Building Sustainable Impact with Visionary Founders
Embedded strategic planning, business analytics, and leadership development for organizations with elegant solutions to pressing problems
What I Do
I partner with early-stage charity founders to build sustainable, data-driven organizations that are positioned to scale their impact
Embedded Partnership
Not quarterly check-ins. Always in the flow, fully committed to your success. Reach me anytime, attend every monthly meeting, work alongside your team.
Strategic Framework
Business planning, data analytics, and north star metrics adapted from City Harvest's proven growth model. Build systems that compound in value over time.
Leadership Development
Help founders and senior teams become the leaders their organizations need. Direct challenges, hands-on guidance, and watching you grow into your full potential.
How It Works
We discuss your mission and stage of growth
I embed with your team—monthly meetings, always-on access
We build sustainable systems: metrics, planning, team development
Your organization becomes stronger, more data-driven, ready to scale
Is This Partnership Right for You?
Early-stage charity with elegant solution to pressing problem
Exceptional, high-energy founder open to guidance
Mission-driven with ambition to scale impact
Ready to embrace data and business analytics
Building Impact Together
Three exceptional organizations at different stages, all creating elegant solutions to critical problems
TimeGivers
Transformative volunteering opportunities for young people
16,000 young volunteers
43,000 lives impacted
£6.84 per beneficiary
Youth Court Solutions
Scaling evidence-based youth justice intervention
36% reduction in reoffending
4 years proven results
Expanding to 5+ regions
iDEA Foundation
Digital education at unprecedented scale
387,000 learners in 2025
£1 per learner
£0.01 per minute of education
Working Together
What makes this model truly distinctive is watching founders become the leaders their organizations need to succeed
"Kate took to the framework with extraordinary speed—proof that with intelligence and passion, these tools are accessible to anyone, regardless of background."
Laura on Kate Deighton
Founder, TimeGivers
"What strikes me most is Jane's tenacity and clarity of vision. She approaches the national scaling challenge with the same quiet determination that proved this model works."
Laura on Jane Deamer
Founder, Youth Court Solutions
"Polly has embraced the strategic framework with remarkable energy and openness. Given what iDEA has already achieved, our 2030 ambition feels not just credible but almost conservative."
Laura on Polly Morgan
CEO, iDEA Foundation
Laura Winningham
OBEFounder, Winningham Impact Ventures. Built City Harvest London from an idea to 70 million meals. Now applying that same framework to the next generation of charity founders.
City Harvest London — Impact, 2014–2022
70M+
meals delivered
£90M
food value rescued
82,000
tons CO₂ prevented
8 yrs
as founding CEO
I've had the privilege of watching the strategic framework we used at City Harvest during its critical, formative years prove remarkably transferable to early-stage charities.
What I hadn't anticipated was how much joy I would take in watching founders become the leaders their organisations need to succeed. Each organisation I support offers a simple, elegant solution to a real and pressing problem — and behind each one is an exceptional leader.
My non-negotiable is that both must be present: the idea and the person. I've deliberately chosen to work with passionate, high-energy founders who are open to guidance without ego — people energized by ideas and committed to building something that lasts.
What makes this model distinctive: any founder I work with can reach me at any time. I stay completely in the flow — the wins and the misses, the problems and the solutions — rather than offering intermittent advice from a distance.
Education
Career
Now
Winningham Impact Ventures
Founder
Embedded strategic advisor to TimeGivers, iDEA Foundation, and Youth Court Solutions. Always-on partnership model built on the City Harvest growth framework.
2014–2022
City Harvest London
Co-Founder & CEO
Built from zero to 70M+ meals rescued, delivering £90M of food at no cost to struggling families. OBE awarded for this work.
Prior
CRI Media Partners · Perry Partners · Alteus Capital
Co-head, Asset Management
Managed one of the top 20 US money managers (Nelson's Directory). Multiple fund and equity roles across New York.
Early career
Sand County Venture Fund — Silicon Valley
Early-stage investor
One of the first social impact investment funds in the US — where the conviction that capital and purpose belong together first took root.
What Makes This Different
The framework's origins: Much of the analysis I provide mirrors work done pro bono by Bain & Company for City Harvest — work valued at many hundreds of thousands of pounds. I now use AI to generate equivalent outputs and train teams to do the same.
Resources for
Impact-Driven Founders
Curated intelligence on the UK charity sector — the reports, pressures, and opportunities that matter most for founders building sustainable organisations in 2025–2026.
Essential Sector Reports
Charity Sector Risk Assessment 2025
42.6% of charities are spending more than their income, with rising service demand across all subsectors placing further strain on the sector.
Charity Sector Development Report 2025
45% of charities are drawing on reserves. Income diversification has moved from best practice to survival strategy.
Status of UK Fundraising 2025
Digital maturity is the clearest predictor of fundraising growth. AI adoption has reached 77% across the charity sector.
Charity Sector Trends 2025
Donor base shrinking, mergers up 90%, and increasing competition for statutory funding. The charities that will survive are building resilient systems now.
Key Sector Challenges 2025–2026
Financial Pressure
45% of charities are drawing on reserves, with 42.6% already spending more than they earn. Financial resilience is no longer optional — it is existential.
Shrinking Donor Base
Only 50% of UK adults donated in 2024, down from 58% in 2019. Charities must work significantly harder for every pound of individual giving.
Rising Staff Costs
NIC increases and minimum wage hikes from April 2026 will squeeze margins further, particularly for smaller organisations with high staffing ratios.
Increased Funding Competition
More charities chasing the same grants and major donors. Differentiation and strong data-driven impact storytelling are now non-negotiable.
Growth Opportunities
AI Adoption Accelerating
77% of charities are now using AI tools. Early movers are building significant advantages in content production, impact reporting, and analytics.
Major Donor Cultivation
Major donors now drive over 50% of fundraising growth. Authentic, long-term relationship-building with high-net-worth individuals is the single highest-leverage activity for most charities.
Mass Participation Events
81% participation in mass events — the highest in years. Community-building fundraising formats are resonating strongly with the public and are a powerful acquisition channel.
Government Better Futures Fund
£500M committed for vulnerable children. Charities serving this cohort with proven, data-driven models are well-positioned to access significant statutory funding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the partnership model
Start the Conversation
Tell me about your mission and where you are in your journey. I'll respond within 48 hours to discuss if this partnership is right for you.
Direct Contact
What Happens Next?
- 1.I'll review your message and respond within 48 hours
- 2.If it seems like a good fit, we'll schedule a conversation
- 3.We'll discuss your mission, your stage, and how I can help