Steve Wickham founded The Giving Department in 2010 to give companies and philanthropists something that was hard to find: expert, independent support to help their giving make a real difference.
Today we are a small London-based team, working with clients from FTSE 100 companies and corporate foundations to families and individual philanthropists, in the UK and internationally. Clients get senior attention, practical advice and a long-term partner - many have worked with us for over a decade.
Our mission is to help businesses, philanthropists and charitable foundations achieve their goals by creating meaningful partnerships and maximising the impact of their investment in charities and communities.
Founding Director
Steve founded The Giving Department in 2010 to provide expert, independent support for companies and philanthropists who want their giving to deliver real, long-lasting change. Before that, he held senior roles at a number of charities, most recently at The Prince's Trust, giving him a deep understanding of how funders and charities can build relationships that work. Steve is often invited to speak on charitable issues and offers occasional mentoring.
Strategy Director
Kiara has worked in strategy and engagement for over a decade, across the public, private and charity sectors, with a particular interest in aligning culture and people to purpose. She previously led communications and engagement strategy for United Way of Metro Chicago, and holds an MBA from Bayes Business School, where her research focused on cross-sector partnerships.
Development Director
Mark brings a blend of commercial and charitable experience, supporting organisations from FTSE 100 businesses to independent foundations with their approach to giving. He has worked on collaborative initiatives bringing funders and charities together, including Sainsbury's Data Philanthropy programme and KickStart Money. Before joining The Giving Department, Mark spent five years at The Prince's Trust, latterly as Head of Business Development.
We draw on a trusted network of associates for specialist sector insight, local knowledge and extra capacity.
Research and Impact Evaluation Associate
Charlotte has worked in research for the private, public and charity sectors for over 25 years. She founded Bean Research, and was previously Research Director at Business in the Community and a director of corporate reputation research at Ipsos MORI.
Associate
Mark spent 25 years in retail property with high street retailers including Next, Arcadia Group and River Island, where he also managed the brand's charity relationships and its staff giving scheme. He is a trusted adviser to several family foundations, working with Trustees and the next generation.
Associate
Julian has over 25 years' experience in the not-for-profit sector, including 15 years at The Prince's Trust, where he became a director, and later Deputy Chief Executive of Access Sport. He has extensive grantmaking and board experience, including chairing the Grants Committee of the Youth United Foundation.
Whether you are starting out or reviewing an established programme, a first conversation is informal and confidential.
