and not-for-profit sector. Marion is the Strategic Adviser for most of MAA's clients.
Marion is best known for her role as Director of the Wishing Well Appeal for Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, for which she devised the strategy and successfully ran the £84 million capital appeal. In 1990, she was appointed Managing Director of a new charity advisory service, set up by Business in the Community. During 1990 and 1991 she also spent time advising HRH The Prince of Wales' office on fundraising for his special interest charities and writing her “how to do it” book – Charity Appeals: The Complete Guide to Success.
Before this, Marion ran several capital appeals, including a £5 million campaign for the Charing Cross Medical Research Centre and a £1 million appeal for a Guinness Trust housing scheme in the East End of London, both of which exceeded their targets.
Marion has lectured extensively and has held various honorary posts and trusteeships. She is a fellow and founder member of the Institute of Fundraising, a fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce and a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
Charlotte joined Marion Allford Associates in 2008 as Project Manager and Consultant. Her background is in business administration, project management and fundraising. She has over ten years working in the commercial sector and over six years experience working in the voluntary sector. Her fundraising experience includes setting up an appeal office, major donor fundraising, individual giving, administering a Trustee and appeal board and working with senior volunteers. She also has experience of Trust and Foundation fundraising.
Lizzy joined MAA as Office Administrator and Personal Assistant to the Principal, in August 2009 following a range of roles in lifestyle management and completing a masters degree in the history of fashion. Working principally for Marion Allford, she also assists the team in their project management. This is Lizzy’s first job in the charity sector, but, with time, she hopes to develop a career in this field.
Katharine has spent all of her working life in health-related fields and is a marketing professional with over 25 years' experience in both commercial and not-for-profit organisations. After working within large corporations for 17 years in senior marketing roles, she applied this experience to the not-for-profit sector as a consultant for organisations which include the Royal College of Nursing, working with MAA, the NHS and the Amarant Trust. She has experience of increasing income generation through the development of commercial partnerships, sponsorship relationships and member fundraising. Katharine uses her coaching and facilitation experience to work with not for profit organisations to enable the organisations to sustain the changes they make. In addition, she has taken on senior interim management positions to assist organisations following the departure of key members of staff.
Graham has 27 years of experience working as a professional fundraiser with over 100 different organisations, including the Red Cross and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers. Graham runs training courses for the Institute of Fundraising, as well as advising and mentoring charities in practical fundraising, consultancy, grant-giving, trusteeship and management. Graham has worked with MAA since 2004, specialising in mentoring fundraising practitioners within smaller organisations.
Sarah was formerly Head of Corporate and Trust Fundraising for NCH (National Children’s Homes) and Marie Curie Cancer, and has provided consultancy services to national and local charities for nine years, including the Samaritans and WWF. She is the Founder and Director (Trustee) of an overseas education charity. She also provides recruitment advice and new staff mentoring for voluntary organisations.
John Hart was invited by the Rt Hon Christopher Patten to help launch a new national charity, the Healing Foundation, to champion the cause of people living with disfigurements. As the Director, he worked closely with MAA to set up and launch this charity, alongside a major capital campaign. The charity is now well established and funding major research projects. Before his retirement from the Navy, John commanded HMS Nelson, the naval barracks in Portsmouth, and was promoted to Commodore. This appointment included Chairmanship of five naval charities. John specialises in Charity Governance, fundraising strategies and undertaking Interim Management roles.
Simon has 12 years experience in fundraising management supported by 12 years commercial marketing and business development experience. His recent work as a consultant includes project managing a £2.5m capital appeal for a community centre in Bristol and securing funding for two years’ salary for an emerging charity, Partnerships in Health Information. As head of fundraising at the Soil Association Simon realised the fundraising potential following the devastating Foot and Mouth outbreak and recruited and worked closely with a statutory grants manager to secure £1m for rural capacity building initiatives. Simon specialises in feasibility studies and applications for lottery funding.
Nicola has been working as a consultant with Marion Allford Associates since 1995 and has helped to set up a £4 million capital appeal to build a foyer in Newcastle; establish a revenue fundraising strategy and structure for the Big Issue in Manchester; and advise a national medical charity. Nicola regularly undertakes the prospect research and writing of the Cases for Support for various MAA projects. Her other major clients have included Tyne and Wear Museums, the Northumbria Coalition Against Crime and The AfriCat Foundation. In 1996 she was awarded the title Professional Fundraiser of the Year.
James has been working with MAA since 2004 and has been Finance Manager since the Autumn of 2007. He has a degree in law and is in the final stages of completing his accountancy qualification.
Hugo joined MAA in December 2007. He is an integral member of the team although rather demanding in the tummy rubbing stakes and sometimes makes an appearance at the office weekly meetings. He specialises in deep slumber, especially under an office desk lamp and is occasionally a bit of a bruiser.