Development of a philanthropy strategy and creation of giving handbook, Jan-March 2010

 

"We asked Theresa to become involved with our family charitable foundation to provide focus and structure to our charitable giving. In leading this process to a successful conclusion, she displayed not only efficiency and enthusiasm but, equally importantly, great interest in, and sympathy for, our family background and objectives. We would commend her to any charitable organisation seeking professional help to refine its objectives and improve its processes."
Chairman of the Trustees

 

Private family trust
Establishment of charitable giving in international development and recruitment of charity Director, 2005-07.

From early 2005, working with Catherine Graham Harrison, Theresa advised a new and sizeable charitable trust from the start of its activities. The assignment involved understanding the expectations and values of a large group of people, family members and others, based all over the world. There was little experience of charitable giving among those who were to be involved in the grant-making, which is directed primarily in the field of international development. Based on this they developed an annual grant solicitation and grant-making cycle, covering processes, timetable for applicants and a meetings schedules. Key information requirements from potential recipients and proposal assessment processes were also designed and implemented. An internal governance and procedures manual was developed with the participation of a working group drawn from the family, and an internal private website has been set up to facilitate international communications. Theresa arranged and accompanied family members on project visits in Asia, and private seminars were organised in association with regular meetings.   

 

Essentially Theresa and Catherine were providing the administrative infrastructure for a trust that in 2007 is allocating some 60 sizeable grants. Following their strong recommendation the trust has now established an office and, in a process led by Theresa and Catherine, recruited a full-time Director.

"As the representative of a bank trustee company I realised that expert support was necessary for the development of charitable giving for a newly established family trust. It was important to engender a spirit of inclusivity by involving the significant number of family members and friends scattered across the world. Only few had any experience of charitable giving and most were eager to learn although held varying views of what was necessary. We needed guidance which would be highly professional, sensitive to different cultural values, diplomatic, discrete and with essential experience of international development. In the form of Catherine Graham-Harrison and Theresa Lloyd we found a team to coax us all in the right direction.

 

With their enthusiastic commitment the trust is now well established, the vision of the founder is being realised with the substantial number of grants awarded which are starting to change the lives of the beneficiaries. Along the way we have all learned and grown collectively and as individuals (including I am proud to admit, the bank trustee representative!)"
Brian Kenyon, Chairman & Director, BNP Paribas Jersey Trust Corporation

The work undertaken involved facilitated meetings and the design, analysis and presentation of the findings of a family-wide questionnaire. Following an agreement on the focus and level of giving, at least in the initial years, and identification of the family member who would administer the grant-making, Theresa provided introductions to New Philanthropy Capital, who had researched the area of interest, and to the relevant Community Foundation, since some giving is to be local.  For the initial period Theresa provided mentoring support on an ad hoc basis to the family administrator.